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At least 1,207 records · Page 67
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Evidence for Cascades of Perturbation and Adaptation in the Metabolic Genes of Higher Termite Gut Symbionts

Termites and their gut microbes engage in fascinating dietary mutualisms. Less is known about how these complex symbioses have evolved after first emerging in an insect ancestor over 120 million years ago. Here we examined a bacterial gene, formate dehydrogenase (fdhF), that is key to the mutualism in 8 species of “higher” termite (members of the Termitidae, the youngest and most biomass-abundant and species-rich termite family). Patterns of fdhF diversity in the gut communities of higher termites contrasted strongly with patterns in less-derived (more-primitive) insect relatives (wood-feeding “lower” termites and roaches). We observed phylogenetic evidence for (i) the sweeping loss of several clades of fdhF that may reflect extinctions of symbiotic protozoa and, importantly, bacteria dependent on them in the last common ancestor of all higher termites and (ii) a radiation of genes from the (possibly) single allele that survived. Sweeping gene loss also resulted in (iii) the elimination of an entire clade of genes encoding selenium (Se)-independent enzymes from higher termite gut communities, perhaps reflecting behavioral or morphological innovations in higher termites that relaxed preexisting environmental limitations of Se, a dietary trace element. Curiously, several higher termite gut communities may have subsequently reencountered Se limitation, reinventing genes for Se-independent proteins via convergent evolution. Lastly, the presence of a novel fdhF lineage within litter-feeding and subterranean higher (but not other) termites may indicate recent gene “invasion” events. These results imply that cascades of perturbation and adaptation by distinct evolutionary mechanisms have impacted the evolution of complex microbial communities in a highly successful lineage of insects.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dual-Frequency Generation in Quantum Cascade Lasers of the 8-μm Spectral Range

Results of an investigation of quantum cascade lasers of the 8-μm spectral range generating dual-frequency radiation at room temperature are presented. The dependences of radiation intensity for two lines of laser generation obtained as a result of investigation of the generation spectra revealed the presence of saturation and decay of the long-wavelength line of generation and linear growth of the intensity of the short-wavelength one. Based on analysis of the obtained data, a mechanism of the dual-frequency generation in the studied QCL samples is proposed Generation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nonstationary Spatial Energy Distribution of a Cascade of Knock-out Atoms in a Solid

We consider the evolution of a cascade of atomic collisions in a solid consisting of identical atoms. The solution to the Boltzmann kinetic equation describing a nonstationary spatial energy distribution of slowing down atoms is obtained considering their multiplication. We assume that the scattering of atoms is elastic and spherically symmetric in the center-of-mass system and that the scattering cross section is constant. Some particular cases of this solution coincide with the results obtained earlier.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Cascades from primary gamma rays and nuclei as a source of background in searches for oscillations between photons and axion-like particles

Methods: of searching for oscillations of photons to axion-like particles (γ → ALP) in spectra of extragalactic sources are considered. It is shown that the secondary component from the cascades initiated by primary gamma rays or nuclei can produce an appreciable background in searches for ALPs in the optically thick region of the spectrum. Experiments with a high energy threshold (~1 TeV and higher) are insufficient for searching for γ → ALP oscillations; low-energy instruments (E < 100 GeV) like CTA should also be used.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

MBE growth and characterization of 5-{mu}m quantum-cascade lasers

Quantum-cascade lasers, which are obtained by molecular-beam epitaxy, emit at wavelengths of 5.0 {mu}m at 77 K and 5.2 {mu}m at 300 K and are based on a design with four quantum wells in the active region with vertical transitions and strain-compensated superlattices with high-efficiency injection and a short lifetime of the ground state are fabricated. The typical thresholds for lasing at 300 K were in the range 4-10 kA/cm{sup 2}. The maximum emission power was as high as {approx}1 W, the maximum lasing temperature was {approx}450 K, and the maximum characteristic temperature T{sub 0} {approx} 200 K. The use of a modified process of postgrowth treatment made it possible to reproducibly obtain high-quality devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

High-resolution emission spectra of pulsed terahertz quantum-cascade lasers

The spectra of pulsed terahertz quantum-cascade lasers were measured with high spectral resolution. The characteristic line width at half maximum was 0.01 cm{sup -1}; it is controlled by laser temperature variations during the supply voltage pulse. It was shown that an increase in the laser temperature leads to a decrease in the emission frequency, which is caused by an increase in the effective refractive index of the active region. It was also found that a decrease in the supply voltage results in a decrease in the emission frequency, which is caused by a change in the energy of diagonal transitions between lasing levels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Optimization of the configuration of a symmetric three-barrier resonant-tunneling structure as an active element of a quantum cascade detector

On the basis of a model of rectangular potentials and different electron effective masses in wells and barriers of an open resonant-tunneling structure with identical outer barriers, a theory has been developed and the dynamic conductance caused by the interaction of the electromagnetic field with electrons passing through the structure has been calculated. Using the example of the three-barrier resonant-tunneling structure with In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As wells and In{sub 0.52}Al{sub 0.48}As barriers, it is shown that, independently of the geometrical sizes of potential wells and barriers, there exist three geometrical configurations (positions of the inner barrier with respect to outer ones) at which the nanosystem, as an active element, provides optimum operating conditions of the quantum cascade detector.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electron-phonon interaction in three-barrier nanosystems as active elements of quantum cascade detectors

The theory of electron tunneling through an open nanostructure as an active element of a quantum cascade detector is developed, which takes into account the interaction of electrons with confined and interface phonons. Using the method of finite-temperature Green’s functions and the electron-phonon Hamiltonian in the representation of second quantization over all system variables, the temperature shifts and electron-level widths are calculated and the contributions of different electron-phonon-interaction mechanisms to renormalization of the spectral parameters are analyzed depending on the geometrical configuration of the nanosystem. Due to weak electron-phonon coupling in a GaAs/Al{sub 0.34}Ga{sub 0.66}As-based resonant tunneling nanostructure, the temperature shift and rf field absorption peak width are not very sensitive to the electron-phonon interaction and result from a decrease in potential barrier heights caused by a difference in the temperature dependences of the well and barrier band gaps.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

On the cascade capture of electrons at donors in GaAs quantum wells

The impact parameter for the cascade capture of electrons at a charged donor in a GaAs quantum well is calculated. A simple approximate analytical expression for the impact parameter is suggested. The temperature dependence of the impact parameter for the case of electron scattering by the piezoelectric potential of acoustic phonons is determined.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

High Temperature Laser Generation of Quantum-Cascade Lasers in the Spectral Region of 8 μm

Abstract—In this paper, we present studies of the characteristics of quantum-cascade lasers with a generation wavelength in the region of 8 μm at high temperatures of up to + 65°C. The characteristic temperatures of the temperature dependences of the threshold current and the differential efficiency are determined. Spectral studies showed the presence of two generation lines with a short wavelength of ~7800 nm and a long-wave wavelength of ~8100 nm. The observed competition between the short-wave and long-wave generation lines leads to a nonmonotonic character of the dependence of the radiation intensity on the pump current.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Cascade Transformer Based on the Volume Coil for Power Transmission under High Voltage

The use of an electronic cooling system at the High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) accelerator complex, which is being developed at the Institute of Modern Physics (China), to improve the efficiency of ion injection into the accelerator and reduce the spread of ion pulses in the beam has been proposed. Electron cooling of the ion beam was carried out due to the interaction of ions with a continuous electron beam with a current of up to 3 A, energy of up to 450 keV, and energy stability at the level of 10{sup –4} or better. The electron beam energy recuperation was carried out at the expense of a power source with a power of 5–15 kW, which was located at the top of a high-voltage column—a high-voltage terminal. The operation of a prototype of power transmission system, which was based on a cascade transformer with a volumetric coil, has been considered. Such a transformer has a relatively low scattering inductance, which can significantly reduce the number of capacitors to compensate for it. It has been shown that this design made it possible to transfer power of up to 40 kW at small dimensions of the transformer and heat dissipation in it was not more than 10 kW.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental Observation of the Confinement of Atomic Collision Cascades during Ion Sputtering of Porous Silicon

Results of investigation of the mass spectra of secondary ions sputtered from bulk (continuous) and porous silicon targets with various characteristic core particle dimensions are presented. It has been established that the sputtering of nanostructured Si samples leads to a significant increase in the relative yield of massive cluster ions. This effect is especially pronounced when the characteristic nanoparticle size approaches the range of bombarding ions in the Si target. The obtained results are explained taking into account the confinement of atomic collision cascades.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Room Temperature Lasing of Single-Mode Arched-Cavity Quantum-Cascade Lasers

Single-mode lasing at room temperature in quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) with arched cavity design has been demonstrated. The output optical power in single-mode lasing regime at ~7.7-μm lasing wavelength was above 6 mW with a side-mode suppression ratio of up to 25 dB. The QCL heterostructure for the arched cavities was grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) based on a heterojunction of In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As/Al{sub 0.48}In{sub 0.52}As solid alloys, lattice-matched with InP substrate, and InP layers performing the function of waveguide claddings.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

High-Power Quantum-Cascade Lasers Emitting in the 8-μm Wavelength Range

Molecular beam epitaxy techniques were used to grow a quantum-cascade laser (QCL) heterostructure based on an In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As/Al{sub 0.48}In{sub 0.52}As heteropair lattice-matched with an InP substrate. InP layers were used to form an optical waveguide. The obtained QCL heterostructure ensured room-temperature lasing in the 8-μm wavelength range at a maximum output optical power of 0.45 W from one facet in a standard ridge geometry of the Fabry–Pérot cavities formed by cleaved facets.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Generation of Frequency Combs by Quantum Cascade Lasers Emitting in the 8-μm Wavelength Range

We have studied the generation of frequency combs by quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) emitting in the 8-μm wavelength range. Results showed the presence of a self-pulsation regime near the lasing threshold. Further increase in the pumping current led to a sharp increase in width of the lasing spectrum, which allowed us to obtain frequency combs with a spectral width exceeding 1.5 THz. This behavior of QCLs can be explained by radiation absorption at the stripe edge that is related to the penetration of waveguide mode into unpumped regions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

HotSpots: Failure Cascades on Heterogeneous Critical Infrastructure Networks

Critical Infrastructure Systems such as transportation, water and power grid systems are vital to our national security, economy, and public safety. Recent events, like the 2012 hurricane Sandy, show how the interdependencies among different CI networks lead to catastrophic failures among the whole system. Hence, analyzing these CI networks, and modeling failure cascades on them becomes a very important problem. However, traditional models either do not take multiple CIs or the dynamics of the system into account, or model it simplistically. In this paper, we study this problem using a heterogeneous network viewpoint. We first construct heterogeneous CI networks with multiple components using national-level datasets. Then we study novel failure maximization problems on these networks, to compute critical nodes in such systems. We then provide HotSpots, a scalable and effective algorithm for these problems, based on careful transformations. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments on real CIS data from multiple US states, and show that our method HotSpots outperforms non-trivial baselines, gives meaningful results and that our approach gives immediate benefits in providing situational-awareness during large-scale failures.

Chen, Liangzhe↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quantum Cascade Laser Infrared Spectroscopy for Online Monitoring of Hydroxylamine Nitrate

We describe a new approach for high sensitivity and real-time online measurements to monitor the kinetics in the processing of nuclear materials and other chemical reactions. Mid infrared (Mid-IR) quantum cascade laser (QCL) high-resolution spectroscopy was used for rapid and continuous sampling of nitrates in aqueous and organic reactive systems, using pattern recognition analysis and high sensitivity to detect and identify chemical species. In this standoff or off-set method, the collection of a sample for analysis is not required. To perform the analysis, a flow cell was used for in situ sampling of a liquid slipstream. A prototype was designed based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) coupled with the QCL beam to detect and identify chemical changes and be deployed in hostile environments, either radiological or chemical. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) at 3 σ for hydroxylamine nitrate ranged from 0.3 to 3 and from 3.5 to 10 g·L −1 , respectively, for the nitrate system at three peaks with wavelengths between 3.8 and 9.8 μ m.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Mapping the Energy Cascade in the North Atlantic Ocean: The Coarse-Graining Approach

Abstract A coarse-graining framework is implemented to analyze nonlinear processes, measure energy transfer rates, and map out the energy pathways from simulated global ocean data. Traditional tools to measure the energy cascade from turbulence theory, such as spectral flux or spectral transfer, rely on the assumption of statistical homogeneity or at least a large separation between the scales of motion and the scales of statistical inhomogeneity. The coarse-graining framework allows for probing the fully nonlinear dynamics simultaneously in scale and in space and is not restricted by those assumptions. This paper describes how the framework can be applied to ocean flows. Energy transfer between scales is not unique because of a gauge freedom. Here, it is argued that a Galilean-invariant subfilter-scale (SFS) flux is a suitable quantity to properly measure energy scale transfer in the ocean. It is shown that the SFS definition can yield answers that are qualitatively different from traditional measures that conflate spatial transport with the scale transfer of energy. The paper presents geographic maps of the energy scale transfer that are both local in space and allow quasi-spectral, or scale-by-scale, dynamics to be diagnosed. Utilizing a strongly eddying simulation of flow in the North Atlantic Ocean, it is found that an upscale energy transfer does not hold everywhere. Indeed certain regions near the Gulf Stream and in the Equatorial Countercurrent have a marked downscale transfer. Nevertheless, on average an upscale transfer is a reasonable mean description of the extratropical energy scale transfer over regions of O(103) km in size.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗