Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “SOURCE”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,387 records · Page 77
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Contemporary sources dominate carbonaceous aerosol on the North Slope of Alaska

As the Arctic continues to change and warm rapidly, it is increasingly important to understand the organic carbon (OC) contribution to Arctic aerosol. Biogenic sources of primary and secondary OC in the Arctic will be impacted by climate change, including warming temperatures and earlier snow and ice melt. Here, this study focuses on identifying potential sources and regional influences on the seasonal concentration of organic aerosol through analysis of chemical and isotopic composition. Aerosol samples were collected at two sites on the North Slope of Alaska ($Utqia\dot{g}vik$, UQK, and Oliktok Point, OLK, which is in an Arctic oilfield) over three summers from 2015 to 2017. The elemental carbon (EC) trends at each site were used to understand local combustion influences. Local sources drove EC concentrations at Oliktok Point, where high EC was attributed to oil and gas extraction activity, including diesel combustion emissions. $Utqia\dot{g}vik$ had very low EC in the summer. OC was more similar in concentration and well correlated between the two sites with high contributions of contemporary carbon by radiocarbon apportionment (UQK = 74%, OLK = 63%), which could include both marine and terrestrial sources of contemporary carbon (e.g. primary and secondary biogenic, biomass burning and/or associated SOA, and bioaerosols). OC concentrations are strongly correlated to maximum ambient temperatures on the NSA during the summer, which may have implications for predicting future OC aerosol concentrations in a warming Arctic. Biomass burning was determined to be an episodic influence at both sites, based on interpretation of combined aerosol composition, air mass trajectories, and remote sensing of smoke plumes. The results from this study overall strongly suggests contribution from regional sources of contemporary organic aerosol on the NSA, but additional analysis is needed to better constrain contributions from both biogenic sources (terrestrial and/or marine) and bioaerosol to better understand temperature-related aerosol processes in the Arctic.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Background Conditions Influence the Estimated Cloud Radiative Effects of Anthropogenic Aerosol Emissions From Different Source Regions

Abstract Using the Community Earth System Model, with the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.3, we investigate the cloud radiative effects of anthropogenic aerosols emitted from different source regions and global shipping. We also analyze aerosol burdens, cloud condensation nuclei concentration, liquid water path, and ice water path. Due to transboundary transport and sublinearity in the response of clouds to aerosols, the cloud radiative effects of emissions from a given source region are influenced by emissions from other source regions. For example, the shortwave cloud radiative effect of shipping is −0.39 ± 0.03 W/m 2 when other anthropogenic emissions sources are present (the “present‐day background” assumption) compared with −0.60 ± 0.03 W/m 2 when other anthropogenic emissions sources are absent (the “natural background” assumption). In general, the cloud radiative effects are weaker if present‐day background conditions are assumed compared with if natural background conditions are assumed. Assumptions about background conditions should be carefully considered when investigating the climate impacts of aerosol emissions from a given source region.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Illumination of Thunderclouds by Lightning: 1. The Extent and Altitude of Optical Lightning Sources

Abstract Optical space‐based lightning sensors including NOAA's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) detect lightning though its transient illumination of the surrounding clouds. What space‐based optical lightning sensors measure is influenced by the physical attributes of the light source, the location of the source within the cloud scene, and the spatial variations in cloud composition. We focus on the lightning channels that serve as optical sources for GLM groups and flashes in this first part of our thundercloud illumination study. We match Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) sources with GLM groups and flashes during two thunderstorms to examine channel segments that are active during optical emission. We find that in each storm, the LMA sources matched with GLM groups are small (median: 3 km) compared to GLM pixels (nominal: 8 km), and preferentially come from high altitudes in the cloud (>8–10 km). The detection advantage for high‐altitude sources permits GLM to resolve faint optical pulses near the cloud top that might be missed from lower altitudes. However, the most energetic groups can be detected from all altitudes, and the largest groups largely originate at low altitudes. The relationship between group energy and illuminated area depends on flash development within the cloud medium, and flash development into different cloud regions can be identified by tracking GLM metrics of cloud illumination over time.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Seeking Repeating Anthropogenic Seismic Sources: Implications for Seismic Velocity Monitoring at Fault Zones

Abstract Seismic velocities in rocks are highly sensitive to changes in permanent deformation and fluid content. The temporal variation of seismic velocity during the preparation phase of earthquakes has been well documented in laboratories but rarely observed in nature. It has been recently found that some anthropogenic, high‐frequency (>1 Hz) seismic sources are powerful enough to generate body waves that travel down to a few kilometers and can be used to monitor fault zones at seismogenic depth. Anthropogenic seismic sources typically have fixed spatial distribution and provide new perspectives for velocity monitoring. In this work, we propose a systematic workflow to seek such powerful seismic sources in a rapid and straightforward manner. We tackle the problem from a statistical point of view, considering that persistent, powerful seismic sources yield highly coherent correlation functions (CFs) between pairs of seismic sensors. The algorithm is tested in California and Japan. Multiple sites close to fault zones show high‐frequency CFs stable for an extended period of time. These findings have great potential for monitoring fault zones, including the San Jacinto Fault and the Ridgecrest area in Southern California, Napa in Northern California, and faults in central Japan. However, extra steps, such as beamforming or polarization analysis, are required to determine the dominant seismic sources and study the source characteristics, which are crucial to interpreting the velocity monitoring results. Train tremors identified by the present approach have been successfully used for seismic velocity monitoring of the San Jacinto Fault in previous studies.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Using Convex Optimization to Efficiently Apportion Tracer and Pollutant Sources From Point Concentration Observations

Abstract Rivers transport elements, minerals, chemicals, and pollutants produced in their upstream basins. A sample from a river is a mixture of all of its upstream sources, making it challenging to pinpoint the contribution from each individual source. Here, we show how a nested sample design and convex optimization can be used to efficiently unmix downstream samples of a well‐mixed, conservative tracer in a steady state system into the contributions of their upstream sources. Our approach is significantly faster than previous methods. We represent the river's sub‐catchments, defined by sampling sites, using a directed acyclic graph. This graph is used to build a convex optimization problem which, thanks to its convexity, can be quickly solved to global optimality—in under a second on desktop hardware for data sets of ∼100 samples or fewer. Uncertainties in the upstream predictions can be generated using Monte Carlo resampling. We provide an open‐source implementation of this approach in Python. The inputs required are straightforward: a table containing sample locations and observed tracer concentrations, along with a D8 flow‐direction raster map. As a case study, we use this method to map the elemental geochemistry of sediment sources for rivers draining the Cairngorms mountains, UK. This method could be extended to non‐conservative and non‐steady state tracers. We also show, theoretically, how multiple tracers could be simultaneously inverted to recover upstream run‐off or erosion rates as well as source concentrations. Overall, this approach can provide valuable insights to researchers in various fields, including water quality, geochemical exploration, geochemistry, hydrology, and wastewater epidemiology.

Barnes, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2024

High Frequency Monitoring and Nitrate Sourcing Reveals Baseflow and Stormflow Controls on Total Dissolved Nitrogen and Carbon Export Along a Rural‐Urban Gradient

Abstract Efforts to reduce nitrogen and carbon loading from developed watersheds typically target specific flows or sources, but across gradients in development intensity there is no consensus on the contribution of different flows to total loading or sources of nitrogen export. This information is vital to optimize management strategies leveraging source reductions, stormwater controls, and restorations. We investigate how solute loading and sources vary across flows and land‐use using high frequency monitoring and stable nitrate isotope analysis from five catchments with different sanitary infrastructure, along a gradient in development intensity. High frequency monitoring allowed estimation of annual loading and attribution to storm versus baseflows. Nitrate loads were 16 kg/km 2 /yr. from the forested catchment and ranged from 68 to 119 kg/km 2 /yr., across developed catchments, highest for the septic served site. Across developed catchments, baseflow contributions ranged from 40% of N loading to 75% from the septic served catchment, and the contribution from high stormflows increased with development intensity. Stormflows mobilized and mixed many surface and subsurface nitrate sources while baseflow nitrate was dominated by fewer sources which varied by catchment (soil, wastewater, or fertilizer). To help inform future sampling designs, we demonstrate that grab sampling and targeted storm sampling would likely fail to accurately predict annual loadings within the study period. The dominant baseflow loads and subsurface stormflows are not treated by surface water management practices primarily targeted to surface stormflows. Using a balance of green and gray infrastructure and stream/riparian restoration may target specific flow paths and improve management.

Delesantro, Joseph M.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Near-infrared and gamma-ray monitoring of TANAMI gamma-ray bright sources

Context. We present that spectral energy distribution and its variability are basic tools for understanding the physical processes operating in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Aims. In this paper we report the results of a one-year near-infrared (NIR) and optical monitoring of a sample of 22 AGN known to be gamma-ray emitters, aimed at discovering correlations between optical and gamma-ray emission. Methods. We observed our objects with the Rapid Eye Mount (REM) telescope in J,H,K, and R bands nearly twice every month during their visibility window and derived light curves and spectral indexes. We also analyzed the gamma-ray data from the Fermi gamma-ray Space Telescope, making weekly averages. Results. Six sources were never detected during our monitoring, proving to be fainter than their historical Two micron all sky survey (2MASS) level. All of the sixteen detected sources showed marked flux density variability, while the spectral indexes remained unchanged within our sensitivity limits. Steeper sources showed, on average, a larger variability. From the NIR light curves we also computed a variability speed index for each detected source. Only one source (PKS 0208-512) underwent an NIR flare during our monitoring. Half of the sources showed a regular flux density trend on a one-year time scale, but do not show any other peculiar characteristic. The broadband spectral index α ro appears to be a good proxy of the NIR spectral index only for BL Lac objects. No clear correlation between NIR and gamma-ray data is evident in our data, save for PKS 0537-441, PKS 0521-360, PKS 2155-304, and PKS 1424-418. In conclusion, the gamma-ray/NIR flux ratio showed a large spread, QSO being generally gamma-louder than BL Lac, with a marked correlation with the estimated peak frequency (ν peak ) of the synchrotron emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Double-layer ion acceleration triggered by ion magnetization in expanding radiofrequency plasma sources

Ion energy distribution functions downstream of the source exit in magnetically expanding low-pressure plasmas are experimentally investigated for four source tube diameters ranging from about 5 to 15 cm. The magnetic-field threshold corresponding to a transition from a simple expanding plasma to a double layer-containing plasma is observed to increase with a decrease in the source tube diameter. The results demonstrate that for the four geometries, the double layer and the accelerated ion beam form when the ion Larmour radius in the source becomes smaller than the source tube radius, i.e., when the ions become magnetized in the source tube.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Li{sup +} ion emission from a hot-plate alumina-silicate source stimulated by flash heating with an infrared laser

The Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment-II accelerator under construction at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been designed to employ a lithium-doped alumino-silicate (Al-Si) hot-plate surface-ionization ion source. In order to achieve the design 1 mA/cm{sup 2} current density, the emitter must be constantly kept at a high temperature, leading to the accelerated loss of Li material as ions or neutrals. As a result, the estimated lifetime of the source is 50 h. This lifetime can be extended if the source is kept at low temperature during standby, and pulse heated to the high temperature during the ion extraction phase only. A pulsed heating technique based on an infrared laser (CO{sub 2} gas discharge, {lambda}= 10.6 {mu}m) is described in this paper. The feasibility of ion current emission stimulated by flash heating with an infrared (IR) laser was demonstrated. High repeatability of the laser-stimulated ion current was observed, creating an opportunity for modulation and gating of the ion current with a laser pulse. It was found that with the available low power ({approx_equal}115 W/cm{sup 2}) IR laser, current densities as high as 0.8 mA/cm{sup 2} could be achieved with a 2.8 mm diameter source. Various approaches for scaling to a larger (10 cm diameter) source and the application of short pulse, high power lasers are discussed. The results and conclusions of this paper may apply to various species of hot-plate ion sources.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Characteristic of a triple-cathode vacuum arc plasma source

In order to generate a better ion beam, a triple-cathode vacuum arc plasma source has been developed. Three plasma generators in the vacuum arc plasma source are equally located on a circle. Each generator initiated by means of a high-voltage breakdown between the cathode and the anode could be operated separately or simultaneously. The arc plasma expands from the cathode spot region in vacuum. In order to study the behaviors of expanding plasma plume generated in the vacuum arc plasma source, a Langmuir probe array is employed to measure the saturated ion current of the vacuum arc plasma source. The time-dependence profiles of the saturated current density of the triple vacuum arc plasma source operated separately and simultaneously are given. Furthermore, the plasma characteristic of this vacuum arc plasma source is also presented in the paper.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

H- Ion Source Development for the FNAL 750keV Injector Upgrade

The new FNAL 750keV injector upgrade for the replacement of the 40 year old Fermi National Laboratory (FNAL) Cockcroft-Walton accelerators with a new ion source and 200MHz Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) and Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) [1], has been built and is now being tested prior to installation during the 2012 shutdown. The new H-' ion source is a round aperture magnetron which was developed at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL) by Jim Alessi[2]. Operational experience from BNL has shown that this type of source is more reliable with a longer lifetime (on the order of 6 to 9 months) due to better power efficiency. With a similar duty factor to BNL, we expect to have a comparable lifetime between source changes. The new source design reliably produces 90mA of H-' beam current at 15Hz rep-rate, 250mus pulse width, and a duty factor of 0.38%A The measured emittances at the end of the LEBT are horizontally H = 0.21I mm- mrad and vertically V = 0.17I mm- mrad. With 35kV extraction the power efficiency is 60mA/kW. The source design, along with data from a test stand and the LEBT, will be presented in this paper.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ways to improve the efficiency and reliability of radio frequency driven negative ion sources for fusion

Large RF driven negative hydrogen ion sources are being developed at IPP Garching for the future neutral beam injection system of ITER. The overall power efficiency of these sources is low, because for the RF power supply self-excited generators are utilized and the plasma is generated in small cylindrical sources (“drivers”) and expands into the source main volume. At IPP experiments to reduce the primary power and the RF power required for the plasma production are performed in two ways: The oscillator generator of the prototype source has been replaced by a transistorized RF transmitter and two alternative driver concepts, a spiral coil, in which the field is concentrated by ferrites, which omits the losses by plasma expansion and a helicon source are being tested.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

A new coaxial high power microwave source based on dual beams

We present a new coaxial high power microwave source based on dual beams, which combines a relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) (noted as the inner sub-source below) and a coaxial transit-time oscillator (TTO) (noted as the outer sub-source). The cathode consists of an inner and an outer annular cathode, which provides the inner and the outer annular electron beam for the sub-sources, respectively. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results demonstrate that power conversion efficiencies of the two sub-sources with an identical frequency of 9.74 GHz are 29% and 25%, respectively. It is furthermore found that phase locking between the inner and the outer sub-sources can be realized, which suggests a feasibility to obtain a higher power output if the two microwave signals are coherently combined.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Simulation of dose distribution for iridium-192 brachytherapy source type-H01 using MCNPX

Dosimetric data for a brachytherapy source should be known before it used for clinical treatment. Iridium-192 source type H01 was manufactured by PRR-BATAN aimed to brachytherapy is not yet known its dosimetric data. Radial dose function and anisotropic dose distribution are some primary keys in brachytherapy source. Dose distribution for Iridium-192 source type H01 was obtained from the dose calculation formalism recommended in the AAPM TG-43U1 report using MCNPX 2.6.0 Monte Carlo simulation code. To know the effect of cavity on Iridium-192 type H01 caused by manufacturing process, also calculated on Iridium-192 type H01 if without cavity. The result of calculation of radial dose function and anisotropic dose distribution for Iridium-192 source type H01 were compared with another model of Iridium-192 source.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2014

A source of high-power pulses of elliptically polarized ultrawideband radiation

Here, we describe a source of high-power ultrawideband radiation with elliptical polarization. The source consisting of a monopolar pulse generator, a bipolar pulse former, and a helical antenna placed into a radioparent container may be used in tests for electromagnetic compatibility. In the source, the helical antenna with the number of turns N = 4 is excited with a high-voltage bipolar pulse. Preliminary, we examined helical antennas at a low-voltage source aiming to select an optimal N and to estimate a radiation center position and boundary of a far-field zone. Finally, characteristics of the source in the operating mode at a pulse repetition rate of 100 Hz are presented in the paper as well. Energy efficiency of the antenna is 0.75 at the axial ratio equal to 1.3. The effective potential of radiation of the source at the voltage amplitudes of the bipolar pulse generator equal to -175/+200 kV reaches 280 kV.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

A versatile, pulsed anion source utilizing plasma-entrainment: Characterization and applications

A novel pulsed anion source has been developed, using plasma entrainment into a supersonic expansion. A pulsed discharge source perpendicular to the main gas expansion greatly reduces unwanted “heating” of the main expansion, a major setback in many pulsed anion sources in use today. The design principles and construction information are described and several examples demonstrate the range of applicability of this anion source. Large OH{sup −}(Ar){sub n} clusters can be generated, with over 40 Ar solvating OH{sup −}. The solvation energy of OH{sup −}(Ar){sub n}, where n = 1-3, 7, 12, and 18, is derived from photoelectron spectroscopy and shows that by n = 12-18, each Ar is bound by about 10 meV. In addition, cis– and trans– HOCO{sup −} are generated through rational anion synthesis (OH{sup −} + CO + M → HOCO{sup −} + M) and the photoelectron spectra compared with previous results. These results, along with several further proof-of-principle experiments on solvation and transient anion synthesis, demonstrate the ability of this source to efficiently produce cold anions. With modifications to two standard General Valve assemblies and very little maintenance, this anion source provides a versatile and straightforward addition to a wide array of experiments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

High average power, highly brilliant laser-produced plasma source for soft X-ray spectroscopy

In this work, a novel laser-produced plasma source is presented which delivers pulsed broadband soft X-radiation in the range between 100 and 1200 eV. The source was designed in view of long operating hours, high stability, and cost effectiveness. It relies on a rotating and translating metal target and achieves high stability through an on-line monitoring device using a four quadrant extreme ultraviolet diode in a pinhole camera arrangement. The source can be operated with three different laser pulse durations and various target materials and is equipped with two beamlines for simultaneous experiments. Characterization measurements are presented with special emphasis on the source position and emission stability of the source. As a first application, a near edge X-ray absorption fine structure measurement on a thin polyimide foil shows the potential of the source for soft X-ray spectroscopy.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Experimental validation of the intrinsic spatial efficiency method over a wide range of sizes for cylindrical sources

The intrinsic spatial efficiency method is a new absolute method to determine the efficiency of a gamma spectroscopy system for any extended source. In the original work the method was experimentally demonstrated and validated for homogeneous cylindrical sources containing {sup 137}Cs, whose sizes varied over a small range (29.5 mm radius and 15.0 to 25.9 mm height). In this work we present an extension of the validation over a wide range of sizes. The dimensions of the cylindrical sources vary between 10 to 40 mm height and 8 to 30 mm radius. The cylindrical sources were prepared using the reference material IAEA-372, which had a specific activity of 11320 Bq/kg at july 2006. The obtained results were better for the sources with 29 mm radius showing relative bias lesser than 5% and for the sources with 10 mm height showing relative bias lesser than 6%. In comparison with the obtained results in the work where we present the method, the majority of these results show an excellent agreement.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗