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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

Measurement of directed flow in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s{NN}}$ = 19.6 and 27 GeV with the STAR event plane detector

In heavy-ion collision experiments, the global collectivity of final-state particles can be quantified by anisotropic flow coefficients (𝑣 𝑛 ) . The first-order flow coefficient, also referred to as the directed flow (𝑣 1 ), describes the collective sideward motion of produced particles and nuclear fragments in heavy-ion collisions. It carries information on the very early stage of the collision, especially at large pseudorapidity (𝜂), where it is believed to be generated during the nuclear passage time. Directed flow therefore probes the onset of bulk collective dynamics during thermalization, providing valuable experimental guidance to models of the pre-equilibrium stage. In 2018, the Event Plane Detector (EPD) was installed in STAR and used for the Beam Energy Scan phase-II (BES-II) data taking. The combination of EPD (2.1 < |𝜂| < 5.1) and high-statistics BES-II data enables us to extend the 𝑣 1 measurement to the forward and backward 𝜂 regions. In this paper, we present the measurement of 𝑣 1 over a wide 𝜂 range in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 19.6 and 27 GeV using the STAR EPD. The results of the analysis at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 19.6 GeV exhibit excellent consistency with the previous PHOBOS measurement, while elevating the precision of the overall measurement. The increased precision of the measurement also revealed finer structures in heavy-ion collisions, including a potential observation of the first-order event-plane decorrelation. Multiple physics models were compared to the experimental results. Only a transport model and a three-fluid hybrid model can reproduce a sizable 𝑣 1 at large 𝜂 as was observed experimentally. The model comparison also indicates 𝑣 1 at large 𝜂 might be sensitive to the QGP phase transition.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Argonne’s global critical materials agent-based model (GCMat)

Several studies have identified rare earths as critical materials. Although reasonably abundant in the Earth’s crust, rare earths typically occur in low concentrations of mined ores. Processes for recovering rare earth concentrates from these ores are complex and capital intensive. Further, lead times for deposit development, licensing, and construction are long, with reports of 10- 15 years. China is a major player in the rare earths supply chain, both in production capacity and technology innovation. In 2017, China supplied more than 80% of global rare earth oxide demand. Rare earth elements (REEs) have unique magnetic, catalytic, and phosphorescent properties that significantly improve performance of a wide range of technologies. These technologies span aerospace, energy, telecommunications, electronics, transportation, defense, and other diverse applications. Consequently, disruptions in rare earth supply can have a significant societal impact. Estimating that impact requires understanding of the dynamics across the supply chain, from rare earth oxide extraction to end use application. This report documents Argonne’s Global Critical Materials model (GCMat), first described by Riddle et al. 2015. GCMat provides capabilities to explore supply chain dynamics and uncertainty under scenarios of demand growth or shrinkage, technology adoption, supply disruptions, and trade policies and mitigation strategies of new supply sources, product substitution, consumer thrifting, and stockpiling. Supply chain participants from rare earth mining through final demand are modeled as interacting agents who make market decisions independently as time progresses. Since the version documented in Riddle et al. 2015, GCMat has been expanded to cover additional REEs, derived products and supply chains that use these REEs, and includes new agent behaviors and modeling capabilities. Section 2 provides a summary of the GCMat model design, including the structure of the model and key assumptions, section 3 summarizes methods used for model calibration and sensitivity analysis, and section 4 provides examples of model results.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Knowledge Graph for End-to-End Traceability of an Integrated Human-Earth System Model

Integrated human-Earth system models inform energy-water-land system dynamics and policies, yet their results are difficult to trace through input-data, model structure, scenario configurations, and solved outputs. Because this information is siloed across disconnected artifacts, process-based IAMs have historically lacked a unified, queryable representation. Such lack of traceability prevents researchers from systematically isolating the multi-sector drivers of complex outcomes (such as tracing water-scarcity results back to distant energy-system dynamics) or conducting holistic uncertainty attribution across hundreds of interacting parameters. To address this concern, our work documents the software engineering process of a knowledge graph that unifies these four layers for the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM-USA_Reference scenario, GCAM v9.1). The graph was built as a relational property graph in DuckDB from the run’s own artifacts: the input-preparation dependency map (gcamdata chunk map), the model’s XML input files, the run configuration, and the results database (BaseX), successfully mapping the model’s declared structure. The resulting graph comprises 204,321 nodes and 1,687,814 edges across 16 node types and 15 edge types, with approximately 16.3 million time-series values stored separately to maintain structural efficiency. To ensure representation fidelity, every edge carries an epistemic-status annotation recording the warrant for the relationship (structural, provenance, dependency, or model-derived), and a machine-readable provenance ledger classifying the origin of every schema element. Evaluation against a fixed five-benchmark suite with locked baselines reports zero structural orphans, zero dangling edge endpoints, and 100% of output-producing technologies traceable to raw input files. Two interactive interfaces present the graph, including a serverless browser application built on DuckDB-Wasm. By establishing the first end-to-end provenance framework for an IAM, this work enables researchers and scientists to systematically audit complex policy scenarios, debug model structures, and trace policy-relevant outputs to their data origins in real time.

Artifical Intelligence↗

CSPlib - A Software Toolkit for the Analysis of Dynamical Systems and Chemical Kinetic Models

CSPlib is an open source software library for analyzing general ordinary differential equation (ODE) systems and detailed chemical kinetic ODE systems. It relies on the computational singular perturbation (CSP) method for the analysis of these systems. The software provides support for: General ODE models (gODE model class) for computing source terms and Jacobians for a generic ODE system; TChem model (ChemElemODETChem model class) for computing source term, Jacobian, other necessary chemical reaction data, as well as the rates of progress for a homogenous batch reactor using an elementary step detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism. This class relies on the TChem [2] library; A set of functions to compute essential elements of CSP analysis (Kernel class). This includes computations of the eigensolution of the Jacobian matrix, CSP basis vectors and co-vectors, time scales (reciprocals of the magnitudes of the Jacobian eigenvalues), mode amplitudes, CSP pointers, and the number of exhausted modes. This class relies on the Tines library; A set of functions to compute the eigensolution of the Jacobian matrix using Tines library GPU eigensolver; A set of functions to compute CSP indices (Index Class). This includes participation indices and both slow and fast importance indices.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Quantitative Electron Beam‐Single Atom Interactions Enabled by Sub‐20‐pm Precision Targeting

The ability to probe and control matter at the picometer scale is essential for advancing quantum and energy technologies. Scanning transmission electron microscopy offers powerful capabilities for materials analysis and modification, but sample damage, drift, and scan distortions hinder single atom analysis and deterministic manipulation. Materials analysis and modification via electron–solid interactions can be transformed by precise delivery of electrons to a specified atomic location, maintaining the beam position despite drift, and minimizing collateral dose. Here a fast, low-dose, sub-20-pm precision electron beam positioning technique is developed, “atomic lock-on,” (ALO), which offers the ability to position the beam on a specific atomic column without previously irradiating that column. This technique is used to lock onto a single selected atomic location to repeatedly measure its weak electron energy loss signal despite sample drift. Moreover, electron beam-matter interactions in single atomic events are measured with μ s time resolution. This enables observation of single-atom dynamics, such as atomic bistability, revealing partially bonded atomic configurations and recapture phenomena. This opens prospects for using electron microscopy for high-precision measurements and deterministic control of matter for quantum technologies.

2D materials↗

Utilization of ACE nuclear data file toolkit ACEtk to calculate relative sensitivity coefficients of point-kinetics parameters

Sensitivity and uncertainty methods are quintessential for nuclear criticality safety and experiment design. This type of analysis relies on calculations of sensitivity coefficients; sensitivity coefficients of the effective neutron multiplication factor with respect to some nuclear data are predominantly calculated and used. As a part of the Laboratory Directed Research & Development project EUCLID (Experiments Underpinned by Computational Learning for Improvements in nuclear Data) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, sensitivity coefficients of many radiation detector measurement responses with respect to nuclear data were investigated. Specifically, this paper outlines a method to calculate point-kinetics parameters relative sensitivity coefficients with respect to nuclear data. Point-kinetics parameters such as the prompt neutron decay constant, effective delayed neutron fraction, and neutron generation time are especially important to experimenters and reactor operators designing systems with dynamic neutron populations. This method couples capabilities of the ACE (A Compact ENDF) nuclear data file toolkit, ACEtk, with the ability to load cross sections into the radiation transport code Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP). In conclusion, key aspects of optimizing this method for a particular application and sensitivity profiles of the Jezebel criticality experiment are examined and discussed.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Relative sensitivity of plastic scintillator: A comparative analysis with 60 Co gamma rays, deuterium–deuterium, and deuterium–tritium neutrons

A plastic scintillator has found extensive application in the realm of high-energy physics and national security science. Many applications in those fields often involve the simultaneous production of photons, neutrons, and charged particles, which makes the relative sensitivity information for these different radiation types important. In this study, we have adopted a multi-head detector comprised of a plastic scintillator and high gain phototubes, which provides a large dynamic range and linearity. A comparative study on the relative sensitivities of plastic scintillators was facilitated by adopting three distinct radiation calibration sources (i.e., 60 Co γ rays, DD neutrons, and DT neutrons). Neutrons from a DD source generate a comparable level of scintillation to gamma rays emitted by 60 Co (i.e., 60 Co-γ/DD-n = 0.92 ± 16%). DT neutrons induce ~3.5 times the scintillation observed with DD neutrons (i.e., DT-n/DD-n = 3.5 ± 28%). In addition, the Geant4 simulation granted us valuable insights into the relative sensitivity of the scintillator. This comparative study will provide a useful database for users in diverse applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Effects of external magnetic fields on the multi-mode Rayleigh–Taylor instability

The magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instability (mRTI) is a key process in inertial confinement fusion and is thought to be widespread in the interstellar medium, where it can concentrate plasma into discrete structures. We present resistive MHD simulations of the nonlinear evolution of multi-mode mRTI in both two and three dimensions, examining the effects of uniform external magnetic fields oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the initial interface. In both 2D and 3D, weak parallel fields enhance mixing-zone growth, whereas stronger fields suppress it. For perpendicular fields, growth is initially inhibited but becomes enhanced at later times. These behaviors arise from magnetic tension, which modifies flow anisotropy, buoyancy, drag, and vortex dynamics. The interplay of these mechanisms governs the distinct ways in which magnetic fields influence mRTI evolution.

Flow instabilities↗

Distinct Dynamics of Lithium Intercalation and Plating on Graphite Anode for Li‐Ion Batteries in eVTOL Applications

In the absence of viable high-energy-density battery alternatives, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries remain essential for enabling electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) platforms in advanced air mobility. Unlike Li-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and portable electronics, eVTOL battery systems operate under distinct high-power demands, which necessitate an independent assessment of material degradation mechanisms. This study presents a case analysis of graphite anode evolution under high-power cycling conditions. The findings reveal lithium entrapment within graphite particles, potentially resulting from incomplete Li-ion de-intercalation during a high-rate discharge event that is characteristic of eVTOL take-off and landing. This phenomenon leads to a progressive reduction in graphite-specific capacity and, over time, promotes lithium metal plating on the anode. Notably, the Li-metal plating observed in this study differs from that associated with fast-charging conditions, as it is primarily governed by concentration polarization-induced overpotential in the latter case. In conclusion, these findings highlight the inherent challenges of utilizing graphite in high-power Li-ion battery applications and elucidate the unique degradation mechanisms that arise due to the sluggish reaction kinetics of Li-ion intercalation and de-intercalation within graphite.

Li plating↗

Unexpected Giant Microwave Conductivity in a Nominally Silent BiFeO 3 Domain Wall

Nanoelectronic devices based on ferroelectric domain walls (DWs), such as memories, transistors, and rectifiers, have been shown in recent years. Practical high-speed electronics, on the other hand, usually demand operation frequencies in the gigahertz (GHz) regime, where the effect of dipolar oscillation is important. Herein, an unexpected giant GHz conductivity on the order of 10 3 S m -1 is observed in certain BiFeO 3 DWs, which is about 100 000 times greater than the carrier-induced direct current (dc) conductivity of the same walls. Surprisingly, the nominal configuration of the DWs precludes the alternating current (ac) conduction under an excitation electric field perpendicular to the surface. Theoretical analysis reflects that the inclined DWs are stressed asymmetrically near the film surface, whereas the vertical walls in a control sample are not. The resultant imbalanced polarization profile can then couple to the out-of-plane microwave fields and induce power dissipation, which is confirmed by the phase-field modeling. Since the contributions from mobile-carrier conduction and bound-charge oscillation to the ac conductivity are equivalent in a microwave circuit, the research on local structural dynamics may open a new avenue to implement DW nano-devices for radio-frequency applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamics and drivers of land use and land cover changes in Bangladesh

Abstract Bangladesh has undergone dramatic land use and land cover changes (LULCC) in recent years, but no quantitative analysis of LULCC drivers at the national scale exists so far. Here, we quantified the drivers of major LULCC in combination with biophysical and socioeconomic observations at the sub-district level. We used Landsat satellite data to interpret LULCC from 2000 to 2010 and employed a Global Surface Water Dataset to account for the influences of water seasonality. The results suggest that major LULCC in Bangladesh occur between agricultural land and waterbodies and between forest and shrubland. Exclusion of seasonal waterbodies can improve the accuracy of our LULCC results and driver analysis. Although the gross gain and loss of agricultural land are large on the local scale, the net change (gross gain minus gross loss) at a country scale is almost negligible. Climate dynamics and extreme events and changes in urban and rural households were driving the changes from forest to shrubland in the southeast region. The conversion from agricultural land to standing waterbodies in the southwest region was mainly driven by urban household dynamics, population growth, distance to cities and major roads, and precipitation dynamics. This study, which is the first effort accounting for water seasonality and quantifying biophysical and socioeconomic drivers of LULCC at the national scale, provides a perspective on overall LULCC and underlying drivers over a decadal time scale and national spatial scale and can serve as a scientific basis for developing land policies in Bangladesh.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Application-specific machine-learned interatomic potentials: exploring the trade-off between DFT convergence, MLIP expressivity, and computational cost

Machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLIPs) are revolutionizing computational materials science and chemistry by offering an efficient alternative to ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. However, fitting high-quality MLIPs remains a challenging, time-consuming, and computationally intensive task where numerous trade-offs have to be considered, e.g., How much and what kind of atomic configurations should be included in the training set? Which level of ab initio convergence should be used to generate the training set? Which loss function should be used for fitting the MLIP? Which machine learning architecture should be used to train the MLIP? The answers to these questions significantly impact both the computational cost of MLIP training and the accuracy and computational cost of subsequent MLIP MD simulations. In this study, we use a configurationally diverse beryllium dataset and quadratic spectral neighbor analysis potential. We demonstrate that joint optimization of energy versus force weights, training set selection strategies, and convergence settings of the ab initio reference simulations, as well as model complexity can lead to a significant reduction in the overall computational cost associated with training and evaluating MLIPs. This opens the door to computationally efficient generation of high-quality MLIPs for a range of applications which demand different accuracy versus training and evaluation cost trade-offs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Analysis of Tasks in Autonomous Systems Using the EMRALD Dynamic Risk Assessment Tool

An autonomous system refers to the system that has the power and ability for self-governance in the performance of system functions. Autonomous systems have been actively pursued in a variety of domains such as automotive, aviation, maritime, medicine, and nuclear fields. As an unmanned concept employing the highest automation level, the autonomous system basically performs most of the work in normal operations or emergency situations. However, despite advances in technology, many researchers have noted these systems still require human actions. The nature of human actions on autonomous systems is different than the human actions that are considered in existing systems. Nevertheless, only a few studies have been conducted on 1) characterizing the different types of errors and risks associated with human actions interacting with autonomous systems and 2) how to evaluate human actions in the autonomous operations. As a starting point, this study aims to investigate differences of tasks in autonomous operation compared to those in existing nuclear power plant operation using the Event Modeling Risk Assessment Using Linked Diagram (EMRALD) software. In this paper, insights aspect of human error and time are derived out and discussed based on the output of the EMRALD models.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Energy Storage Grand Challenge: Energy Storage Market Report

As part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC), DOE intends to synthesize and disseminate best available energy storage data, information, and analysis to inform decision-making and accelerate technology adoption. The ESGC Roadmap provides options for addressing technology development, commercialization, manufacturing, valuation, and workforce challenges to position the United States for global leadership in the energy storage technologies of the future. This report provides a baseline understanding of the numerous, dynamic energy storage markets that fall within the scope of the ESGC via an integrated presentation of deployment, investment, and manufacturing data from the best, publicly-available sources. This report covers the following energy storage technologies: lithium ion batteries, lead acid batteries, pumped storage hydropower, comrpessed air energy storage, redox flow batteries, hydrogen, building thermal energy storage, and select long duration energy storage technologies. Not all energy storage technologies and markets could be addressed in this report. Due to the wide array of energy technologies, market niches, and data availability issues, this market report only included a select group of technologies. For example, thermal energy storage technologies are very broadly defined and cover a wide range of potential markets, technology readiness levels, and primary energy sources. In other areas, data scarcity necessitates a greater understanding of future applications and emerging science. Future efforts will update data presented in this report and be expanded to include other energy storage technologies. This data-driven assessment of the current status of energy storage markets is essential to track progress toward the goals described in the Energy Storage Grand Challenge and inform the decision-making of a broad range of stakeholders. At the same time, gaps identified through the development of this report can point to areas where further data collection and analysis could provide an even greater level of understanding of the full range of markets and technologies. Finally, numerous complementary analyses are planned, underway, or completed that will provide a deeper understanding of the specific technologies and markets covered at a high-level in this report.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Coupling dynamic in situ X-ray micro-imaging and indentation: A novel approach to evaluate micromechanics applied to oil shale

Oil and gas shales are a system where understanding the mechanical properties at the microscale is of paramount importance, e.g. to better understand the behavior of proppant-shale contacts and their role in the evolution of propped fractures in unconventional reservoirs. Here we show for the first time an experiment coupling indentation testing with in situ X-ray imaging in a Green River shale sample. A full compliance curve has been measured with the sample in water, allowing to visualize the indentation of the sample in function of axial load, in a purpose-built system for combined in situ indentation and X-ray imaging. A series of 3D datasets were used for a digital volume correlation study to obtain local strain fields. This analysis has been complemented with the analysis of cracks. Finally, geomechanical modeling has been carried out to replicate and generalize the observed behavior in the shale. This study validated this experimental approach, providing a breakthrough in understanding micro-mechanics in shales, and demonstrates how this class of experiments can be important for studies involving the prediction of the evolution of propped fractures in shale reservoirs, with possible applications in a much larger number of application fields (geothermal, materials science, etc.)

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗

Numerical Codes for the DESC-LSST Analysis Pipeline: Core Cosmology Library Standard Modules and Beyond wCDM Modules (Final Technical Report)

The overall objective of the project is to investigate and develop specific software modules and analysis components for the software pipeline of LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC). Following the key projects of DESC Science Roadmap (SRM), we will write and test computer codes for the Core Cosmology Library (CCL) in order to complete its modules, functionalities, and interface to work with the analysis pipelines from the five science probes of DESC (parts of SRM deliverables CX4.2TJP, CX6.2CS). We will also code modules for CCL to test models beyond w-Cold-Dark-Matter (wCDM) and modification to gravity (MG). Interfaces for MG models will also be developed for the TJPCOSMO software which is the main pipeline of the Theory and Joint Probe (TJP) working group (deliverable TJP2.3). In order to use the full power of LSST data to constrain MG models, we will also work on constraints from nonlinear regime by running and analyzing MG N-Body simulations using a Parameterized-Post-Friedmann framework into the Gadget-2 simulation package (deliverable TJP2.2). Preliminary results for the simulations were obtained in the past. In collaboration with other DESC groups, we plan to make these simulations feedable to cosmic emulators that are practical for likelihood analyzes (deliverable TJP2.2, parts of CX6.2CS). We will also modify and integrate our current codes for consistency tests between data sets and probes into the pipeline (parts of deliverables CX8.2TJP, TJP2.3). We understand that other groups will contribute to some of these objectives but our team will focus and collaborate with others on the particular part of testing MG and models beyond wCDM and refine the DESC pipeline for this purpose. PI has been coordinating his work with the TJP and CS working groups and the DESC management team. PI is a full member of DESC since June 2013. He and his students have been contributing to LSST-DESC activities and work including TJP telecons, collaboration meetings, hack-weeks, and workshops. PI chaired or co-chaired sessions at collaboration meetings and hack-weeks about testing gravity and models beyond wCDM using LSST. He is coordinating the TJP2 projects for testing models beyond wCDM including the writing of DESC-research-note, development of code for pipeline, and N-Body simulations for MG and beyond wCDM models testable with LSST analyses. As stressed in the DESC white paper, SRM, and P5 report, one of the important questions in understanding cosmic acceleration and dark energy is to be able to distinguish whether the acceleration is due to a dark energy component in the universe or a modification to gravity. Answering these questions will have a significant impact on the question of cosmic acceleration and dark energy. The methods that we will use include analytical work, numerical code, and N-Body simulations. A first approach that that we will use consists of using growth rate parameters that enter the perturbed dynamics equations. These parameters take distinctive values for distinct gravity theories and have potential to distinguish between Dark Energy and Modified Gravity. The second method is to look for inconsistencies in Dark Energy parameter spaces using specific combinations of cosmological data sets. Our investigation addresses the Dark Energy problem that is relevant to the mission of the HEP program to understand how our universe works at its most fundamental level. It will allow us to make progress on the HEP mission to explore the nature of Dark Energy and the basic nature of space and time using future surveys such as LSST. The investigation supports the DOE HEP program Cosmic Frontier as it will contribute to the study and understanding of dark energy and fundamental properties of the universe. The investigation contributes directly to LSST-DESC key projects and their deliverables as described in the Science Road-map document to build analysis pipeline and to test dark energy and beyond wCDM models using LSST.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Efficient Quantum Gibbs Samplers with Kubo–Martin–Schwinger Detailed Balance Condition

Lindblad dynamics and other open-system dynamics provide a promising path towards efficient Gibbs sampling on quantum computers. In these proposals, the Lindbladian is obtained via an algorithmic construction akin to designing an artificial thermostat in classical Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics methods, rather than being treated as an approximation to weakly coupled system-bath unitary dynamics. Recently, Chen, Kastoryano, and Gilyén (arXiv:2311.09207) introduced the first efficiently implementable Lindbladian satisfying the Kubo–Martin–Schwinger (KMS) detailed balance condition, which ensures that the Gibbs state is a fixed point of the dynamics and is applicable to non-commuting Hamiltonians. This Gibbs sampler uses a continuously parameterized set of jump operators, and the energy resolution required for implementing each jump operator depends only logarithmically on the precision and the mixing time. In this work, we build upon the structural characterization of KMS detailed balanced Lindbladians by Fagnola and Umanità, and develop a family of efficient quantum Gibbs samplers using a finite set of jump operators (the number can be as few as one), akin to the classical Markov chain-based sampling algorithm. Compared to the existing works, our quantum Gibbs samplers have a comparable quantum simulation cost but with greater design flexibility and a much simpler implementation and error analysis. Moreover, it encompasses the construction of Chen, Kastoryano, and Gilyén as a special instance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Graphene Oxide Nanoribbons for High Early-Strength Cement Concrete

Longitudinal oxidative unzipping of the outer walls of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) yields graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs), which exhibit greater open surface area and functional edge content than MWCNTs. This paper presents a study of the nano-amendment of Portland cement concrete with GONRs in concentrations between 0.05% (in weight of cement, wt%) and 0.0005 wt%, thus up to two orders of magnitude lower than that reported as lower-bound in the archival literature. The dispersibility in aqueous solution as a function of GONR concentration and oxygen weight content (O%) was assessed through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential analysis. The results indicated that less effective suspensions were obtained for 0.05 wt% of GONRs and 22.7 O%. Therefore, GONR water suspensions with 30-40% O% were used to manufacture 50 mm × 100 mm cylindrical concrete specimens. After 7 days of curing, results from uniaxial compression tests using four specimens per configuration (MWCNT concentration and O%) showed that the incorporation of GONRs resulted in an average increase in compressive strength up to 45%. Consistent with the DLS and compression test results, SEM micrographs showed well-dispersed GONRs together with accelerated and preferential formation of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) for all GONR concentrations. The results indicate, for the first time, that the incorporation of very small concentrations (as low as 0.0005 wt%) of well-dispersed GONR amendments can significantly enhance the early-age concrete strength. However, such enhancement became insignificant after 28 days of curing.

cement↗