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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 1,405 records · Page 78
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Polymer defect states modulate open-circuit voltage in bulk-heterojunction solar cells

Defect states influence the operation of organic solar cells altering transport, recombination, and energetic mechanisms. This work investigates how processing conditions induce morphology-related, electrically active defects in the donor polymer of bulk-heterojunction solar cells. Structural order is inferred from absorption and X-ray diffraction data, while defect density is determined from capacitance methods. A correlation is observed between the polymer nanocrystallite size, the defect concentration, and the output voltage. For the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene), processing that promote crystallinity is beneficial for the device performance as it decreases the defect density (energy disorder) that finally enlarges the maximum achievable open-circuit voltage. Defect states within the effective bandgap modulate the downshift of the hole Fermi level upon illumination that in turn establishes the achievable open-circuit voltage.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Study of plasma start-up initiated by second harmonic electron cyclotron resonance heating on WEGA experiment

Although both 1st harmonic ordinary mode (O1) and 2nd harmonic extra-ordinary mode (X2) have been successfully used to initiate pre-ionization and breakdown in many devices, a complete theoretical model is still missing to explain the success of this method. Moreover, some experimental observations are not completely understood, such as what occurs during the delay time between the turn-on of ECRH power and first signals of density or light measurements. Since during this free period the ECRH power has to be absorbed by in-vessel components, it is of prime importance to know what governs this delay time. Recently, dedicated start-up experiments have been performed on WEGA, using a 28 GHz ECRH system in X2-mode. This machine has the interesting capability to be run also as a tokamak allowing comparative experiments between stellarator (ι/2π > 0) and tokamak (ι/2π = 0) configurations. Different scans in heating power, neutral gas pressure, and rotational transform (ι) show clearly that the start-up is a two step process. A first step following the turn-on of the ECRH power during which no measurable electron density (or just above the noise level in some cases), ECE and radiated power is detected. Its duration depends strongly on the level of injected power. The second step corresponds to the gas ionization and plasma expansion phase, with a velocity of density build-up and filling-up of the vessel volume depending mainly on pressure, gas and rotational transform. Moreover, an interesting scenario of ECRH pre-ionization without loop voltage in tokamak configuration by applying a small optimal vertical field is relevant for start-up assistance on future experiments like ITER. The results from this experimental parametric study are useful for the modeling of the start-up assisted by the second harmonic electron cyclotron resonance heating. The aim of this work is to establish predictive scenarios for both ITER and W7-X operation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic properties and microstructure of Sm-Co/α-Fe nanocomposite thick film-magnets composed of multi-layers over 700 layers

We synthesized Sm-Co/α-Fe nanocomposite film-magnets, approximately 10 μm in thickness, composed of 780 layers by the pulse laser deposition method. Transmission electron microscopic observations revealed that the synthesized film is composed of Sm-Co and α-Fe layers with the well-controlled α-Fe thickness of approximately 10–20 nm, which is suitable one predicted by the micromagnetic simulation. In spite of the enhanced interlayer diffusion of Fe and Co by annealing for crystallization, the (BH){sub max} value of 100 kJ/m{sup 3} was obtained at the averaged compositions of Sm/(Sm + Co) = 0.16 and Fe/(Sm + Co + Fe) = 0.47. The α-Fe fraction for obtaining the highest (BH){sub max} value was smaller than that expected from the micromagnetic simulation. Although the annealing for crystallization lay the easy direction of magnetization in the plane, the film is not expected to have strong crystallographic texture.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Second-order many-body perturbation and coupled-cluster singles and doubles study of ice VIII

The structure, equation of state, IR, Raman, and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra of high-pressure, proton-ordered phase VIII of ice are calculated by the second-order many-body perturbation and coupled-cluster singles and doubles methods. Nearly all the observed features of the pressure-dependence of the structures and spectra are reproduced computationally up to 60 GPa insofar as the anharmonic effects can be neglected. The calculations display no sign of the hypothetical isostructural transition in 2–3 GPa to phase VIII{sup ′}, the existence of which has been a matter of controversy for over a decade, while they do not contradict the interpretation of the spectral anomaly at 10–14 GPa as a precursor of the VIII-X phase transition. The calculated INS spectra correct a systematic error in the peak positions of the observed spectra.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pressure induced spin transition revealed by iron M{sub 2,3}-edge spectroscopy

We present a method to characterize pressure induced magnetic high to low spin transition in iron sulphide using x-ray Raman scattering spectroscopy at the iron M{sub 2,3}-edge. The advantage of this method is that the observed spectral changes between pressures of 1.7 GPa and 10.1 GPa can be used with the help of atomic multiplet calculations to determine the crystal field splitting parameters associated with the spin transition. We discuss the potential of this M{sub 2,3}-edge spectroscopy to investigate the irons electronic spin state in-situ at the conditions of the inner Earth, i.e., at high temperature and high pressure, providing exciting opportunities for geophysical and materials science applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Spin wave theory for 2D disordered hard-core bosons

A spin-wave (SW) approach for hard-core bosons is presented to treat the problem of two dimensional boson localization in a random potential. After a short review of the method to compute 1/S-corrected observables, the case of random on-site energy is discussed. Whereas the mean-field solution does not display a Bose glass (BG) phase, 1/S corrections do capture BG physics. In particular, the localization of SW excitations is discussed through the inverse participation ratio.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Experimental evidence of beam-foil plasma creation during ion-solid interaction

Charge state evolution of the energetic projectile ions during the passage through thin carbon foils has been revisited using the X-ray spectroscopy technique. Contributions from the bulk and the solid surface in the charge changing processes have been segregated by measuring the charge state distribution of the projectile ions in the bulk of the target during the ion–solid interaction. Interestingly, the charge state distribution measured in the bulk exhibits Lorentzian profile in contrast to the well-known Gaussian structure observed using the electromagnetic methods and the theoretical predictions. The occurrence of such behavior is a direct consequence of the imbalance between charge changing processes, which has been seen in various cases of the laboratory plasma. It suggests that the ion-solid collisions constitute high-density, localized plasma in the bulk of the solid target, called the beam-foil plasma. This condensed beam-foil plasma is similar to the high-density solar and stellar plasma which may have practical implementations in various fields, in particular, plasma physics and nuclear astrophysics. The present work suggests further modification in the theoretical charge state distribution calculations by incorporating the plasma coupling effects during the ion–solid interactions. Moreover, the multi-electron capture from the target exit surface has been confirmed through comparison between experimentally measured and theoretically predicted values of the mean charge state of the projectile ions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Enhanced magnetoelectric coupling in a composite multiferroic system via interposing a thin film polymer

Enhancing the magnetoelectric coupling in a strain-mediated multiferroic composite structure plays a vital role in controlling magnetism by electric fields. An enhancement of magnetoelastic coupling between ferroelectric single crystal (011)-cut [Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 ] (1-x) -[PbTiO 3 ] x (PMN-PT, x≈ 0.30) and ferromagnetic polycrystalline Ni thin film through an interposed benzocyclobutene polymer thin film is reported. A nearly twofold increase in sensitivity of remanent magnetization in the Ni thin film to an applied electric field is observed. This observation suggests a viable method of improving the magnetoelectric response in these composite multiferroic systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) energy dependent scintillation response to fast neutrons and flash gamma-rays

Gallium oxide is a newly emerged ultrawide bandgap (4.9 eV) semiconductor that is suitable as a combined electronics and radiation detection platform. We have experimentally demonstrated fast neutron and gamma-ray scintillation from Czochralski-grown β-Ga 2 O 3 in a recent series (October 2023) of experiments at the unmoderated pulsed neutron spallation source located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Using the neutron time-of-flight (TOF) technique and a fast-gated intensified CCD camera, we observed energy-dependent neutron scintillation for neutron energies ranging from 1 to 400 MeV, including the 14.1 MeV neutron energy relevant to D–T fusion. Neutron flux is quantified and calibrated by cascading the scintillator after the fission chamber, enabling a detailed analysis of temporal and energy-dependent characteristics of the scintillation events. Further, a pronounced scintillation signal from the spallation gamma flash with a temporal full width of half maximum of ~4 ns is indicative of the material’s rapid response. Neutron energy dependent scintillation is observed using the TOF method at a 22.6-m distance from the neutron source. These results highlight the possibility of developing a Ga 2 O 3 based fusion neutron diagnostic platform integrated with both scintillation and electronics functions on the integrated chip scale.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Design and Use of Tungsten Coated TZM Molybdenum Tile Inserts in the DIII-D Tokamak Divertor

Future tokamak devices are envisioned to utilize a high-Z metal divertor with tungsten as theleading candidate. However, tokamak experiments with tungsten divertors have seen significantdetrimental effects on plasma performance. The DIII-D tokamak presently has carbon as theplasma facing surface but to study the effect of tungsten on the plasma and its migration aroundthe vessel, two toroidal rows of carbon tiles in the divertor region were modified with high-Zmetal inserts, composed of a molybdenum alloy (TZM) coated with tungsten. A dedicated twoweek experimental campaign was run with the high-Z metal inserts. One row was coated withtungsten containing naturally occurring levels of isotopes. The second row was coated withtungsten where the isotope 182W was enhanced from the natural level of 26% up to greater than90%. The different isotopic concentrations enabled the experiment to differentiate between thetwo different sources of metal migration from the divertor. Various coating methods wereexplored for the deposition of the tungsten coating, including chemical vapor deposition,electroplating, vacuum plasma spray, and electron beam physical vapor deposition. The coatingswere tested to see if they were robust enough to act as a divertor target for the experiment. Testsincluded cyclic thermal heating using a high power laser and high-fluence deuterium plasmabombardment. The issues associate with the design of the inserts (tile installation, thermal stress,arcing, leading edges, surface preparation, etc.), are reviewed. The results of the tests used toselect the coating method and preliminary experimental observations are presented.

Holtrop, Kurt↗
DOE OSTI2013

AGN JET KINETIC POWER AND THE ENERGY BUDGET OF RADIO GALAXY LOBES

Recent results based on the analysis of radio galaxies and their hot X-ray emitting atmospheres suggest that non-radiating particles dominate the energy budget in the lobes of FR I radio galaxies, in some cases by a factor of more than 1000, while radiating particles dominate the energy budget in FR II radio galaxy lobes. This implies a significant difference in the radiative efficiency of the two morphological classes. To test this hypothesis, we have measured the kinetic energy flux for a sample of 3C FR II radio sources using a new method based on the observed parameters of the jet terminal hotspots, and compared the resulting Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relation to that obtained for FR I radio galaxies based on X-ray cavity measurements. Contrary to expectations, we find approximate agreement between the Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relations determined separately for FR I and FR II radio galaxies. This result is ostensibly difficult to reconcile with the emerging scenario in which the lobes of FR I and FR II radio galaxies have vastly different energy budgets. However, a combination of lower density environment, spectral aging and strong shocks driven by powerful FR II radio galaxies may reduce the radiative efficiency of these objects relative to FR Is and counteract, to some extent, the higher radiative efficiency expected to arise due to the lower fraction of energy in non-radiating particles. An unexpected corollary is that extrapolating the Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relation determined for low power FR I radio galaxies provides a reasonable approximation for high power sources, despite their apparently different lobe compositions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

BD+15 2940 AND HD 233604: TWO GIANTS WITH PLANETS CLOSE TO THE ENGULFMENT ZONE

We report the discovery of planetary-mass companions to two red giants by the ongoing Penn State-Torun Planet Search (PTPS) conducted with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The 1.1 M{sub Sun} K0-giant, BD+15 2940, has a 1.1 M{sub J} minimum mass companion orbiting the star at a 137.5 day period in a 0.54 AU orbit what makes it the closest-in planet around a giant and possible subject of engulfment as the consequence of stellar evolution. HD 233604, a 1.5 M{sub Sun} K5-giant, is orbited by a 6.6 M{sub J} minimum mass planet which has a period of 192 days and a semi-major axis of only 0.75 AU making it one of the least distant planets to a giant star. The chemical composition analysis of HD 233604 reveals a relatively high {sup 7}Li abundance which may be a sign of its early evolutionary stage or recent engulfment of another planet in the system. We also present independent detections of planetary-mass companions to HD 209458 and HD 88133, and stellar activity-induced radial velocity variations in HD 166435, as part of the discussion of the observing and data analysis methods used in the PTPS project.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Supermassive black holes with high accretion rates in active galactic nuclei. II. The most luminous standard candles in the universe

This is the second in a series of papers reporting on a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign to measure black hole (BH) mass in high accretion rate active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The goal is to identify super-Eddington accreting massive black holes (SEAMBHs) and to use their unique properties to construct a new method for measuring cosmological distances. Based on theoretical models, the saturated bolometric luminosity of such sources is proportional to the BH mass, which can be used to obtain their distance. Here we report on five new RM measurements and show that in four of the cases, we can measure the BH mass and three of these sources are SEAMBHs. Together with the three sources from our earlier work, we now have six new sources of this type. We use a novel method based on a minimal radiation efficiency to identify nine additional SEAMBHs from earlier RM-based mass measurements. We use a Bayesian analysis to determine the parameters of the new distance expression and the method uncertainties from the observed properties of the objects in the sample. The ratio of the newly measured distances to the standard cosmological ones has a mean scatter of 0.14 dex, indicating that SEAMBHs can be use as cosmological distance probes. With their high luminosity, long period of activity, and large numbers at high redshifts, SEAMBHs have a potential to extend the cosmic distance ladder beyond the range now explored by Type Ia supernovae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

New insights into the physical nature of coronal mass ejections and associated shock waves within the framework of the three-dimensional structure

We present new insights into the physical nature of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and associated shock waves within the framework of the three-dimensional (3D) structure. We have developed a compound model in order to determine the 3D structure of multiple fronts composing a CME, using data sets taken from STEREO, SDO, and SOHO. We applied the method to time series observations of a CME on 2012 March 7. From the analyses, we revealed that a CME could consist of two different fronts: one is represented well with the ellipsoid model, implying that CMEs are bubble-shaped structures, and the other is reproduced well with the graduated cylindrical shell model, indicating that CMEs are flux rope-shaped structures. The bubble-shaped structure is seen as the outermost front of the CME, and the flux rope-shaped structure is seen as the bright frontal loop or three-part morphology. From our results, we conclude that (1) a CME could consist of two distinct structures, a bubble-shaped structure and a flux rope-shaped structure, (2) the bubble-shaped structure is a fast magnetosonic shock wave, while the flux rope-shaped structure is the mass carried outward by the underlying magnetic structure, (3) the driven shock front could be either a piston-shock type or a bow-shock type, (4) the observed EUV wave in the low corona is the footprint of the bubble-shaped wave, and (5) the halo CME is primarily the projection of the bubble-shaped shock wave but not the underlying flux rope.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

NANOGrav constraints on gravitational wave bursts with memory

Among efforts to detect gravitational radiation, pulsar timing arrays are uniquely poised to detect “memory” signatures, permanent perturbations in spacetime from highly energetic astrophysical events such as mergers of supermassive black hole binaries. The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) observes dozens of the most stable millisecond pulsars using the Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes in an effort to study, among other things, gravitational wave memory. We herein present the results of a search for gravitational wave bursts with memory (BWMs) using the first five years of NANOGrav observations. We develop original methods for dramatically speeding up searches for BWM signals. In the directions of the sky where our sensitivity to BWMs is best, we would detect mergers of binaries with reduced masses of 10{sup 9} M{sub ⊙} out to distances of 30 Mpc; such massive mergers in the Virgo cluster would be marginally detectable. We find no evidence for BWMs. However, with our non-detection, we set upper limits on the rate at which BWMs of various amplitudes could have occurred during the time spanned by our data—e.g., BWMs with amplitudes greater than 10{sup −13} must encounter the Earth at a rate less than 1.5 yr{sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Warm dark matter signatures on the 21cm power spectrum: intensity mapping forecasts for SKA

We investigate the impact that warm dark matter (WDM) has in terms of 21 cm intensity mapping in the post-reionization Universe at z=3−5. We perform hydrodynamic simulations for 5 different models: cold dark matter and WDM with 1,2,3,4 keV (thermal relic) mass and assign the neutral hydrogen a-posteriori using two different methods that both reproduce observations in terms of column density distribution function of neutral hydrogen systems. Contrary to naive expectations, the suppression of power present in the linear and non-linear matter power spectra, results in an increase of power in terms of neutral hydrogen and 21 cm power spectra. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of small mass halos in WDM models with respect to cold dark matter: in order to distribute a total amount of neutral hydrogen within the two cosmological models, a larger quantity has to be placed in the most massive halos, that are more biased compared to the cold dark matter cosmology. We quantify this effect and address significance for the telescope SKA1-LOW, including a realistic noise modeling. The results indicate that we will be able to rule out a 4 keV WDM model with 5000 hours of observations at z>3, with a statistical significance of >3 σ, while a smaller mass of 3 keV, comparable to present day constraints, can be ruled out at more than 2 σ confidence level with 1000 hours of observations at z>5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Stability and the gauge problem in non-perturbative cosmology

In this paper, we describe the first steps towards fully non-perturbative cosmology. We explain why the conventional methods used by cosmologists based on the ADM formulation are generally inadequate for this purpose and why it is advantageous instead to adapt the harmonic formulation pioneered and utilized in mathematical and numerical relativity. In this work, we focus on using this approach to evaluating the linear mode stability in homogeneous and nearly homogeneous backgrounds and devising a valid scheme and diagnostics for numerical computation. We also briefly touch on the relevance of these methods for extracting cosmological observables from non-perturbative simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Climate Nowcasting

The climate is changing so rapidly that climatologies based on historical statistics cannot reliably capture the current risk of extreme weather events hazardous to society. Decision relevant projections of weather extreme probability over the next 10–15 years are needed to enable adaptation and resilience in the face of this evolving risk. Current weather forecasts/predictions and long-term climate projections for decades into the future are inadequate for providing this information to stakeholders that need it, targeting forecast horizons either too short or too far into the future. We argue that a new approach is needed: climate nowcasting. Climate nowcasting would focus on user-inspired extreme metrics over the next 10–15 year time frame, targeting specific impacts and locations down to a local scale, by engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs and provide information in a format relevant for decision making. Importantly, climate nowcasting will not consist of a single approach or data set, involving rather data fusion from different sources of information: simulations, observations and data driven methods, likely through different weights depending on the metric of interest. Predictions must be accompanied by serious engagement with stakeholders facing climate risks, and clearly present uncertainties and limitations of any prediction. Such a vision is very different from how typical climate or weather forecasts are applied today.

Gettelman, Andrew↗