Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Parameter Optimization”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,189 records · Page 66

Machine Learning Assisted Synthesis of Metal–Organic Nanocapsules

Herein, we report machine learning algorithms by training data sets from a set of both successful and failed experiments for studying the crystallization propensity of metal–organic nanocapsules (MONCs). Among a variety of studied machine learning algorithms, XGBoost affords the highest prediction accuracy of >90%. The derived chemical feature scores that determine importance of reaction parameters from the XGBoost model assist to identify synthesis parameters for successfully synthesizing new hierarchical structures of MONCs, showing superior performance to a well-trained chemist. This work demonstrates that the machine learning algorithms can assist the chemists to faster search for the optimal reaction parameters from many experimental variables, whose features are usually hidden in the high-dimensional space.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modeling Ring Current Proton Fluxes Using Artificial Neural Network and Van Allen Probe Measurements

Abstract Terrestrial ring current dynamics are a critical part of the near‐space environment, in that they directly drive geomagnetic field variations that control particle drifts, and define geomagnetic storms. The present study aims to specify a global and time‐varying distribution of ring current proton using geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters with their history as input. We train an artificial neural network (ANN) model to reproduce proton fluxes measured by the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment instrument onboard Van Allen Probes. By choosing optimal feature parameters and their history length, the model results show a high correlation and a small error between model specifications and satellite measurements. The modeled results well capture energy‐dependent proton dynamics in association with geomagnetic storms, including inward radial diffusion, acceleration and decay. Our ANN model produces proton fluxes with their corresponding 3D spatiotemporal variations, capturing the latitudinal distribution and local time asymmetry that are consistent with observations and that can further inform theory.

Li, Jinxing↗

Parameter-induced stochastic resonance based on spectral entropy and its application to weak signal detection

The parameter-induced stochastic resonance based on spectral entropy (PSRSE) method is introduced for the detection of a very weak signal in the presence of strong noise. The effect of stochastic resonance on the detection is optimized using parameters obtained in spectral entropy analysis. Upon processing employing the PSRSE method, the amplitude of the weak signal is enhanced and the noise power is reduced, so that the frequency of the signal can be estimated with greater precision through spectral analysis. While the improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio is similar to that obtained using the Duffing oscillator algorithm, the computational cost reduces from O(N{sup 2}) to O(N). The PSRSE approach is applied to the frequency measurement of a weak signal made by a vortex flow meter. The results are compared with those obtained applying the Duffing oscillator algorithm.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Dependence of optimal initial density on laser parameters for multi-keV x-ray radiators generated by nanosecond laser-produced underdense plasma

Efficient multi-keV x-ray sources can be produced using nanosecond laser pulse-heated middle-Z underdense plasmas generated using gas or foam. Previous experimental results show that an optimal initial target density exists for efficient multi-keV x-ray emission at which the laser ionization wave is supersonic. Here we explore the influence of the laser intensity and the pulse duration on this optimal initial target density via a one-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulation. The simulation shows that the optimal initial density is sensitive to both the laser intensity and the pulse duration. However, the speed of the supersonic ionization wave at the end of the laser irradiation is always maintained at 1.5 to 1.7 times that of the ion acoustic wave under the optimal initial density conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

High-energy-density plasma in femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array targets for nuclear reactions

In this work, the high-energy-density plasmas (HEDP) evolved from joule-class-femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array (NWA) targets were numerically and experimentally studied. The results of particle-in-cell simulations indicate that ions accelerated in the sheath field around the surfaces of the nanowires are eventually confined in a plasma, contributing most to the high energy densities. The protons emitted from the front surfaces of the NWA targets provide rich information about the interactions that occur. We give the electron and ion energy densities for broad target parameter ranges. The ion energy densities from NWA targets were found to be an order of magnitude higher than those from planar targets, and the volume of the HEDP was several-fold greater. At optimal target parameters, 8% of the laser energy can be converted to confined protons, and this results in ion energy densities at the GJ/cm 3 level. In the experiments, the measured energy of the emitted protons reached 4 MeV, and the changes in energy with the NWA’s parameters were found to fit the simulation results well. Experimental measurements of neutrons from 2 H(d,n) 3 He fusion with a yield of (24 ± 18) × 10 6 /J from deuterated polyethylene NWA targets also confirmed these results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

VeraShift I/O Optimization for Ex-core Calculations with VERA

The initial release of Shift in the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) provided users with the ability to perform ex-core calculations. After this release, a task was undertaken to optimize input parameters and output of desired quantities for ex-core calculations. As requested by analysts, this report presents the detailed input and output changes made to VERA to enhance usability. Specifically, some of the major optimizations added were detector and bioshield setup using the VERA common input, updated Shift input defaults, consolidated output, and output of pin importance's. Close interaction between developers, analysts, and users enabled these useful optimization updates, which will be included in the release of VERA 4.1, and some are included in VERA 4.0.1. Under these auspices, this work will continue under the VERA Users Group (VUG).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

ISRU System Model Tool: From Excavation to Oxygen Production

In the late 80's, conceptual designs for an in situ oxygen production plant were documented in a study by Eagle Engineering [1]. In the "Summary of Findings" of this study, it is clearly pointed out that: "reported process mass and power estimates lack a consistent basis to allow comparison." The study goes on to say: "A study to produce a set of process mass, power, and volume requirements on a consistent basis is recommended." Today, approximately twenty years later, as humans plan to return to the moon and venture beyond, the need for flexible up-to-date models of the oxygen extraction production process has become even more clear. Multiple processes for the production of oxygen from lunar regolith are being investigated by NASA, academia, and industry. Three processes that have shown technical merit are molten regolith electrolysis, hydrogen reduction, and carbothermal reduction. These processes have been selected by NASA as the basis for the development of the ISRU System Model Tool (ISMT). In working to develop up-to-date system models for these processes NASA hopes to accomplish the following: (1) help in the evaluation process to select the most cost-effective and efficient process for further prototype development, (2) identify key parameters, (3) optimize the excavation and oxygen production processes, and (4) provide estimates on energy and power requirements, mass and volume of the system, oxygen production rate, mass of regolith required, mass of consumables, and other important parameters. Also, as confidence and high fidelity is achieved with each component's model, new techniques and processes can be introduced and analyzed at a fraction of the cost of traditional hardware development and test approaches. A first generation ISRU System Model Tool has been used to provide inputs to the Lunar Architecture Team studies.

Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo↗

Update on Investigations of Viability of Cold Spray and FSW as a Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Canister Mitigation Tool

The purpose of this work is to investigate the use of cold spray and friction stir welding or processing (FSW/P) for repair and mitigation of chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) in dry cask storage system (DCSS) canisters to ensure integrity far beyond their original license period. This report provides a viability analysis of cold spray and friction stir welding for repair and fabrication of DCSS canisters. This report presents experimental work and a research strategy to optimize and evaluate cold spray and FSW/P for CISCC resistance. The literature reports that the following three conditions must exist for CISCC to occur: tensile stress, corrosive environment, and susceptible material. These conditions must be understood and accounted for while evaluating CISCC susceptibility. Furthermore, non-obvious factors, such as surface conditions and geometric confinement, can dramatically increase the intensity of one or more of the three listed conditions for CISCC. Arc welding should be considered for either temporary or permanent repair when combined with a mitigation technology. It is known that alloys used in the existing inventory of spent nuclear fuel storage canisters become sensitized in areas around fusion welds. Technologies, such as cold spray or FSW, can mitigate the sensitization caused by fusion welds. FSW/P and cold spray, potential alternatives for fabrication and repair, are solid-phase processes. No melting occurs and the energy input can be controlled such that no harm is done to the base metal during these processes. FSW/P should be considered for use in new fabrication of canisters and repair of existing canisters. Low heat input and grain refinement result in material with improved mechanical properties and comparable generalized corrosion performance relative to base metal. FSW/P offers the potential of through-thickness CISCC resistance. Cold spray should be considered for production, mitigation, and repair of canisters. Cold spray has demonstrated the ability to deposit stainless steel, Inconel alloys, and other alloys on stainless steel 304L such that galvanic potential is matched and resistance to pitting is improved. The technical basis for cold spray mitigation and repair within the overpack using remote robotic equipment is established. A non-obvious application to the research community is the sealing of crevices. All reported instances of CISCC in the fielded nuclear applications were associated with crevice corrosion. This can be avoided by cold spraying to seal crevices. The bulk of the work planned for FY 2020 will be generating coupons for CISCC testing by collaborative projects at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. First an exploratory study will be executed that will include screening studies and process optimization. This task will identify the effect of process parameters on microstructure and CISCC resistance. Optimized parameters will be used to produce a smaller number of coupons for full testing and evaluation. Test methods for evaluating CISCC resistance must meet the following criteria: (1) normalized surface geometry and exposed process microstructure, (2) account for residual stresses, (3) be in a controlled and appropriate test environment, and (4) be numerically quantifiable and repeatable. Failure to meet these criteria could lead to results that cannot be used for comparative analysis of processes and materials.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Cost-optimized Automated Variance Reduction for Highly Angle-dependent Radiation Transport Analyses [Dissertation]

Monte Carlo variance-reduction techniques that directly bias particle direction have historically received limited attention despite being useful for many radiation transport applications such as those in which radiation travels through large regions with a low probability of colliding. One such technique is known as DXTRAN (short for deterministic transport) in the MCNP Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Until now, effectively applying DXTRAN in calculations is largely based on empirical observations of computational performance. Optimal DXTRAN parameters are identified through manual iteration. This work develops new mathematical descriptions of the DXTRAN variance-reduction process and demonstrates a new automated variance-reduction method that applies these mathematical formulations to determine the optimal application of DXTRAN in a given problem.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

ORNL_AISD-Ex: Quantum chemical prediction of UV/Vis absorption spectra for over 10 million organic molecules

We performed calculations of electronic excitation energies and associated oscillator strengths based on the time-dependent density-functional tight-binding (TD-DFTB) method [1]. The SMILES (Simplified molecular-input line-entry system) strings of the molecules from the AISD HOMO-LUMO database [2] were converted to a 3D atomistic structure and stored in a PDB file after preliminary geometry optimization using the Merck Molecular Force Field (MMFF94) in RDKit [3,4]. The primary information stored in the PDB file archive consists of Cartesian coordinates for each atom of the molecule in their 3D location in space, along with summary information about the structure, sequence, and experiment. We then performed molecular geometry optimization using the density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) method [5] in the electronic ground state, followed by single-point excited states calculations, as described below. We note that, since RDKit employs a random choice for the generation of molecular conformers, the molecular geometries obtained in this dataset could be different from the ones that were generated when the AISD HOMO-LUMO dataset was generated. The computed excitation energies and associated oscillator strengths can be converted to predict UV/Vis absorption spectra, where excitation energies correspond to absorption peak positions, and oscillator strengths are a good measure of the probability of absorption of visible or UV light in transitions between electronic ground and excited states. The conversion of SMILES strings to 3D Cartesian coordinates of fully DFTB-optimized molecules was successful for 10,502,904 out of 10,502,917 molecules. For these molecules, both geometry optimizations and excited states calculations were successful. The DFTB calculations did not complete for 13 molecules of the original AISD HOMO-LUMO dataset. We still provide information about the geometry of these molecules. The molecules are diverse for chemical compositions (which span 5 non-hydrogen elements: oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, fluorine, sulfur) and molecular size (the smallest molecule contains 5 non-hydrogen atoms, and the largest molecule contains 71 non-hydrogen atoms). The DFTB method [5] is an approximation to density functional theory (DFT), utilizing a minimal basis set in conjunction with a two-center approximation to the electronic Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements. The DFTB total energy is the sum of an electronic and a repulsive energy contribution, and their calculation requires optimized electronic parameters and diatomic repulsive potential energy functions. All DFTB calculations were performed using the DFTB+ code [6] (version 21.2) and the wrapper for DFTB+ in the Atomic Simulation Environment (ASE) (version 3.22.1) [7], which performed an internal conversion of Cartesian coordinates from PDB to the .gen file format. For the geometry optimizations on the electronic ground state potential energy surface of the molecules, we have chosen the third-order DFTB (DFTB3) method [5c] and employed the matching 3ob set of electronic parameters and repulsive potentials [8]. The empirical γ-damping for hydrogen bond correction, and Grimme's D3 empirical dispersion correction with Becke-Johnson damping (D3(BJ)) [9] dispersion correction was included to improve the description of non-covalent interactions. For excited states single-point energy calculations, we employed the TD-DFTB method in conjunction with the DFTB2 method [5b] and the matching mio [5b,10] and halorg [11] parameter sets. We opted to request the simultaneous calculation of 50 excited states for singlet transition to investigate sufficient number of excited states, based on linear response theory using the Casida equation [Ref: T. A. Niehaus, S. Suhai, F. Della Sala, P Lugli, M. Elstner, G. Seifert, and Th. Frauenheim. Tight-binding approach to time-dependent density-functional response theory. Phys. Rev. B, 63:085108, 2001] and the ARPACK diagonalizer [R. B. Lehoucq, D. C. Sorensen, and C. Yang. Arpack users guide: Solution of large-scale eigenvalue problems by implicitly restarted arnoldi methods, 1997. 46, 51]. The dataset contains 1001 tar.gz files. Tar files are named as “ornl_aisd_ex_1.tar.gz†through “ornl_aisd_ex_1000.tar.gzâ€. Additionally, the 13 failed molecules are in “ornl_aisd_ex_unprocessed.tar.gzâ€. Except for the tar files listed below, each tar file contains 10,500 molecules. Tar files numbered 34, 121, 128, 352, 360, 429, 495, 509, 518, 627, 676, 668, and 862 contain 10,499 molecules each. The last tar file numbered 1000 contains 13,417 molecules. The total size of the uncompressed dataset is over 283 Gigabytes. The code for calculating the electronic excitation energies and statistical analysis of the dataset is provided at the following GitLab repository: https://github.com/ORNL/Analysis-of-Large-Scale-Molecular-Datasets-with-Python Calculating the UV spectrum of a molecule requires performing 3 main operations: 1. Converting the smiles string representation of a molecule into a geometric structure where each atom is assigned XYZ coordinates. The geometric structure is written to the file smiles.pdb. 2. Using smiles.pdb to compute the relaxed geometry of the molecule, which corresponds with the position of the atoms at the position of equilibrium at the ground state. This generates the files band.out, detailed.out, and geo_end.gen. 3. Using geo_end.gen to calculate the UV spectrum of the molecule which is written into the file EXC.DAT. Every molecule in the dataset has its own directory. The files contained in each molecule directory are as follows: 1. geo_end.gen 2. detailed.out 3. band.out 4. EXC.DAT 5. smiles.pdb REFERENCES [1] Niehaus, T. A.; Suhai, S.; Della Salla, F.; Lugli, P.; Elstner, M.; Seifert, G.; Frauenheim, Th. Tight-binding approach to time-dependent density-functional response theory. Phys. Rev. B, 2001, 63, 085108/1-9. [2] Blanchard, A.; Gounley, J.; Metha, K.; Yoo, P.; Irle, S. AISD HOMO-LUMO. DOI: 10.13139/ORNLNCCS/1869409 [3] RDKit: Cheminformatics and Machine Learning Software. 2013, [http://www.rdkit.org] [4] Tosco, P.; Stiefl, N. and Landrum, G. Bringing the MMFF force field to the RDKit: implementation and validation. J Cheminform. 2014, 6, 1–4. [5] a) Porezag, D.; Frauenheim, T.; Kohler, T.; Seifert, G.; Kaschner, Construction of tight-binding-like potentials on the basis of density-functional theory: Application to carbon, R. Phys. Rev. B 1995, 51, 12947-12957; b) Elstner, M.; Porezag, D.; Jungnickel, G.; Elsner, J.; Haugk, M.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S.; Seifert, G.; Phys. Rev. B 1998, 58, 7260-7268; c) Gaus, M.; Cui, Q.; Elstner, M. DFTB3: Extension of the Self-Consistent-Charge Density-Functional Tight-Binding Method (SCC-DFTB), J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2011, 7, 931-948; d) Cui, Q.; Elstner, M. Density functional tight binding: values of semi-empirical methods in an ab initio era, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014, 16, 14368-14377. [6] Hourahine, B. et al. DFTB+, a software package for efficient approximate density functional theory based atomistic simulations, J. Chem. Phys. 2020, 152, 124101/1-19. [7] Larsen, A. H. et al. The atomic simulation environment—a Python library for working with atoms. J. Phys.: Cond. Matter 2017, 29, 273002. [8] Kubillus, M.; Kubar, T.; Gaus, M.; Rezac, J.; Elstner, M. Parameterization of the DFTB3 Method for Br, Ca, Cl, F, I, K, and Na in Organic and Biological Systems, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2015, 11, 332-342. [9] Brandenburg, J. G.; Grimme, S. Accurate Modeling of Organic Molecular Crystals by Dispersion-Corrected Density Functional Tight Binding (DFTB), J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 5, 1785−1789. [10] a) Niehaus, T. A.; Elstner, M.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S. Application of an approximate density-functional method to sulfur containing compounds. J. Mol. Struct.: THEOCHEM 2001, 541, 185-94; b) Elstner, M.; Hobza, P.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S.; Kaxiras, E. Hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions of nucleic acid base pairs: A density-functional-theory based treatment. J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 114, 5149-55. [11] Kubar, T.; Bodrog, Z.; Gaus, M.; Köhler, C.; Aradi, B.; Frauenheim, Th.; Elstner, M. Parametrization of the SCC-DFTB Method for Halogens. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2013, 9, 2939-49.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Robust Trajectory Optimization for Guided Powered Descent and Landing

A robust trajectory optimization approach for guidance algorithm gain selection for powered descent and landing is developed. This approach uses a genetic algorithm to determine optimal guidance algorithm parameters while incorporating uncertainty information from linear covariance analysis. The optimal guidance algorithm parameters are determined while accounting for environment, navigation, and vehicle property uncertainty and sensor suite fidelity. As a demonstration of this method, the optimal gains for the fractional polynomial powered descent guidance are found for the braking phase of a robotic lunar landing mission. Scenarios with differing sensor suites and sensor qualities are considered, with objective functions to minimize variability in propellant usage or terminal position. Results show that the optimal guidance algorithm gains for a given trajectory differ based on the sensor suite, and optimal guidance algorithm gains may result in up to 20% performance improvements over the baseline in propellant usage and landed accuracy.

Grace E Calkins↗

Embedding Learning in Hybrid Quantum-Classical Neural Networks

Quantum embedding learning is an important step in the application of quantum machine learning to classical data. In this paper we propose a quantum few-shot embedding learning paradigm, which learns embeddings useful for training downstream quantum machine learning tasks. Crucially, we identify the circuit bypass problem in hybrid neural networks, where learned classical parameters are optimized to represent the dataset without the quantum kernel. We observe that the few-shot learning embeddings generalize to unseen classes, and suffer less from the circuit bypass problem in terms of better occupation of the parameter space compared with embeddings learned from regression and classification.

Liu, Minzhao↗

Bearing optimization for SSME HPOTP application

The space shuttle main engine (SSME) high-pressure oxygen turbopumps (HPOTP) have not experienced the service life required of them. To improve the life of the existing turbopump bearings, modifications to the bearings that could be retrofitted into the present bearing cavity are being investigated. Several bearing parameters were optimized using the computer program SHABERTH, which performs a thermomechanical simulation of a load support system. The computer analysis showed that improved bearing performance is feasible if low friction coefficients can be attained. Bearing geometries were optimized considering heat generation, equilibrium temperatures, and relative life. Two sets of curvatures were selected from the optimization: an inner-raceway curvature of 0.54, an outer-raceway curvature of 0.52, and an inner-raceway curvature of 0.55, an outer-raceway curvature of 0.53. A contact angle of 16 deg was also selected. Thermal gradients through the bearings were found to be lower with liquid lubrication than with solid film lubrication. As the coolant flowrate through the bearing increased, the ball temperature decreased but at a continuously decreasing rate. The optimum flowrate was approximately 4 kg/s. The analytical modeling used to determine these feasible modifications to improve bearing performance is described.

Armstrong, Elizabeth S.↗

Scaling laws for the additive manufacturing

The evaluation of simple thermal model of selective laser melting (SLM) process shows that the temperature distribution in the sample is characterized by two dimensionless parameters: normalized enthalpy and the ratio of dwell time to the thermal diffusion time. Here we demonstrated that the melt depth data taken for different machines for different materials collapsed in one curve, making possible to rescale the optimal processing parameters between the different materials and machines. The melt pool depth, width and the length are the universal function of these two parameters. Within the operational range of parameters for SLM these functions can be interpolated by the simple algebraic expressions given the possibility to reduce the calculation of the melt pool characteristic to spreadsheet model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantification of trace iodine using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for real-time monitoring of nuclear off-gas streams

This study evaluated the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for real-time monitoring of trace gas-phase iodine, which is an element of high significance in nuclear applications due to its long radioactive half-life (as iodine-129), volatility, and biological impact. In anticipation of iodine evolving into off-gas systems in molten salt reactor and nuclear fuel recycling applications, this research aimed to assess LIBS performance in flowing argon and helium matrices; optimize measurement parameters using a multichannel spectrometer; and perform calibrations to assess predictive capabilities and limits of detection (LODs). Experimental results successfully measured gas-phase iodine in flowing argon and helium; however, trace iodine was not detected in air. Optimal delay times were determined to be 10 µs for argon and 1 µs for helium, which are consistent with the expected shorter plasma lifetime in helium relative to argon. An emission line survey was provided with the 206.16, 804.37, 902.24, and 905.83 nm peaks, which were identified as the strongest emission peaks. Calibration models were successfully built in both helium and argon, achieving LODs down to 3 ppm in helium and 5 ppm in argon. The iodine emission at 905.83 nm emerged as the most robust for calibration and was subsequently applied to a time series dataset in argon. The predictive trace confirmed the feasibility of employing LIBS for continuous, online quantification of trace iodine in flowing gas systems.

Andrews, Hunter B. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory ↗

Tuning the heat transfer medium and operating conditions in magnetic refrigeration

A new experimental test bed has been designed, built, and tested to evaluate the effect of the system’s parameters on a reciprocating Active Magnetic Regenerator (AMR) near room temperature. Bulk gadolinium was used as the refrigerant, silicon oil as the heat transfer medium, and a magnetic field of 1.3 T was cycled. This study focuses on the methodology of single stage AMR operation conditions to get a high temperature span near room temperature. Herein, the main objective is not to report the absolute maximum attainable temperature span seen in an AMR system, but rather to find the system’s optimal operating conditions to reach that maximum span. The results of this research show that there is a optimal operating frequency, heat transfer fluid flow rate, flow duration, and displaced volume ratio in any AMR system. By optimizing these parameters in our AMR apparatus the temperature span between the hot and cold ends increased by 24%. The optimized values are system dependent and need to be determined and measured for any AMR system by following the procedures that are introduced in this research. It is expected that such optimization will permit the design of a more efficient magnetic refrigeration system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Gaussian process based optimization of molecular geometries using statistically sampled energy surfaces from quantum Monte Carlo

Optimization of atomic coordinates and lattice parameters remains a significant challenge to the wide use of stochastic electronic structure methods such as quantum Monte Carlo (QMC). Measurements of the forces and stress tensor by these methods contain statistical errors, challenging conventional gradient-based numerical optimization methods that assume deterministic results. Additionally, forces are not yet available for some methods, wavefunctions, and basis sets and when available may be expensive to compute to sufficiently high statistical accuracy near energy minima, where the energy surfaces are flat. Here, we explore the use of Gaussian process based techniques to sample the energy surfaces and reduce sensitivity to the statistical nature of the problem. We utilize Latin hypercube sampling, with the number of sampled energy points scaling quadratically with the number of optimized parameters. Furthermore, we show these techniques may be successfully applied to systems consisting of tens of parameters, demonstrating QMC optimization of a benzene molecule starting from a randomly perturbed, broken symmetry geometry.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Observational constraints on cosmological models with Chaplygin gas and quadratic equation of state

Observational manifestations of accelerated expansion of the universe, in particular, recent data for Type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, for the Hubble parameter H ( z ) and cosmic microwave background constraints are described with different cosmological models. We compare the ΛCDM, the models with generalized and modified Chaplygin gas and the model with quadratic equation of state. For these models we estimate optimal model parameters and their permissible errors with different approaches to calculation of sound horizon scale r {sub s} ( z {sub d} ). Among the considered models the best value of χ{sup 2} is achieved for the model with quadratic equation of state, but it has 2 additional parameters in comparison with the ΛCDM and therefore is not favored by the Akaike information criterion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗