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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2012

Topics covered include: An "Inefficient Fin" Non-Dimensional Parameter to Measure Gas Temperatures Efficiently; On-Wafer Measurement of a Multi-Stage MMIC Amplifier with 10 dB of Gain at 475 GHz; Software to Control and Monitor Gas Streams; Miniaturized Laser Heterodyne Radiometer (LHR) for Measurements of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmospheric Column; Anomaly Detection in Test Equipment via Sliding Mode Observers; Absolute Position of Targets Measured Through a Chamber Window Using Lidar Metrology Systems; Goldstone Solar System Radar Waveform Generator; Fast and Adaptive Lossless Onboard Hyperspectral Data Compression System; Iridium Interfacial Stack - IrIS; Downsampling Photodetector Array with Windowing; Optical Phase Recovery and Locking in a PPM Laser Communication Link; High-Speed Edge-Detecting Line Scan Smart Camera; Optical Communications Channel Combiner; Development of Thermal Infrared Sensor to Supplement Operational Land Imager; Amplitude-Stabilized Oscillator for a Capacitance-Probe Electrometer; Automated Performance Characterization of DSN System Frequency Stability Using Spacecraft Tracking Data; Histogrammatic Method for Determining Relative Abundance of Input Gas Pulse; Predictive Sea State Estimation for Automated Ride Control and Handling - PSSEARCH; LEGION: Lightweight Expandable Group of Independently Operating Nodes; Real-Time Projection to Verify Plan Success During Execution; Automated Performance Characterization of DSN System Frequency Stability Using Spacecraft Tracking Data; Web-Based Customizable Viewer for Mars Network Overflight Opportunities; Fabrication of a Cryogenic Terahertz Emitter for Bolometer Focal Plane Calibrations; Fabrication of an Absorber-Coupled MKID Detector; Graphene Transparent Conductive Electrodes for Next- Generation Microshutter Arrays; Method of Bonding Optical Elements with Near-Zero Displacement; Free-Mass and Interface Configurations of Hammering Mechanisms; Wavefront Compensation Segmented Mirror Sensing and Control; Long-Life, Lightweight, Multi-Roller Traction Drives for Planetary Vehicle Surface Exploration; Reliable Optical Pump Architecture for Highly Coherent Lasers Used in Space Metrology Applications; Electrochemical Ultracapacitors Using Graphitic Nanostacks; Improved Whole-Blood-Staining Device; Monitoring Location and Angular Orientation of a Pill; Molecular Technique to Reduce PCR Bias for Deeper Understanding of Microbial Diversity; Laser Ablation Electrodynamic Ion Funnel for In Situ Mass Spectrometry on Mars; High-Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer for the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; PRTs and Their Bonding for Long-Duration, Extreme-Temperature Environments; Mid- and Long-IR Broadband Quantum Well Photodetector; 3D Display Using Conjugated Multiband Bandpass Filters; Real-Time, Non-Intrusive Detection of Liquid Nitrogen in Liquid Oxygen at High Pressure and High Flow; Method to Enhance the Operation of an Optical Inspection Instrument Using Spatial Light Modulators; Dual-Compartment Inflatable Suitlock; Large-Strain Transparent Magnetoactive Polymer Nanocomposites; Thermodynamic Vent System for an On-Orbit Cryogenic Reaction Control Engine; Time Distribution Using SpaceWire in the SCaN Testbed on ISS; and Techniques for Solution- Assisted Optical Contacting.

Source record↗

Harmony: Bringing Data Together by Bringing Services Together

As Earth observation data volume, velocity, and variety continues to accelerate, so do the challenges of working with those data. The computation, storage, and network transfer requirements for multi-petabyte datasets demand solutions that allow users to process, store, and move fewer bytes while still finding the valuable insights they seek. Our cloud-based data transformation framework, Harmony, tackles these challenges by providing consistent, standards-based interface to multiple disparate backend processors collocated with NASA EOSDIS data. It allows data scientists to perform data processing and harmonization activities across many datasets through familiar tooling. Simultaneously, it provides a clear, consistent interface for data providers to expose new or customized backend services for their data. This talk will discuss Harmony, its architecture and interface, and the path forward for cloud-based NASA EOSDIS data harmonization services.

Quinn, Patrick↗

Chemical Potential Driven Reorganization of Anions between Stern and Diffuse Layers at the Air/Water Interface

We report ion adsorption and transfer at charged interfaces play key roles in various industrial and environmental processes. Molecular scale details of ion-ion, ion-water, and ion-surface interactions are still debated. Complex ions, such as SCN - and SeCN - , are particularly interesting due to their unexpected adsorption trends. Here, we combine vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy and surface-sensitive synchrotron X-ray studies to provide a detailed description of SeCN - adsorption at a floating charged monolayer. Polarimetry studies show that the average orientation of SeCN - anions with respect to the surface normal decreases from 45° to 22° with the increasing KSeCN concentration. Interfacial SeCN - coverage saturates at very low bulk concentrations, but their orientational organization, distribution between Stern and diffuse layers, and effects on the hydrogen-bonding network of the interfacial water continue to change with increasing bulk KSeCN concentration. These results show that the increasing chemical potential may lead to further reorganization of the adsorbed ions, even though the total interfacial ion population does not change. The reorganization of the interfacial ions and the water may be very important in chemical separations of heavy metals, where metal-anion complexes drive the selective ion transfer at aqueous interfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The INTERSECT Open Federated Architecture for the Laboratory of the Future

A federated instrument-to-edge-to-center architecture is needed to autonomously collect, transfer, store, process, curate, and archive scientific data and reduce human-in-the-loop needs with (a) common interfaces to leverage community and custom software, (b) pluggability to permit adaptable solutions, reuse, and digital twins, and (c) an open standard to enable adoption by science facilities world-wide. The Selfdriven Experiments for Science/Interconnected Science Ecosystem (INTERSECT) Open Architecture enables science breakthroughs using intelligent networked systems, instruments and facilities with autonomous experiments, “self-driving” laboratories, smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI) driven design, discovery and evaluation. It creates an open federated architecture for the laboratory of the future using a novel approach, consisting of (1) science use case design patterns, (2) a system of systems architecture, and (3) a microservice architecture.

Engelmann, Christian↗

Machine learning approaches to streamline and enhance the analysis of multiscale imaging data for bioaerosol and soil particles

Bioaerosol and soil particles are ubiquitous in the environment. They are multicomponent and complex in nature displaying mixed inorganic and organic components. The way components are mixed in a bioaerosol sample is referred to as its mixing state. Soil particles are also a mixture of inorganic (mineral) and organic (soil organic matter) components. Bioaerosol particles contribute to a major fraction of coarse mode atmospheric particles, especially in the tropical areas, contributing up to 80 % of the particle mass concentration. The mixing state of particles is crucial to evaluate because it impacts several important environmental processes such as warm and cold cloud formation and radiation budget. Mixing states in aerosols are accompanied by chemical reactions across solid-liquid-gas interfaces. In this study, we utilized elemental compositions and microcopy images of thousands of atmospheric particles acquired by computer-controlled scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer to compute the mixing state of atmospheric particles. A 2D convolutional neural network (CNN), also known as convnet, was used to model the relationship between low resolution imaging data and higher resolution spectroscopy data, with the former as training input and the latter as target output. Two types of CNNs were implemented and tested; a basic CNN and an Inception-v3 network. For binary classification, the basic CNN achieved an accuracy of 84.29 % across all atom types, and the Inception-v3-like network achieved an accuracy 85.51 %. This study demonstrates the applicability of deep learning to handle large amounts of imaging/chemical spectroscopy data efficiently and evaluate particle mixing state from a range of environmental samples.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

SoftLab: A Soft-Computing Software for Experimental Research with Commercialization Aspects

SoftLab is a software environment for research and development in intelligent modeling/control using soft-computing paradigms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and genetic programs. SoftLab addresses the inadequacies of the existing soft-computing software by supporting comprehensive multidisciplinary functionalities from management tools to engineering systems. Furthermore, the built-in features help the user process/analyze information more efficiently by a friendly yet powerful interface, and will allow the user to specify user-specific processing modules, hence adding to the standard configuration of the software environment.

Akbarzadeh-T, M.-R.↗

Model Checking a Self-Stabilizing Distributed Clock Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs

This report presents the mechanical verification of a self-stabilizing distributed clock synchronization protocol for arbitrary digraphs in the absence of faults. This protocol does not rely on assumptions about the initial state of the system, other than the presence of at least one node, and no central clock or a centrally generated signal, pulse, or message is used. The system under study is an arbitrary, non-partitioned digraph ranging from fully connected to 1-connected networks of nodes while allowing for differences in the network elements. Nodes are anonymous, i.e., they do not have unique identities. There is no theoretical limit on the maximum number of participating nodes. The only constraint on the behavior of the node is that the interactions with other nodes are restricted to defined links and interfaces. This protocol deterministically converges within a time bound that is a linear function of the self-stabilization period.

Malekpour, Mahyar R.↗

Model Checking A Self-Stabilizing Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs

This report presents the mechanical verification of a self-stabilizing distributed clock synchronization protocol for arbitrary digraphs in the absence of faults. This protocol does not rely on assumptions about the initial state of the system, other than the presence of at least one node, and no central clock or a centrally generated signal, pulse, or message is used. The system under study is an arbitrary, non-partitioned digraph ranging from fully connected to 1-connected networks of nodes while allowing for differences in the network elements. Nodes are anonymous, i.e., they do not have unique identities. There is no theoretical limit on the maximum number of participating nodes. The only constraint on the behavior of the node is that the interactions with other nodes are restricted to defined links and interfaces. This protocol deterministically converges within a time bound that is a linear function of the self-stabilization period. A bounded model of the protocol is verified using the Symbolic Model Verifier (SMV) for a subset of digraphs. Modeling challenges of the protocol and the system are addressed. The model checking effort is focused on verifying correctness of the bounded model of the protocol as well as confirmation of claims of determinism and linear convergence with respect to the self-stabilization period.

Malekpour, Mahyar R.↗

A goldilocks computational protocol for inhibitor discovery targeting DNA damage responses including replication-repair functions

While many researchers can design knockdown and knockout methodologies to remove a gene product, this is mainly untrue for new chemical inhibitor designs that empower multifunctional DNA Damage Response (DDR) networks. Here, we present a robust Goldilocks (GL) computational discovery protocol to efficiently innovate inhibitor tools and preclinical drug candidates for cellular and structural biologists without requiring extensive virtual screen (VS) and chemical synthesis expertise. By computationally targeting DDR replication and repair proteins, we exemplify the identification of DDR target sites and compounds to probe cancer biology. Our GL pipeline integrates experimental and predicted structures to efficiently discover leads, allowing early-structure and early-testing (ESET) experiments by many laboratories. By employing an efficient VS protocol to examine protein-protein interfaces (PPIs) and allosteric interactions, we identify ligand binding sites beyond active sites, leveraging in silico advances for molecular docking and modeling to screen PPIs and multiple targets. A diverse 3,174 compound ESET library combines Diamond Light Source DSI-poised, Protein Data Bank fragments, and FDA-approved drugs to span relevant chemotypes and facilitate downstream hit evaluation efficiency for academic laboratories. Two VS per library and multiple ranked ligand binding poses enable target testing for several DDR targets. This GL library and protocol can thus strategically probe multiple DDR network targets and identify readily available compounds for early structural and activity testing to overcome bottlenecks that can limit timely breakthrough drug discoveries. By testing accessible compounds to dissect multi-functional DDRs and suggesting inhibitor mechanisms from initial docking, the GL approach may enable more groups to help accelerate discovery, suggest new sites and compounds for challenging targets including emerging biothreats and advance cancer biology for future precision medicine clinical trials.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Deep Learning Analysis of Polaritonic Wave Images

Deep learning (DL) is an emerging analysis tool across the sciences and engineering. Encouraged by the successes of DL in revealing quantitative trends in massive imaging data, we applied this approach to nanoscale deeply subdiffractional images of propagating polaritonic waves in complex materials. Utilizing the convolutional neural network (CNN), we developed a practical protocol for the rapid regression of images that quantifies the wavelength and the quality factor of polaritonic waves. Using simulated near-field images as training data, the CNN can be made to simultaneously extract polaritonic characteristics and material parameters in a time scale that is at least 3 orders of magnitude faster than common fitting/processing procedures. The CNN-based analysis was validated by examining the experimental near-field images of charge-transfer plasmon polaritons at graphene/α-RuCl3 interfaces. Our work provides a general framework for extracting quantitative information from images generated with a variety of scanning probe methods.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Pore-scale simulation of drying in porous media using a hybrid lattice Boltzmann: pore network model

In this work, a hybrid method coupling a pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) and a pore network model (PNM) to simulate drying in porous media is proposed. Based on the watershed method, the porous medium is firstly decomposed into pore regions. According to the liquid–vapor phase distribution at a given time, the pore regions are further divided into four pore types, namely two-phase pores where a liquid–vapor interface exists, buffer pores next to the two-phase pores, single-liquid and single-vapor phase pores. The pseudo-potential LBM is used in the two-phase and buffer pores to simulate liquid drying and track the movement of the interfaces, while the single-phase PNM simulations are conducted in the buffer and single-phase pores to simulate vapor or liquid flow. LBM and PNM are coupled in the buffer pores through exchange of boundary information. The hybrid method is applied to simulate liquid drying in a porous medium. The whole-domain LBM simulation is considered as the reference solution to validate the hybrid method. Liquid saturation variation during the drying process and detailed phase and pressure distributions obtained by the two methods match quite well, demonstrating the accuracy of the hybrid method. For the specific case studied, the hybrid method saves more than 60% computational time compared to the whole-domain LBM simulation. In addition, the speedup of the hybrid method becomes more significant for a larger computational domain. In summary, the hybrid method developed in this work combines the accuracy of LBM and the efficiency of PNM to simulate drying in porous media at pore scale and can lead to significant reduction of computation time, thus allowing the pore-scale consideration of drying in larger porous systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Increasing the Cost-efficiency of the DSN

JPL has operated the Deep Space Network (DSN) on behalf of NASA since the 1960's. Over the last two decades, the DSN budget has generally declined in real-year dollars while the aging assets required more attention, and the missions became more complex. As a result, the budget has been increasingly consumed by Operations and Maintenance (O and M), significantly reducing the funding wedge available for technology investment and for enhancing the DSN capability and capacity. Responding to this budget squeeze, the DSN launched an effort to improve the cost-efficiency of the O and M. In this paper we: Analyze the components of O&M. We note for example that, for the DSN, less than 20% of the staff engage in the traditional human-in-front-a-console role, so any effort to increase the cost efficiency must go beyond reducing the number of "Real-time operators." Explain the underlying organizational and cultural structures. Any cost-efficiency activities changes either accept, or carefully modify these structures. For example, the DSN O&M is based on the concept that there are three nearly identical antenna complexes separated by approximately 1200 in latitude and that each antenna complex is operated by a different contractor (driven by international agreements). Explore planned changes in the customer interface, e.g. web-based automated scheduling, and the processes required for a transition. Changes have to be evaluated in the larger end-to-end context, e.g. do the changes provide a net cost-efficiency for the DSN and the missions, or do they merely shift cost from the DSN to the missions. Consider possible significant changes in real-time pass management, e.g. full-remoting of operations, and lights-dim operations, while maintaining (or improving) the performance metrics of the DSN. Investigate how procedural and administrative changes could increase cost-efficiency, in conjunction with changes in the customer interfaces and real-time pass management. Examples would be handling of inter-governmental agreements, improved sharing of resources with other agencies, and better use of commercial (rather than government) resources

Deep Space Network (DSN)↗

Investigations of water/oxide interfaces by molecular dynamics simulations

Water/oxide interfaces are ubiquitous on earth and show significant influence on many chemical processes. For example, understanding water and solute adsorption as well as catalytic water splitting can help build better fuel cells and solar cells to overcome our looming energy crisis; the interaction between biomolecules and water/oxide interfaces is one hypothesis to explain the origin of life. However, knowledge in this area is still limited due to the difficulty of studying water/solid interfaces. As a result, research using increasingly sophisticated experimental techniques and computational simulations has been carried out in recent years. Although it is difficult for experimental techniques to provide detailed microscopic structural information, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have satisfactory performance. In this report, we discuss classical and ab initio MD simulations of water/oxide interfaces. Generally, we are interested in the following questions: How do solid surfaces perturb interfacial water structure? How do interfacial water molecules and adsorbed solutes affect solid surfaces and how do interfacial environments affect solvent and solute behavior? Finally, we discuss progress in the application of neural network potential based MD simulations, which offer a promising future because this approach has already enabled ab initio level accuracy for very large systems and long trajectories.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Building an Integrated Ecosystem of Computational and Observational Facilities to Accelerate Scientific Discovery

Future scientific discoveries will rely on flexible ecosystems that incorporate modern scientific instruments, high performance computing resources, parallel distributed data storage, and performant networks across multiple, independent facilities. In addition to connecting physical resources, such an ecosystem presents many challenges in logistics and accessibility, especially in orchestrating computations and experiments that span across leadership computing systems and experimental instruments. Past efforts have typically been application-specific or limited to interfaces for computing resources. This paper proposes a general framework for integrating computation resources and instrument operations, addressing challenges in code development/execution, data staging and collection, software stack, control mechanisms, resource authorization and governance, and hardware integration. We also describe a demonstration use case wherein a Bayesian optimization algorithm running on an edge computing resource guides a scanning probe microscope to autonomously and intelligently characterize a material sample. This science edge ecosystem framework will provide a blueprint for federating multi-institutional, disparate resources and orchestrating scientific workflows across them to enable next-generation discoveries.

Somnath, Suhas↗

Total metals, sulfur and organic carbon data; Slate River floodplain, Crested Butte, CO; March 2021-October 2021

This data package includes processed and undiluted measurements for metal, sulfur and organic carbon concentrations from pore water (groundwater) samples from the Slate River floodplain of Crested Butte, CO, a focus field site for the SLAC Floodplain Hydro-Biogeochemistry SFA. The data was generated as part of the work targeting the overarching research question for the SLAC SFA: How do ubiquitous subsurface interfaces mediate molecular-scale biogeochemical processes and groundwater quality in floodplains and watersheds? Samples were collected between March and October of 2021. These measurements were all recorded at the Environmental Measurements Facility (EM-1) at Stanford University in Stanford, CA. Groundwater samples were extracted from a network of installed rhizon (Rhizosphere Research Products, part no. 19.60.21F, 0.6 micrometer mesh size) and piezometer wells within the river floodplain. All water samples were shaded from sun exposure during extraction from the subsurface and preserved at 2C until measured at EM-1.Analysis by ICP-MS:Measurements for total metals were performed on an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES; iCAP 6300, Thermo Scientific, Cambridge, U.K.). Calibration standards were prepared from the mulit element stock solution (Sigma-Aldrich Multielement standard for ICP, St. Louis, MO) using matrix matched to sample solutions (2% HNO3). Calibration curves included 5 points with correlation coefficients of >0.99. The QC protocol includes a continuing calibration blank and quality control samples that are analyzed just after calibration and again every 20 samples and at the completion of the run. Acceptable QC responses must be between 90-110% of the certified value. Analysis by Total Organic Carbon:Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were quantified on a total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer (TOC-L, Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan) running the NPOC method. Standard curves were developed using an Organic Carbon Standard from RICCA Chemical Company (Arlington,TX). A series of 4 to 6 standards were automatically diluted by the instrument in a concentration range that spans that of the samples. A blank sample was run just after the calibration curve and at the end of the run. A QC sample was run every 25 samples. Acceptable QC responses must be between 90-110% of the certified value.All files are in csv format.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EXCHANGE Campaign 1: A Community-Driven Baseline Characterization of Soils, Sediments, and Water Across Coastal Gradients

The EXploration of Coastal Hydrobiogeochemistry Across a Network of Gradients and Experiments (EXCHANGE) program is a consortium of scientists working together to improve our understanding of how the two-way exchange of water between estuaries or large lake lacustuaries and the terrestrial landscape influence the state and function of ecosystems across the coastal interface. EXCHANGE Campaign 1 (EC1) focuses on the spatial variation in biogeochemical structure and function at the coastal terrestrial-aquatic interface (TAI). In the Fall of 2021, the EXCHANGE Consortium gathered samples from 52 TAIs. Samples collected from EC1 were analyzed for bulk geochemical parameters, bulk physicochemical parameters, organic matter characteristics, and redox-sensitive elements.Please download ec1_README.pdf for a complete list of available data in each .zip folder, package version history, and detailed information about the project. This README will serve as the central place for EC1 Data Package updates. Experimental setup and v1 methods are documented in Myers-Pigg and Pennington et al., 2023 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02548-7).EC1 Data Package Structure:ec1_README.pdfec1_methods.pdfec1_metadata_v3.zip...ec1_dd.csv...ec1_flmd.csv...ec1_sample_catalog.csv...ec1_metadata_kitlevel.csv...ec1_metadata_collectionlevel.csv...ec1_data_collectionlevel.csv...ec1_igsn_metadata.csvec1_soil_v3.zipec1_sediment_v3.zipec1_water_v3.zipec1_processingscripts_v3.zipThis data package is on v3 and was originally published May 2023 (v1). Subsequent updates will be published here with new version numbers. Please see the Change History section in ec1_README.pdf for detailed changes.---Acknowledging EXCHANGE: General Support and Data Product UseWe ask that users of EXCHANGE data add the following acknowledgement when publishing data in scholarly articles and data repositories:"This research is based on work supported by COMPASS-FME, a multi-institutional project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research as part of the Environmental System Science Program."

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Operability engineering in the Deep Space Network

Many operability problems exist at the three Deep Space Communications Complexes (DSCC's) of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Four years ago, the position of DSN Operability Engineer was created to provide the opportunity for someone to take a system-level approach to solving these problems. Since that time, a process has been developed for personnel and development engineers and for enforcing user interface standards in software designed for the DSCC's. Plans are for the participation of operations personnel in the product life-cycle to expand in the future.

Wilkinson, Belinda↗

Designers' models of the human-computer interface

Understanding design models of the human-computer interface (HCI) may produce two types of benefits. First, interface development often requires input from two different types of experts: human factors specialists and software developers. Given the differences in their backgrounds and roles, human factors specialists and software developers may have different cognitive models of the HCI. Yet, they have to communicate about the interface as part of the design process. If they have different models, their interactions are likely to involve a certain amount of miscommunication. Second, the design process in general is likely to be guided by designers' cognitive models of the HCI, as well as by their knowledge of the user, tasks, and system. Designers do not start with a blank slate; rather they begin with a general model of the object they are designing. The author's approach to a design model of the HCI was to have three groups make judgments of categorical similarity about the components of an interface: human factors specialists with HCI design experience, software developers with HCI design experience, and a baseline group of computer users with no experience in HCI design. The components of the user interface included both display components such as windows, text, and graphics, and user interaction concepts, such as command language, editing, and help. The judgments of the three groups were analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and Pathfinder. These methods indicated, respectively, how the groups categorized the concepts, and network representations of the concepts for each group. The Pathfinder analysis provides greater information about local, pairwise relations among concepts, whereas the cluster analysis shows global, categorical relations to a greater extent.

Gillan, Douglas J.↗