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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Printed circuit primary heat exchanger for power conversion in heat pipe microreactor applications

Here, in the present study, a model was developed for a recuperated air Brayton cycle for heat pipe microreactors, and the effect of the primary heat exchanger type assessed. An annular flow heat exchanger and a printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) were evaluated. A sub-sized diffusion bonded, PCHE test specimen was manufactured and tested with nitrogen as the working fluid to validate and improve the PCHE model. A comparison of the thermal cycle efficiency for the Brayton cycle coupled to a heat pipe microreactor using each of the two primary heat exchangers showed competitive performance for both options, with achievable cycle efficiencies of 34 % and 35 % for the annular and printed circuit heat exchangers, respectively. The impact of heat pipe length and additional reheating stages on cycle efficiency was studied. Increasing the heat pipe condenser length from 0.8 to 2.0 m resulted in an increase in cycle efficiency of 3.5 % and 3.2 % for the annular and printed circuit heat exchangers, respectively. The use of additional reheating stages showed a reduction in cycle efficiency since the heat pipe surface area limits the primary heat exchanger size and effectiveness. These results highlight the importance of the primary heat exchanger on the performance of a heat pipe microreactor. Overall, the cycle model, testing, and heat exchanger model showed the potential for the PCHE to improve the economics of a heat pipe microreactor relative to the annular flow heat exchanger, which also opens the possibility to use different heat transfer fluids such as supercritical CO 2 .

PCHE↗
NASA NTRS1989

The recombination epoch revisited

Previous studies of cosmological recombination have shown that this process produces as a by-product a highly superthermal population of Ly-alpha photons which retard completion of recombination. Cosmological redshifting was thought to determine the frequency distribution of the photons, while two-photon decay of hydrogen's 2s state was thought to control their numbers. It is shown here that frequency diffusion due to photon scattering dominate the cosmological redshift in the frequency range near line center which fixes the ratio of ground state to excited state population, while incoherent scattering into the far-red damping wing effectively destroys Ly-alpha photons as a rate which is competitive with two-photon decay. The former effect tends to hold back recombination, while the latter tends to accelerate it; the net results depends on cosmological parameters, particularly the combination Omega(b) h/sq rt (2q0), where Omega(b) is the fraction of the critical density provided by baryons.

Krolik, Julian H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Precipitation-site competition in duplex stainless steels: Cu clusters vs spinodal decomposition interfaces as nucleation sites during thermal aging

Competing microstructural evolution mechanisms can exist simultaneously when duplex stainless steels are operating for several decades in a high temperature service environment. Such competition between different microstructural evolution pathways can be difficult to ascertain using simple model alloy systems necessitating detailed structural and compositional analysis of phase transformation mechanisms in complex alloys Thus, in this study duplex stainless steels with complex but well understood chemistries were used to investigate the relative importance of different heterogeneous nucleation sites – specifically spinodal decomposition and Cu clustering – on precipitation of Ni-Si-Mn particles during long term thermal aging. Precipitation of Ni-Si-Mn particles in duplex stainless steels and ferritic steels during thermal aging and irradiation is known to have profound effect on mechanical properties. Using duplex stainless steels with custom modified compositions along with atom probe tomography characterization and first-passage kinetic Monte Carlo (FPKMC) simulations it is revealed that while the interface between Cr and Fe formed during spinodal decomposition can be a pathway for diffusion of Ni, Si, Mn, and Cu, it is not a site that encourages precipitation of Ni-Si-Mn rich particles. Instead, the presence of a higher concentration of Cu in these steels leads to formation of small Cu clusters with high energy interfaces that act as nucleation sites for Ni-Si-Mn particles because of its strong interaction particularly with Ni increasing the chemical driving force for precipitation. These results will help inform predictive models for the use of duplex stainless steels and other precipitation-hardened alloys for extended operation at high temperatures.

Duplex stainless steel, Thermal aging, Precipitati↗
DOE OSTI2023

Social network structure and the spread of complex contagions from a population genetics perspective

Ideas, behaviors, and opinions spread through social networks. If the probability of spreading to a new individual is a non-linear function of the fraction of the individuals’ affected neighbors, such a spreading process becomes a “complex contagion”. This non-linearity does not typically appear with physically spreading infections, but instead can emerge when the concept that is spreading is subject to game theoretical considerations (e.g. for choices of strategy or behavior) or psychological effects such as social reinforcement and other forms of peer influence (e.g. for ideas, preferences, or opinions). Here we study how the stochastic dynamics of such complex contagions are affected by the underlying network structure. Motivated by simulations of complex contagions on real social networks, we present a framework for analyzing the statistics of contagions with arbitrary non-linear adoption probabilities based on the mathematical tools of population genetics. The central idea is to use an effective lower-dimensional diffusion process to approximate the statistics of the contagion. This leads to a tradeoff between the effects of ”selection” (microscopic tendencies for an idea to spread or die out), random drift, and network structure. Our framework illustrates intuitively several key properties of complex contagions: stronger community structure and network sparsity can significantly enhance the spread, while broad degree distributions dampen the effect of selection compared to random drift. Finally, we show that some structural features can exhibit critical values that demarcate regimes where global contagions become possible for networks of arbitrary size. Our results draw parallels between the competition of genes in a population and memes in a world of minds and ideas. Our tools provide insight into the spread of information, behaviors, and ideas via social influence, and highlight the role of macroscopic network structure in determining their fate.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ionomer Optimization for Water Uptake and Swelling in Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer: Oxygen Evolution Electrode

Water electrolysis using an anion conductive, solid polymer electrolyte is an attractive method for point-of-use hydrogen production. Recent advances in catalysts and anion exchange membranes (AEM) have made alkaline devices increasingly competitive with their acidic counterparts. However, less attention has been paid to the anion conductive ionomers (ACI) used in the fabrication of electrodes for AEM electrolyzers. The ACI contributes to ion conduction between the catalyst and bulk electrolyte and serves as a binder for adhering the catalyst to the gas diffusion layer and AEM. Ionic conductivity, water uptake and ionomer swelling are critical properties for electrode performance. High ion exchange capacity (IEC) in the ionomer is desired for reduced electrode resistance, however, it can lead to excess water uptake (WU) and disruptive ACI swelling. In this study, a series of poly(norbornene)-based ionomers were synthesized, characterized and used to fabricate oxygen evolving anodes for low-temperature AEM water electrolysis. The IEC of the ionomers (0 to 4.73 meq g −1 ) was adjusted by controlling the ratio of ion conducting to non-ion conducting norbornene monomers in the ACI tetrablock copolymers. Low conductivity ionomers are shown to yield the best-performing oxygen evolution electrodes, in the absence of ACI polymer cross-linking because they do not experience excessive water swelling. Light cross-linking within the anode ACI was used as a means to independently lower WU of the ionomer without compromising ionic conductivity. This control over water swelling allows higher ionic conductivity within the ACI to be used in water-fed electrolyzer applications. Other methods of water management were compared including the use of hydrophobic additives and adjustment of the ionomer concentration in the electrode. As a result, it was shown that the cell performance greatly benefits from a highly conductive ionomer in the oxygen evolution reaction electrode if the WU is managed.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1986

Competition for sulfide among colorless and purple sulfur bacteria in cyanobacterial mats

The vertical zonation of light, O2, H2S, pH, and sulfur bacteria was studied in two benthic cyanobacterial mats from hypersaline ponds at Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico. The physical-chemical gradients were analyzed in the upper few mm at < or = 100 micrometers spatial resolution by microelectrodes and by a fiber optic microprobe. In mats, where oxygen produced by photosynthesis diffused far below the depth of the photic zone, colorless sulfur bacteria (Beggiatoa sp.) were the dominant sulfide oxidizing organisms. In a mat, where the O2-H2S interface was close to the photic zone, but yet received no significant visible light, purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatium sp.) were the dominant sulfide oxidizers. Analysis of the spectral light distribution here showed that the penetration of only 1% of the incident near-IR light (800-900 nm) into the sulfide zone was sufficient for the mass development of Chromatium in a narrow band of 300 micromoles thickness. The balance between O2 and light penetration down into the sulfide zone thus determined in micro-scale which type of sulfur bacteria became dominant.

NASA Center ARC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Buffered Coordination Modulation as a Means of Controlling Crystal Morphology and Molecular Diffusion in an Anisotropic Metal-Organic Framework

We know significant advances have been made in the synthesis of chemically selective environments within metal-organic frameworks, yet materials development and industrial implementation have been hindered by the inability to predictively control crystallite size and shape. One common strategy to control crystal growth is the inclusion of coordination modulators, which are molecular species designed to compete with the linker for metal coordination during synthesis. However, these modulators can simultaneously alter the pH of the reaction solution, an effect that can also significantly influence crystal morphology. Herein, noncoordinating buffers are used to independently control reaction pH during metal-organic framework synthesis, enabling direct interrogation of the role of the coordinating species on crystal growth. We demonstrate the efficacy of this strategy in the synthesis of low-dispersity single-crystals of the framework Co 2 (dobdc) (dobdc 4- = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) in a pH 7-buffered solution using cobalt(II) acetate as the metal source. Density functional theory calculations reveal that acetate competitively binds to Co during crystallization, and by using a series of cobalt(II) salts with carboxylate anions of varying coordination strength, it is possible to control crystal growth along the c -direction. Finally, we use zero length column chromatography to show that crystal morphology has a direct impact on guest diffusional path length for the industrially important hydrocarbon m -xylene. Together, these results provide molecular-level insight into the use of modulators in governing crystallite morphology and a powerful strategy for the control of molecular diffusion rates within metal-organic frameworks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Theory for the Balance between Warm Rain and Ice Crystal Processes of Precipitation in Mixed-Phase Clouds

Abstract Mixed-phase clouds contain both supercooled cloud liquid and ice crystals. In principle, precipitation may be initiated either by the liquid phase or by the ice phase. Ice crystals may grow by vapor diffusion to become snow (“ice crystal process”), forming “cold” precipitation. Equally, cloud droplets, when large enough, coalesce to form “warm” precipitation by the “warm rain process.” Warm rain could be supercooled and freeze as “warm” graupel. In the present paper, a new simplified theoretical analysis is provided to examine the microphysical system consisting of three species of hydrometeor, namely, cloud liquid, “cold ice” (crystals, snow), and “warm rain” (frozen or supercooled). This is obtained by nondimensionalizing and simplifying the evolution equations for the mass of each species. Analytical formulas are given for equilibria. Feedback analysis shows that the sign of the feedback is linked to the abundance of precipitation, with a neutral surface in the 3D phase space. The system’s precipitation amount explodes while in the initial unstable regime, crossing the neutral surface and approaching the equilibrium point that is a stable attractor. Positive and negative feedbacks are elucidated. In a standard case, the cold ice mass is about 1000 times larger than the warm rain mass. To illustrate the physical behavior of the theory, sensitivity tests are performed with respect to environmental conditions (e.g., aerosol, updraft speed) and microphysical parameters (e.g., riming and sedimentation rates for cold ice). Cold ice prevails, especially in fast ascent, due to its low bulk density, favoring slow sedimentation and a wide cross-sectional area for riming. Significance Statement The theory elucidates how the ice phase can prevail in the precipitation from any mixed-phase clouds with supercooled cloud liquid and crystals. The ice phase radically suppresses cloud liquid by riming when active and “wins” the competition against coalescence. This prevalence of ice is shown to arise from the low bulk density of snow. The cloud is viewed as a system of negative and positive feedbacks that prevail in realms of stability and instability in a 3D phase space.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quenched lattice fluctuations in optically driven SrTiO3

Abstract Crystal lattice fluctuations, which are known to influence phase transitions of quantum materials in equilibrium, are also expected to determine the dynamics of light-induced phase changes. However, they have only rarely been explored in these dynamical settings. Here we study the time evolution of lattice fluctuations in the quantum paraelectric SrTiO 3 , in which mid-infrared drives have been shown to induce a metastable ferroelectric state. Crucial in these physics is the competition between polar instabilities and antiferrodistortive rotations, which in equilibrium frustrate the formation of long-range ferroelectricity. We make use of high-intensity mid-infrared optical pulses to resonantly drive the Ti–O-stretching mode at 17 THz, and we measure the resulting change in lattice fluctuations using time-resolved X-ray diffuse scattering at a free-electron laser. After a prompt increase, we observe a long-lived quench in R-point antiferrodistortive lattice fluctuations. Their enhancement and reduction are theoretically explained by considering the fourth-order nonlinear phononic interactions to the driven optical phonon and third-order coupling to lattice strain, respectively. These observations provide a number of testable hypotheses for the physics of light-induced ferroelectricity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving unfolding and systematic uncertainty estimation using generative diffusion networks (Final Technical Report)

This final technical report summarizes the key accomplishments on the unfolding using diffusion model project, a DOE award received by PI Pierre-Hugues Beauchemin at Tufts University. This project main goal was to investigate the potential of diffusion models for unfolding experimental High Energy Physics data from detector effects while controlling systematics uncertainties. The project accomplished its goals by completing the following objectives: 1) Performing an object-by-object, event-by-event unfolding of various kinematic distributions reconstructed from detector data in HEP in a way that keeps correlations between unfolded observables while demonstrating competitive performance compared to standard algorithms used in the field; 2) Address the generalization problem by developing an unfolding algorithm capable to correctly infer the underlying distributions of observables and processes never seen before, while controlling the dominant theoretical uncertainties affecting the process, therefore increasing the effectiveness, the precision, and the applicability of the developed algorithm; 3) Understand the theoretical foundations between the developed algorithm so to extend it to applications beyond experimental HEP, for broader benefits to the society. This report provides an overview of the accomplishments related to each of these key objectives.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Momentum-dependent diffusive particle acceleration in modified shock fronts

In the presently derived analytic solutions of the steady transport equation for diffusive particle acceleration in a modified, planar shock front having free escape boundaries, the fluid velocity profile through the shock transition decreases monotonically between the upstream and downstream boundaries. The spatial diffusion coefficient's spatial dependence is linked to that of the fluid velocity profile. Attention is given to the solution corresponding to monoenergetic particle injection at the shock front, with free particle escape at finite distances both upstream and downstream of the shock. The accelerated particle spectrum is dominated at high energies by an exponential cutoff, due to the competition between acceleration by the first-order Fermi mechanism and particle loss through the free escape boundaries.

Webb, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A new interpretation of plasma-line overshoot phenomena

The temporal evolution of Langmuir waves excited by high-power, high-frequency (HF) radio waves in the ionosphere is studied theoretically. This study is motivated by past observations made with the 450 MHz radar at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Two kinds of nonlinear damping to the parametric decay instability are considered in the derivation of the rate equation for the spectral intensity of enhanced Langmuir waves. They are Langmuir wave cascading caused by nonlinear Landau damping and cross-field electron diffusion. The first damping process leads to the saturation of individual unstable Langmuir wave. The second process, which results from the incoherent scattering of electron orbits by the total excited Langmuir waves, yields anomalous damping that applies to each Langmuir wave. Consequently, Langmuir waves with smaller growth rates will be suppressed by those with larger growth rates. Such a mode competition process may cause the overshoot of the HF-enhanced plasma line observed with the Arecibo 430 MHz radar. Favorable agreement is obtained between theory and the Arecibo observations.

Kuo, S. P.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Contrasting SnTe–NaSbTe 2 and SnTe–NaBiTe 2 Thermoelectric Alloys: High Performance Facilitated by Increased Cation Vacancies and Lattice Softening

Defect chemistry is critical to designing high performance thermoelectric materials. In SnTe, the naturally large density of cation vacancies results in excessive hole doping and frustrates the ability to control the thermoelectric properties. Yet, recent work also associates the vacancies with suppressed sound velocities and low lattice thermal conductivity, underscoring the need to understand the interplay between alloying, vacancies, and the transport properties of SnTe. Here, we report solid solutions of SnTe with NaSbTe 2 and NaBiTe 2 (NaSn m SbTe m +2 and NaSn m BiTe m +2 , respectively) and focus on the impact of the ternary alloys on the cation vacancies and thermoelectric properties. We find introduction of NaSbTe 2 , but not NaBiTe 2 , into SnTe nearly doubles the natural concentration of Sn vacancies. Furthermore, DFT calculations suggest that both NaSbTe 2 and NaBiTe 2 facilitate valence band convergence and simultaneously narrow the band gap. These effects improve the power factors but also make the alloys more prone to detrimental bipolar diffusion. Indeed, the performance of NaSn m BiTe m +2 is limited by strong bipolar transport and only exhibits modest maximum ZTs ≈ 0.85 at 900 K. In NaSn m SbTe m +2 however, the doubled vacancy concentration raises the charge carrier density and suppresses bipolar diffusion, resulting in superior power factors than those of the Bi-containing analogues. Lastly, NaSbTe 2 incorporation lowers the sound velocity of SnTe to give glasslike lattice thermal conductivities. Facilitated by the favorable impacts of band convergence, vacancy-augmented hole concentration, and lattice softening, NaSn m SbTe m +2 reaches high ZT ≈ 1.2 at 800–900 K and a competitive average ZT avg of 0.7 over 300–873 K. The difference in ZT between two chemically similar compounds underscores the importance of intrinsic defects in engineering high-performance thermoelectrics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modularization of Ceramic Hollow Fiber Membrane Technology for Air Separation

This proposed project is aimed at studying high performance and economically competitive ceramic membrane technology for air separation and high-purity oxygen production using hollow fiber ceramic membrane stack and module technology. The design of the single permeate membrane is a hollow fiber substrate-supported thin tri-layer structure. Radially well-aligned micro-channels are embedded in the thick substrate and open at the inner surface of the substrate, enabling facile air/gas diffusion. The tri-layer structure of thin dense membrane layer (~ 10 µm) sandwiched by porous surface layer on either side is then built on the substrate using advanced fabrication process. The tri-layer structure design allows different materials to be used in different layers, where the materials of surface layers have high surface exchange coefficients while the material of dense layer has high bulk diffusivity. Such a synergetic combination leads to high permeation performance. The focus of the proposed project will be on membrane stack/module development using the developed single hollow fiber membranes, including: 1) fabrication and characterization of novel single hollow fiber membranes; 2) membrane stack design and assembly using fabricated single membranes; 3) stack modeling and analysis to guide membrane stack designs; 4) permeation performance testing and characterization of membrane stacks. The hollow fiber feature and simple sealing requirement enable very compact design of membrane stacks, which have excellent flexibility for further modularizations at different scales. The operations of such membrane stack and module may employ the exhaust heat from other components of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle and oxy-combustion systems. Therefore, modularization of such an air separation membrane technology can be incorporated into the DOE’s REMS (radically engineered modular systems)-gasification skid and support the oxidant feed of an oxygen-blown REMS gasifier scaled to different ranges.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1991

A time-accurate implicit method for chemically reacting flows at all Mach numbers

The objective of this work is to develop a unified solution algorithm capable of treating time-accurate chemically reacting flows at all Mach numbers, ranging from molecular diffusion velocities to supersonic speeds. A rescaled pressure term is used in the momentum equation to circumvent the singular behavior of pressure at low Mach numbers. A dual time-stepping integration procedure is established. The system eigenvalues become well behaved and have the same order of magnitude, even in the very low Mach number regime. The computational efficiency for moderate and high speed flow is competitive with the conventional density-based scheme. The capabilities of the algorithm are demonstrated by applying it to selected model problems including nozzle flows and flame dynamics.

Withington, J. P.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Prediction of Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 Interfacial Conductance and Superlattice Thermal Conductivity Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Bismuth telluride (Bi 2 Te 3 ) and its alloys with antimony telluride (Sb 2 Te 3 ) have long been considered to be the best room-temperature bulk thermoelectric (TE) materials. In recent decades, proof-of-concept demonstrations on Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 nanostructures have shown high TE performance due to reduction in lattice thermal conductivities. Particularly, ultra-low thermal conductivities have been observed in Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 1D superlattices, leading to thermoelectric figures of merit (ZT) as high as 2.4. In contrast, very few computational studies have been performed to provide insight into the phonon transport across these nanostructures. In this work, we use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations with previously developed force fields to simulate thermal transport across Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 interfaces and superlattices. We first calculate the thermal conductance associated with a Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 interface across a temperature range of 200–400 K. Furthermore, the values are also compared with thermal conductances calculated by a modified Landauer transport formalism using phonon transmission coefficients obtained from the diffuse mismatch model. Our results show that inelastic scattering processes contribute to an increase in interfacial thermal conductance at higher temperatures. Finally, we calculate the thermal conductivities of Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 superlattices with varying period lengths from 2 to 18 nm. A minimum thermal conductivity of 0.27 W/mK is observed at a period length of 4 nm, which is attributed to the competition between incoherent and coherent phonon transport regimes. In comparison with previous experimental measurements in the literature, our results show good agreement with respect to the range of thermal conductivity values and the period length corresponding to the minimum superlattice thermal conductivity.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamics of dark matter misalignment through the Higgs portal

A light singlet scalar field feebly coupled through the super-renormalizable Higgs portal provides a minimal and well-motivated realization of ultra-light bosonic dark matter. We study the cosmological production of dark matter in this model by elucidating the dynamics of two sources of scalar field misalignment generated during the radiation era. For large scalar masses (above $\mathcal{O}$ (10 −3 eV)), dark matter is produced through thermal misalignment, by which the scalar field is driven towards large field values as a result of the finite-temperature effective potential. The dominance of thermal misalignment in this mass range leads to a sharp relic abundance prediction which is, to a significant extent, insensitive to the initial conditions of the scalar field. On the other hand, for low mass scalars (below $\mathcal{O}$ (10 −5 eV)), dark matter is produced via VEV misalignment, which is caused by the induced scalar field vacuum expectation value triggered by the electroweak phase transition. We show that the relic abundance in this low mass range is sensitive to the scalar field initial conditions. In the intermediate mass range, the relic abundance is a consequence of a competition between thermal misalignment and VEV misalignment, which can potentially lead to novel forced resonance effects which cause a recurring enhancement and suppression in the late time oscillation amplitude as a function of the scalar mass. We compare our relic abundance predictions with constraints and projections from equivalence principle and inverse square law tests, stellar cooling, resonant molecular absorption, and observations of extra-galactic background light and diffuse X-ray backgrounds. New experimental ideas are needed to probe most of the cosmologically motivated regions of parameter space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Study of Heavy Flavor Mesons and Flavor-Tagged Jets with the CMS Detector

The goal of this research program is to implement heavy flavor meson triggers in heavy-ion collisions for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, including algorithm design, timing studies, offline validation, and online performance monitoring. The physics analyses which can be achieved by data from these new triggers is to address one of the most important questions in the field: parton flavor dependence of jet-quenching for the understanding of the transport properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. This program will allow CMS to collect the highest statistics heavy flavor meson and jet data ever recorded in heavy-ion colliders. The program includes two objectives: (1) Build and maintain the heavy flavor meson and jet triggers for heavy-ion collisions and deploy the trigger algorithms for 2015-2018 PbPb and pPb run at the LHC; (2) Perform heavy flavor meson and jet physics analyses, which can be used to study the parton flavor dependence of jet quenching, to extract the elastic energy loss coefficient of the QGP, and to test whether massive quarks also participate in collective expansion dynamics in heavy-ion collisions. With the heavy flavor physics trigger developed in this project, a competitive heavy flavor physics program in heavy-ion collisions has been established in CMS. This program allows studies of the fully reconstructed and flavor identified charm, beauty, and exotic hadrons that cover the widest transverse momentum range. The novel measurements supported by the award provide new constraints on the size of the flavor dependence of parton energy loss, the value of the in-medium charm quark diffusion coefficient, the mechanism of charm and beauty quark hadronization, and provide new insights to the nature of the X(3872) hadron.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗