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At least 1,333 records · Page 74

Some instrumentation requirement issues for the Space Station structural characterization experiment

The Space Station will provide unique opportunities to the research and technology community as a national in-space research facility. Opportunities will exist for technology experiments in a variety of disciplines, including dynamics and control of large space structures (LSS). The Space Station Structural Characterization Experiment (SSSCE) is an early space station technology experiment now under development. The objective of the experiment is to instrument and use the Space Station as a generic research test article, in support of research and technology activities in the areas of structural dynamics and control/structure interaction (CSI). Tests will be conducted, potentially, on each assembly flight configuration, as well as on the phase 1 configuration. Structural dynamic response data will be measured and transferred to the ground for analysis. These measurements will support the development and in-space verification of system identification and analytical modeling techniques for future LSS, including the evolutionary Space Station. The paper begins by restating the principal objective of SSSCE, along with the basic approach that will be used. The body of the paper deals with instrumentation requirement issues. The paper closes with several questions concerning modal-testing objectives and limitations, a brief review of a previous on-orbit experiment, the Solar Array Flight Experiment, and concluding remarks.

Pappa, Richard S.↗

Evaluation of sensor placement algorithms for on-orbit identification of space platforms

Anticipating the construction of the international space station, on-orbit modal identification of space platforms through optimally placed accelerometers is an area of recent activity. Unwanted vibrations in the platform could affect the results of experiments which are planned. Therefore, it is important that sensors (accelerometers) be strategically placed to identify the amount and extent of these unwanted vibrations, and to validate the mathematical models used to predict the loads and dynamic response. Due to cost, installation, and data management issues, only a limited number of sensors will be available for placement. This work evaluates and compares four representative sensor placement algorithms for modal identification. Most of the sensor placement work to date has employed only numerical simulations for comparison. This work uses experimental data from a fully-instrumented truss structure which was one of a series of structures designed for research in dynamic scale model ground testing of large space structures at NASA Langley Research Center. Results from this comparison show that for this cantilevered structure, the algorithm based on Guyan reduction is rated slightly better than that based on Effective Independence.

Glassburn, Robin S.↗

Object-Oriented Control System Design Using On-Line Training of Artificial Neural Networks

This report deals with the object-oriented model development of a neuro-controller design for permanent magnet (PM) dc motor drives. The system under study is described as a collection of interacting objects. Each object module describes the object behaviors, called methods. The characteristics of the object are included in its variables. The knowledge of the object exists within its variables, and the performance is determined by its methods. This structure maps well to the real world objects that comprise the system being modeled. A dynamic learning architecture that possesses the capabilities of simultaneous on-line identification and control is incorporated to enforce constraints on connections and control the dynamics of the motor. The control action is implemented "on-line", in "real time" in such a way that the predicted trajectory follows a specified reference model. A design example of controlling a PM dc motor drive on-line shows the effectiveness of the design tool. This will therefore be very useful in aerospace applications. It is expected to provide an innovative and noval software model for the rocket engine numerical simulator executive.

Rubaai, Ahmed↗

Focused Metabolite Profiling for Dissecting Cellular and Molecular Processes of Living Organisms in Space Environments

Regulatory control in biological systems is exerted at all levels within the central dogma of biology. Metabolites are the end products of all cellular regulatory processes and reflect the ultimate outcome of potential changes suggested by genomics and proteomics caused by an environmental stimulus or genetic modification. Following on the heels of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, metabolomics has become an inevitable part of complete-system biology because none of the lower "-omics" alone provide direct information about how changes in mRNA or protein are coupled to changes in biological function. The challenges are much greater than those encountered in genomics because of the greater number of metabolites and the greater diversity of their chemical structures and properties. To meet these challenges, much developmental work is needed, including (1) methodologies for unbiased extraction of metabolites and subsequent quantification, (2) algorithms for systematic identification of metabolites, (3) expertise and competency in handling a large amount of information (data set), and (4) integration of metabolomics with other "omics" and data mining (implication of the information). This article reviews the project accomplishments.

Source record↗

Active motion of multiphase oil droplets: emergent dynamics of squirmers with evolving internal structure

Synthetic soft matter systems, when driven beyond equilibrium by active processes, offer the potential to achieve dynamical states and functions of a complexity found in living matter. Emulsions offer the basis of a simple yet versatile system for identification of the physicochemical principles underlying active soft matter, but how multiple internal phases within emulsion droplets (e.g., Janus morphologies) organize to impact emergent dynamics is not understood. Here, we create multiphase oil droplets with ultralow interfacial tensions but distinct viscosities, and drive them into motion in aqueous micellar solutions. Preferential solubilization of select components of the oil both drives the droplet motion and yields a progression of internal phase morphological states with distinct symmetries. In this work, we find the active droplets to exhibit five dynamical states during morphogenesis. By quantifying microscopic flow fields, we show that it is possible to map the diverse droplet behaviors to squirmer models of spherical microswimmers in Stokes flow, thus showing that multiphase droplets offer the basis of a versatile platform with which to study and engineer the hydrodynamics of microswimmers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Identification of new transitions and levels in 163 Gd from $β$-decay studies

Background: Neutron-rich nuclei in the mass region around A = 160 have been and will continue to be of interest for the study of nuclear structure because of the rapid onset of deformation between 88 and 90 neutrons. The observation of detailed changes in nuclear structures within this mass region has provided and will continue to provide insight into the nuclear force. Purpose: Investigations of γ rays emitted following Eu 163 β -decay to Gd 163 have been performed for evaluation of the nuclear structure of Gd 163 . Method: Data were collected at the LeRIBSS station of the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an array of four Clover HPGe detectors for γ -rays and two plastic scintillators for β detection. The γ rays were identified as belonging to Gd 163 via mass selection and γ – γ – β , x-ray- γ , or γ – γ coincidences. Results: In total 107 new γ -ray transitions were observed in Gd 163 from 53 newly identified levels. Conclusions: We report the structure of Gd 163 has been identified for the first time. This structure has been evaluated in comparison to projected shell model, and potential energy surface calculations with good agreement.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The application of the Wigner Distribution to wave type identification in finite length beams

The object of the research described in this paper was to develop a means of identifying the wave-types propagating between two points in a finite length beam. It is known that different structural wave-types possess different dispersion relations: i.e., that their group speeds and the frequency dependence of their group speeds differ. As a result of those distinct dispersion relationships, different wave-types may be associated with characteristic features when structural responses are examined in the time frequency domain. Previously, the time-frequency character of analytically generated structural responses of both single element and multi-element structures were examined by using the Wigner Distribution (WD) along with filtering techniques that were designed to detect the wave-types present in the responses. In the work to be described here, the measure time-frequency response of finite length beam is examined using the WD and filtering procedures. This paper is organized as follows. First the concept of time-frequency analysis of structural responses is explained. The WD is then introduced along with a description of the implementation of a discrete version. The time-frequency filtering techniques are then presented and explained. The results of applying the WD and the filtering techniques to the analysis of a transient response is then presented.

Wahl, T. J.↗

Identification of Bacteria and Determination of Biological Indicators

The ultimate goal of planetary protection research is to develop superior strategies for inactivating resistance bearing micro-organisms like Rummeli - bacillus stabekisii. By first identifying the particular physiologic pathway and/or structural component of the cell/spore that affords it such elevated tolerance, eradication regimes can then be designed to target these resistance-conferring moieties without jeopardizing the structural integrity of spacecraft hardware. Furthermore, hospitals and government agencies frequently use biological indicators to ensure the efficacy of a wide range of sterilization processes. The spores of Rummelibacillus stabekisii, which are far more resistant to many of such perturbations, could likely serve as a more significant biological indicator for potential survival than those being used currently.

Venkateswaran, Kasthuri↗

UCB-GLOBES: An open-access mass spectral database of identified and unidentified atmospheric organic compounds

Chemical characterization of atmospheric organic aerosols using gas chromatography with 70 eV electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) has been used for decades in advancing molecular marker detection and identification, though primarily through suspect screening and/or targeted analyses. To advance non-targeted analyses of environmental samples, we have catalogued approximately 27 000 mass spectra (MS) of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of semi-volatile organic aerosol (OA) analytes in the open-access University of California Berkeley Goldstein Library of Organic Biogenic Environmental Spectra (UCB-GLOBES). Analytes were observed in ambient samples from the U.S. and the Central Amazon and/or laboratory simulations of secondary OA (SOA) formation. These samples are representative of OA under urban and biomass burning influences as well as SOA derived from biogenic precursors (e.g., isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes) and biomass burning intermediates. MS are documented in UCB-GLOBES without regard to known chemical identity, annotated with extensive metadata such as sample source/experimental conditions, any structural information gained from MS analyses, and predicted chemical properties such as average carbon oxidation state and carbon number. UCB-GLOBES MS are compatible for importing into the NIST MS Search program, and we have also provided a Jupyter Notebook for MS visualization and comparisons. We demonstrate the utility of UCB-GLOBES through MS reanalyses of prior analytes observed in ambient data, finding a 20 % reduction in the number of analytes assigned to OA source categories reliant solely on time series correlation and an overall 11 % increase in new MS-based OA source categorization for the Southeast U.S. For 1513 analytes observed previously in the Central Amazon, we found 375 MS matches using UCB-GLOBES vs. 136 MS matches during prior analyses, representing a 14 % gain in newly confirmed or newly categorized OA species. While OA from laboratory oxidation experiments in UCB-GLOBES are highly diverse chemically, on average only 29 % of UCB-GLOBES MS have a mass spectral match to another MS entry in UCB-GLOBES and/or in databases of known compounds (i.e. NIST MS Database, Adams Essential Oil, MANE Flavor and Fragrance Company). This indicates that roughly 70 % of UCB-GLOBES MS are unique thus far, not observed more than once among the laboratory oxidation samples and ambient data in UCB-GLOBES MS. Further, only 18 % can be positively identified using these databases or known authentic standards. This points to a large gap between these laboratory simulations and ambient OA. Overall, the UCB-GLOBES database can be utilized for improving confidence in OA source categorization and/or identification, novel chemical marker discovery, tracking chemical diversity, de novo structure and properties prediction, and improving MS search and matching algorithms. This can ultimately inform future research priorities for the chemical characterization of atmospheric organic samples.

Mass spectrometry↗

Structures in Ionospheric Number Density and Velocity Associated with Polar Cap Ionization Patches

Spectral characteristics of polar cap F region irregularities on large density gradients associated with polar ionization patches are studied using in situ measurements made by the Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) spacecraft. The 18 patches studied in this paper were identified by the algorithm introduced by Coley and Heelis, and they were encountered during midnight-noon passes of the spacecraft. Density and velocity spectra associated with these antisunward convecting patches are analyzed in detail. Observations indicate the presence of structure on most patches regardless of the distance between the patch and the cusp where they are believed to develop. Existence of structure on both leading and trailing edges is established when such edges exist. Results, which show no large dependence of Delta N/N power on the sign of the edge gradient del N, do not allow the identification of leading and trailing edges of the patch. The Delta N/N is an increasing function of gradient del N regardless of the sign of the gradient. The correlation between Delta N/N and Delta V is generally poor, but for a given intensity in Delta V, Delta N/N maximizes in regions of large gradients in N. There is evidence for the presence of unstructured patches that seem to co-exist with unstructured horizontal velocities. Slightly smaller spectral indices for trailing edges support the presence of the E X B drift instability. Although this instability is found to be operating in some cases, results suggest that stirring may be a significant contributor to kilometer-size structures in the polar cap.

Kivanc, O.↗

Ferroelectric Ordering in Nanosized PbTiO 3

The insight into the three-dimensional configuration of ferroelectric ordering in ferroelectric nanomaterials is motivated by the application of the development of functional nanodevices and the structural designing. However, the atomic deciphering of the spatial distribution of ordered structure remains challenging for the limitation of dimension and probing techniques. Here, in this paper, a neutron pair distribution function (nPDF) was utilized to analyze the spontaneous polarization distribution of zero-dimensional PbTiO 3 nanoparticles in three dimensions, via the application of reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modeling. The comprehensive identification with transmission electron microscopy verified the linear characteristics of polarization along the c-axis in the main body, while electric polarization distribution on the surface was enhanced abnormally. In addition, the correlation of dipole vectors extending to three unit cells below the surface is retained. This work shows an application of the micro/macroscale information to effectively decode the polarization structure of nanoferroelectrics, providing new views of designing nanoferroelectric devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Identification of Instability Modes of Transition in Underexpanded Jets

A series of experiments into the behavior of underexpanded jet flows has been conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. Two nozzles supplied with high-pressure gas were used to generate axisymmetric underexpanded jets exhausting into a low-pressure chamber. These nozzles had exit Mach numbers of 1 and 2.6, though this paper will present cases involving only the supersonic nozzle. Reynolds numbers based on nozzle exit conditions ranged from about 300 to 22,000, and nozzle exit-to-ambient jet pressure ratios ranged from about 1 to 25. For the majority of cases, the jet fluid was a mixture of 99.5% nitrogen seeded with 0.5% nitric oxide (NO). Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of NO is used to visualize the flow, visualizing planar slices of the flow rather than path integrated measurements. In addition to revealing the size and location of flow structures, PLIF images were also used to identify unsteady jet behavior in order to quantify the conditions governing the transition to turbulent flow. Flow structures that contribute to the growth of flow instabilities have been identified, and relationships between Reynolds number and transition location are presented. By highlighting deviations from mean flow properties, PLIF images are shown to aide in the identification and characterization of flow instabilities and the resulting process of transition to turbulence.

Inman, Jennifer A.↗

Stereoselective synthesis of a 4-α-glucoside of valienamine and its X-ray structure in complex with Streptomyces coelicolor GlgE1-V279S

Glycoside hydrolases (GH) are a large family of hydrolytic enzymes found in all domains of life. As such, they control a plethora of normal and pathogenic biological functions. Thus, understanding selective inhibition of GH enzymes at the atomic level can lead to the identification of new classes of therapeutics. In these studies, we identified a 4-α-glucoside of valienamine (8) as an inhibitor of Streptomyces coelicolor (Sco) GlgE1-V279S which belongs to the GH13 Carbohydrate Active EnZyme family. The results obtained from the dose–response experiments show that 8 at a concentration of 1000 µM reduced the enzyme activity of Sco GlgE1-V279S by 65%. The synthetic route to 8 and a closely related 4-α-glucoside of validamine (7) was achieved starting from readily available D-maltose. A key step in the synthesis was a chelation-controlled addition of vinylmagnesium bromide to a maltose-derived enone intermediate. X-ray structures of both 7 and 8 in complex with Sco GlgE1-V279S were solved to resolutions of 1.75 and 1.83 Å, respectively. Structural analysis revealed the valienamine derivative 8 binds the enzyme in an E 2 conformation for the cyclohexene fragment. Also, the cyclohexene fragment shows a new hydrogen-bonding contact from the pseudo-diaxial C(3)–OH to the catalytic nucleophile Asp 394 at the enzyme active site. Asp 394, in fact, forms a bidentate interaction with both the C(3)–OH and C(7)-OH of the inhibitor. In contrast, compound 7 disrupts the catalytic sidechain interaction network of Sco GlgE1-V279S via steric interactions resulting in a conformation change in Asp 394. These findings will have implications for the design other aminocarbasugar-based GH13-inhibitors and will be useful for identifying more potent and selective inhibitors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

AI-Guided Reasoning-Based Operator Support System for the Nuclear Power Plant Management

The Decision-making process in the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) control room faces some challenges: operator incomplete knowledge, insufficient time for responding to the highly dynamic events, and a large number of indicators to monitor. Because of the complexity of the NPP system, it is hard to pre-plan all the failures/mitigative actions. An intelligent operator support system is vital to mitigate these shortcomings. In this paper, an AI declarative approach (Answer Set Programming (ASP)) is employed to represent our knowledge of the nuclear power plant in the form of logic rules. This represented knowledge is structured to form a reasoning-based operator support system. When an incident occurs, this ASP-based reasoning support system is demonstrated to be capable of fault identification (diagnosis), informing the operator of different scenarios and consequences, and generating the control options (decision making).

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

The impact of the third O 2 addition reaction network on ignition delay times of neo-pentane

In this work, we studied the oxidation of neo-pentane by combining experiments, theoretical calculations, and mechanistic developments to elucidate the impact of the 3rd O 2 addition reaction network on ignition delay time predictions. The experiments are based on photoionization mass spectrometry in jet-stirred and time-resolved flow reactors allowing for sensitive detection of the keto-hydroperoxide (KHP) and keto-dihydroperoxide (KDHP) intermediates. With neo-pentane exhibiting a unique symmetric molecular structure, which consequently results only in single KHP and KDHP isomers, theoretical calculations of ionization and fragment appearance energies and of absolute photoionization cross sections enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of the KHP intermediate. Its temperature and time-resolved profiles together with calculated and experimentally observed KHP-to-KDHP signal ratios were compared to simulation results based on a newly developed mechanism that describes the 3rd O 2 addition reaction network. A satisfactory agreement has been observed between the experimental data points and the simulation results, thus adding confidence to the model's overall performance. Finally, this mechanism was used to predict ignition delay times reported previously in shock tube and rapid compression machine experiments (J. Bugler et al., Combust. Flame 163 (2016) 138–156). While the model accurately reproduces the experimental data, simulations with and without the 3rd O 2 addition reaction network included reveal only a negligible effect on the predicted ignition delay times at 10 and 20 atm. According to model calculations, low temperatures and high pressures promote the importance of the 3rd O2 addition reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Restoring Symmetry and Enhancing Exchange via Chiral Molecular-Magnetic Hexagons

Modified behaviors of molecules, designed for device or energy applications, can occur due to lattice-molecule incompatibilities in point-group symmetries (PGS), long-range interactions between neighboring molecules, or latticemolecule charge transfer. Such sensitivities are prerequisite for the use of quantum molecules as devices, but removing certain broken symmetries is desirable from the standpoint of simplifying their behaviors. Here, we demonstrate symmetry restoration to molecular-magnetic lattices and show that it leads to strengthened exchange-coupling due to dipolar electrostatic interactions between neighboring molecules and due to manifestations of an earlier identification of a spin-sensitive slightly mobile electron by Hooshmand et al. Starting with a broken symmetry molecular magnet of current interest, we demonstrate a more robust structure composed of six molecular magnets on a h-BN-like surface. The broken point-group symmetry is healed by constructing interpenetrating equilateral triangular structures that are appropriately ratcheted to preserve three-fold rotational symmetry and inversion symmetry.

Pederson, Mark R.↗

First Observation of Multiphonon 𝛾-Vibrations in an Odd-Odd Nuclear System

Here, the identification of the first multiphonon 𝛾-vibrational bands in an odd-odd neutron-rich nucleus of the nuclear chart is presented. These high-spin structures of hard to access $^{104}_{41}\textrm{Nb}_{63}$, produced in fission, were studied by combining a spectrometer with isotopic resolution coupled to a 𝛾-ray tracking array and independently from high-fold 𝛾 coincidence measurements. Triaxial projected shell model calculations for the high-spin states are in good agreement with the measured observables for the yrast, one-phonon, and two-phonon 𝛾 bands. The possibility of an oblate shape of an isomeric state and coexistence of triaxial and oblate configurations is investigated from the decay of the 141 keV isomer. The present Letter illustrates the robustness of vibration excitations in the presence of an odd valence proton and neutron as well as the possibly coexisting shapes beyond the 𝑁 = 60 transitional region.

Wang, E. H. [Shandong Univ., Jinan (China); Vander↗