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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 OSTI2023

Mapping the performance of a versatile water-based condensation particle counter (vWCPC) with numerical simulation and experimental study

Accurate airborne aerosol instrumentation is required to determine the spatial distribution of ambient aerosol particles, particularly when dealing with the complex vertical profiles and horizontal variations of atmospheric aerosols. A versatile water-based condensation particle counter (vWCPC) has been developed to provide aerosol concentration measurements under various environments with the advantage of reducing the health and safety concerns associated with using butanol or other chemicals as the working fluid. However, the airborne deployment of vWCPCs is relatively limited due to the lack of characterization of vWCPC performance at reduced pressures. Given the complex combinations of operating parameters in vWCPCs, modeling studies have advantages in mapping vWCPC performance. In this work, we thoroughly investigated the performance of a laminar-flow vWCPC using COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation coupled with MATLAB™. We compared it against a modified vWCPC (vWCPC model 3789, TSI, Shoreview, MN, USA). Our simulation determined the performance of particle activation and droplet growth in the vWCPC growth tube, including the supersaturation, $D$ p,kel,0 (smallest size of particle that can be activated), $D$ p,kel,50 (particle size activated with 50 % efficiency) profile, and final growth particle size D d under wide operating temperatures, inlet pressures $P$ (30–101 kPa), and growth tube geometry (diameter $D$ and initiator length $L$ ini ). The effect of inlet pressure and conditioner temperature on vWCPC 3789 performance was also examined and compared with laboratory experiments. The COMSOL simulation result showed that increasing the temperature difference (Δ$T$) between conditioner temperature $T$ con and initiator $T$ ini will reduce $D$ p,kel,0 and the cut-off size $D$ p,kel,50 of the vWCPC. In addition, lowering the temperature midpoint ($T$ mid = $\frac{T_{con}+T_{ini}}{2}$ increases the supersaturation and slightly decreases the $D$ p,kel . The droplet size at the end of the growth tube is not significantly dependent on raising or lowering the temperature midpoint but significantly decreases at reduced inlet pressure, which indirectly alters the vWCPC empirical cut-off size. Our study shows that the current simulated growth tube geometry ($D$=6.3 mm and $L$ ini =30 mm) is an optimized choice for current vWCPC flow and temperature settings. The current simulation can more realistically represent the $D$ p,kel for 7 nm vWCPC and also achieved good agreement with the 2 nm setting. Using the new simulation approach, we provide an optimized operation setting for the 7 nm setting. This study will guide further vWCPC performance optimization for applications requiring precise particle detection and atmospheric aerosol monitoring.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Study of the Effect of Doping with Iron on the Luminescence of Zinc-Selenide Single Crystals

The effect of doping with iron (thermal diffusion from a surface) on the luminescence of zinc-selenide single crystals in the wavelength range 0.44–0.72 μm and on the spatial distribution of luminescence centers are studied. By means of two-photon confocal microscopy, planar and volume maps of edge (exciton) and impurity–defect luminescence in the above-indicated spectral range are obtained for both doped and undoped crystals. It is shown that crystal regions containing a high iron concentration exhibit low-intensity luminescence in this range. It is found that, in the process of diffusion, several types of impurity–defect centers distributed in a complex way within the crystal bulk are formed. The nature of these centers is discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE SUPER-LINEAR SLOPE OF THE SPATIALLY RESOLVED STAR FORMATION LAW IN NGC 3521 AND NGC 5194 (M51a)

We have conducted interferometric observations with the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Astronomy (CARMA) and an on-the-fly mapping with the 45 m telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO45) in the CO (J = 1-0) emission line of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3521. Using the new combined CARMA + NRO45 data of NGC 3521, together with similar data for NGC 5194 (M51a) and archival SINGS H{alpha}, 24 {mu}m THINGS H I, and Galaxy Evolution Explorer/Far-UV (FUV) data for these two galaxies, we investigate the empirical scaling law that connects the surface density of star formation rate (SFR) and cold gas (known as the Schmidt-Kennicutt law or S-K law) on a spatially resolved basis and find a super-linear slope for the S-K law when carefully subtracting the background emissions in the SFR image. We argue that plausibly deriving SFR maps of nearby galaxies requires the diffuse stellar and dust background emission to be subtracted carefully (especially in the mid-infrared and to a lesser extent in the FUV). Applying this approach, we perform a pixel-by-pixel analysis on both galaxies and quantitatively show that the controversial result whether the molecular S-K law (expressed as {Sigma}{sub SFR{proportional_to}{Sigma}H{sub 2}{sup {gamma}}{sub H{sup 2}}) is super-linear or basically linear is a result of removing or preserving the local background. In both galaxies, the power index of the molecular S-K law is super-linear ({gamma}{sub H{sub 2}}{approx}>1.5) at the highest available resolution ({approx}230 pc) and decreases monotonically for decreasing resolution. We also find in both galaxies that the scatter of the molecular S-K law ({sigma}{sub H{sub 2}}) monotonically increases as the resolution becomes higher, indicating a trend for which the S-K law breaks down below some scale. Both {gamma}{sub H{sub 2}} and {sigma}{sub H{sub 2}} are systematically larger in M51a than in NGC 3521, but when plotted against the de-projected scale ({delta}{sub dp}), both quantities become highly consistent for the two galaxies, tentatively suggesting that the sub-kpc molecular S-K law in spiral galaxies depends only on the scale being considered, without varying among spiral galaxies. A logarithmic function {gamma}{sub H{sub 2}}=-1.1 log [{delta}{sub dp}/kpc]+1.4 and a linear relation {sigma}{sub H{sub 2}}=-0.2 [{delta}{sub dp}/kpc]+0.7 are obtained through fitting to the M51a data, which describes both galaxies impressively well on sub-kpc scales. A larger sample of galaxies with better sensitivity, resolution, and broader field of view are required to test the general applicability of these relations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Areas with Surface Thermal Anomalies as Detected by ASTER and LANDSAT Data around South Canyon Hot Springs, Garfield County, Colorado

This map shows areas of anomalous surface temperature around South Canyon Hot Springs as identified from ASTER and LANDSAT thermal data and spatial based insolation model. The temperature for the ASTER data was calculated using the Emissivity Normalization Algorithm that separate temperature from emissivity. The incoming solar radiation was calculated using spatial based insolation model developed by Fu and Rich (1999). Then the temperature due to solar radiation was calculated using emissivity derived from ASTER data. The residual temperature, i.e. temperature due to solar radiation subtracted from ASTER temperature was used to identify thermally anomalous areas. Areas having anomalous temperature in the ASTER data are shown in blue diagonal hatch, while areas having anomalous temperature in the LANDSAT data are shown in magenta on the map. Thermal springs and areas with favorable geochemistry are also shown. Springs or wells having non-favorable geochemistry are shown as blue dots.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

A Chandra view of non-thermal emission in the northwestern region of supernova remnant RCW 86: Particle acceleration and magnetic fields

The shocks of supernova remnants are believed to accelerate particles to cosmic ray (CR) energies. The amplification of the magnetic field due to CRs propagating in the shock region is expected to have an impact on both the emission from the accelerated particle population as well as the acceleration process itself. Using a 95 ks observation with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer on board the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, we map and characterize the synchrotron emitting material in the northwest region of RCW 86. We model spectra from several different regions, both filamentary and diffuse, where emission appears to be dominated by synchrotron radiation. The fine spatial resolution of Chandra allows us to obtain accurate emission profiles across three different non-thermal rims in this region. The narrow width (l ≈ 10''-30'') of these filaments constrains the minimum magnetic field strength at the post-shock region to approximately 80 μG.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Topology control of human fibroblast cells monolayer by liquid crystal elastomer

Eukaryotic cells in living tissues form dynamic patterns with spatially varying orientational order that affects important physiological processes such as apoptosis and cell migration. The challenge is how to impart a predesigned map of orientational order onto a growing tissue. Here, we demonstrate an approach to produce cell monolayers of human dermal fibroblasts with predesigned orientational patterns and topological defects using a photoaligned liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) that swells anisotropically in an aqueous medium. The patterns inscribed into the LCE are replicated by the tissue monolayer and cause a strong spatial variation of cells phenotype, their surface density, and number density fluctuations. Unbinding dynamics of defect pairs intrinsic to active matter is suppressed by anisotropic surface anchoring allowing the estimation of the elastic characteristics of the tissues. The demonstrated patterned LCE approach has potential to control the collective behavior of cells in living tissues, cell differentiation, and tissue morphogenesis.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

The effects of digital elevation model resolution on the calculation and predictions of topographic wetness indices.

One of the largest exports in the Southeast U.S. is forest products. Interest in biofuels using forest biomass has increased recently, leading to more research into better forest management BMPs. The USDA Forest Service, along with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Georgia and Oregon State University are researching the impacts of intensive forest management for biofuels on water quality and quantity at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Surface runoff of saturated areas, transporting excess nutrients and contaminants, is a potential water quality issue under investigation. Detailed maps of variable source areas and soil characteristics would therefore be helpful prior to treatment. The availability of remotely sensed and computed digital elevation models (DEMs) and spatial analysis tools make it easy to calculate terrain attributes. These terrain attributes can be used in models to predict saturated areas or other attributes in the landscape. With laser altimetry, an area can be flown to produce very high resolution data, and the resulting data can be resampled into any resolution of DEM desired. Additionally, there exist many maps that are in various resolutions of DEM, such as those acquired from the U.S. Geological Survey. Problems arise when using maps derived from different resolution DEMs. For example, saturated areas can be under or overestimated depending on the resolution used. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of DEM resolution on the calculation of topographic wetness indices used to predict variable source areas of saturation, and to find the best resolutions to produce prediction maps of soil attributes like nitrogen, carbon, bulk density and soil texture for low-relief, humid-temperate forested hillslopes. Topographic wetness indices were calculated based on the derived terrain attributes, slope and specific catchment area, from five different DEM resolutions. The DEMs were resampled from LiDAR, which is a laser altimetry remote sensing method, obtained from the USDA Forest Service at Savannah River Site. The specific DEM resolutions were chosen because they are common grid cell sizes (10m, 30m, and 50m) used in mapping for management applications and in research. The finer resolutions (2m and 5m) were chosen for the purpose of determining how finer resolutions performed compared with coarser resolutions at predicting wetness and related soil attributes. The wetness indices were compared across DEMs and with each other in terms of quantile and distribution differences, then in terms of how well they each correlated with measured soil attributes. Spatial and non-spatial analyses were performed, and predictions using regression and geostatistics were examined for efficacy relative to each DEM resolution. Trends in the raw data and analysis results were also revealed.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Oil-Pressure Based Apparatus for In-Situ High-Energy Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Studies During Biaxial Deformation

Background: Understanding biaxial loading response at the microstructural level is crucial in helping better design sheet manufacturing processes and calibrate/validate material deformation models. Objective: The objective of this work was to develop a low-cost testing apparatus to probe, with sufficient spatial resolution, the micro-mechanical response of a sheet material in-situ under biaxial loading conditions. Methods: The testing apparatus fabricated as a part of this study operates in a similar fashion to a standard bulge test and uses oil pressure to generate biaxial loading conditions. This biaxial testing apparatus was operated within a synchrotron beamline to characterize the mechanical response of a flash-processed steel sheet using in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Further, the GSAS-II package was utilized to develop a workflow for the analysis of the large volume of diffraction data acquired. The workflow was then used to extract the peak position, width, and integrated intensity of the XRD peaks corresponding to the major body-centered cubic phase. Results: The equi-biaxial nature of the loading in the measured area was independently corroborated using experimental (XRD) and simulation (finite element analysis) methods. Furthermore, we discuss the evolution of elastic strain in the major body-centered cubic phase as a function of applied oil pressure and location on the steel sheet. Conclusions: A key advantage of the biaxial apparatus fabricated in this synchrotron study is demonstrated using the results obtained for the flash-processed steel sheet – i.e., mapping the lattice plane-dependent response to biaxial loading for a relatively large sample area in a spatially resolved manner.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Modeling surface water dynamics in the Amazon Basin using MOSART-Inundation v1.0: impacts of geomorphological parameters and river flow representation

Abstract. In the Amazon Basin, floodplain inundation is a key component of surface water dynamics and plays an important role in water, energy and carbon cycles. The Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART) was extended with a macroscale inundation scheme for representing floodplain inundation. The extended model, named MOSART-Inundation, was used to simulate surface hydrology of the entire Amazon Basin. Previous hydrologic modeling studies in the Amazon Basin identified and addressed a few challenges in simulating surface hydrology of this basin, including uncertainties of floodplain topography and channel geometry, and the representation of river flow in reaches with mild slopes. This study further addressed four aspects of these challenges. First, the spatial variability of vegetation-caused biases embedded in the HydroSHEDS digital elevation model (DEM) data was explicitly addressed. A vegetation height map of about 1 km resolution and a land cover dataset of about 90 m resolution were used in a DEM correction procedure that resulted in an average elevation reduction of 13.2 m for the entire basin and led to evident changes in the floodplain topography. Second, basin-wide empirical formulae for channel cross-sectional dimensions were refined for various subregions to improve the representation of spatial variability in channel geometry. Third, the channel Manning roughness coefficient was allowed to vary with the channel depth, as the effect of riverbed resistance on river flow generally declines with increasing river size. Lastly, backwater effects were accounted for to better represent river flow in mild-slope reaches. The model was evaluated against in situ streamflow records and remotely sensed Envisat altimetry data and Global Inundation Extent from Multi-Satellites (GIEMS) inundation data. In a sensitivity study, seven simulations were compared to evaluate the impacts of the five modeling aspects addressed in this study. The comparisons showed that representing floodplain inundation could significantly improve the simulated streamflow and river stages. Refining floodplain topography, channel geometry and Manning roughness coefficients, as well as accounting for backwater effects had notable impacts on the simulated surface water dynamics in the Amazon Basin. The understanding obtained in this study could be helpful in improving modeling of surface hydrology in basins with evident inundation, especially at regional to continental scales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

HERSCHEL FAR-IR OBSERVATIONS OF THE GIANT H II REGION NGC 3603

We observed the giant H II region around the NGC 3603 YC with the five broad bands (70, 160, 250, 350, 500 μm) of the SPIRE and PACS instruments, on board the Herschel Space Observatory. Together with what is currently known of the stellar, atomic, molecular, and warm dust components, this additional and crucial information should allow us to better understand the details of the star-formation history in this region. The main objective of the investigation is to study, at high spatial resolution, the distribution and main physical characteristics of the cold dust. By reconstructing the temperature and density maps, we found, respectively, a mean value of 36 K and log{sub 10} N {sub H} = 22.0 ± 0.1 cm{sup –2}. We carried out a photometric analysis detecting 107 point-like sources, mostly confined to the north and south of the cluster. By comparing our data with spectral energy distribution models, we found that 35 sources are well represented by young stellar objects in early evolutionary phases, from Class 0 to Class I. The Herschel detections also provided far-IR counterparts for 4 H{sub 2}O masers and 11 objects previously known from mid-IR observations. The existence of so many embedded sources confirms the hypothesis of intense and ongoing star-formation activity in the region around NGC 3603 YC.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

High-energy X-ray imaging of the pulsar wind nebula MSH 15–52: constraints on particle acceleration and transport

We present the first images of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) MSH 15–52 in the hard X-ray band (≳8 keV), as measured with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). Overall, the morphology of the PWN as measured by NuSTAR in the 3-7 keV band is similar to that seen in Chandra high-resolution imaging. However, the spatial extent decreases with energy, which we attribute to synchrotron energy losses as the particles move away from the shock. The hard-band maps show a relative deficit of counts in the northern region toward the RCW 89 thermal remnant, with significant asymmetry. We find that the integrated PWN spectra measured with NuSTAR and Chandra suggest that there is a spectral break at 6 keV, which may be explained by a break in the synchrotron-emitting electron distribution at ∼200 TeV and/or imperfect cross calibration. We also measure spatially resolved spectra, showing that the spectrum of the PWN softens away from the central pulsar B1509–58, and that there exists a roughly sinusoidal variation of spectral hardness in the azimuthal direction. We discuss the results using particle flow models. We find non-monotonic structure in the variation with distance of spectral hardness within 50'' of the pulsar moving in the jet direction, which may imply particle and magnetic-field compression by magnetic hoop stress as previously suggested for this source. We also present two-dimensional maps of spectral parameters and find an interesting shell-like structure in the N {sub H} map. We discuss possible origins of the shell-like structure and their implications.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Exact bosonization in two spatial dimensions and a new class of lattice gauge theories

We describe a 2d analog of the Jordan–Wigner transformation which maps an arbitrary fermionic system on a 2d lattice to a lattice gauge theory while preserving the locality of the Hamiltonian. When the space is simply-connected, this bosonization map is an equivalence. We describe several examples of 2d bosonization, including free fermions on square and honeycomb lattices and the Hubbard model. We describe Euclidean actions for the corresponding lattice gauge theories and find that they contain Chern–Simons-like terms. Finally, we write down a fermionic dual of the gauged Ising model (the Fradkin–Shenker model).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Electron- and light-induced stimulated Raman spectroscopy for nanoscale molecular mapping

We propose and theoretically analyze a new vibrational spectroscopy, termed electron- and light-induced stimulated Raman (ELISR) scattering, that combines the high spatial resolution of elec-tron microscopy with the molecular sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. WithELISR, electron-beam excitation of plasmonic nanoparticles is utilized as a spectrally-broadband butspatially-confined Stokes beam in the presence of a diffraction-limited pump laser. To characterizethis technique, we develop a numerical model and conduct full-field electromagnetic simulations toinvestigate two distinct nanoparticle geometries, nanorods and nanospheres, coated with a Raman-active material. Our results show the significant (10 6 -10 7 ) stimulated Raman enhancement that isachieved with dual electron and optical excitation of thesenanoparticle geometries. Importantly,the spatial resolution of this vibrational spectroscopy for electron microscopy is solely determinedby the nanoparticle geometry and the plasmon mode volume. Our results highlight the promiseof ELISR for simultaneous high-resolution electron microscopy with sub-diffraction-limited Ramanspectroscopy, complementing advances in superresolutionmicroscopy, correlated light and electronmicroscopy, and vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

A mesh partitioning algorithm for preserving spatial locality in arbitrary geometries

Highlights: •An algorithm for partitioning computational meshes is proposed. •The Morton order space-filling curve is modified to achieve improved locality. •A spatial locality metric is defined to compare results with existing approaches. •Results indicate improved performance of the algorithm in complex geometries. -- Abstract: A space-filling curve (SFC) is a proximity preserving linear mapping of any multi-dimensional space and is widely used as a clustering tool. Equi-sized partitioning of an SFC ignores the loss in clustering quality that occurs due to inaccuracies in the mapping. Often, this results in poor locality within partitions, especially for the conceptually simple, Morton order curves. We present a heuristic that improves partition locality in arbitrary geometries by slicing a Morton order curve at points where spatial locality is sacrificed. In addition, we develop algorithms that evenly distribute points to the extent possible while maintaining spatial locality. A metric is defined to estimate relative inter-partition contact as an indicator of communication in parallel computing architectures. Domain partitioning tests have been conducted on geometries relevant to turbulent reactive flow simulations. The results obtained highlight the performance of our method as an unsupervised and computationally inexpensive domain partitioning tool.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

What can the detection of a single pair of circles-in-the-sky tell us about the geometry and topology of the Universe?

In a Universe with a detectable nontrivial spatial topology, the last scattering surface contains pairs of matching circles with the same distribution of temperature fluctuations - the so-called circles-in-the-sky. Searches undertaken for nearly antipodal pairs of such circles in cosmic microwave background maps have so far been unsuccessful. Previously, we had shown that the negative outcome of such searches, if confirmed, should in principle be sufficient to exclude a detectable nontrivial spatial topology for most observers in very nearly flat (0<|{Omega}{sub tot}-1| < or approx. 10{sup -5}) (curved) universes. More recently, however, we have shown that this picture is fundamentally changed if the universe turns out to be exactly flat. In this case, there are many potential pairs of circles with large deviations from antipodicity that have not yet been probed by existing searches. Here, we study under what conditions the detection of a single pair of circles-in-the-sky can be used to uniquely specify the topology and the geometry of the spatial section of the Universe. We show that from the detection of a single pair of matching circles one can infer whether the spatial geometry is flat or not, and if so we show how to determine the topology (apart from one case) of the Universe using this information. An important additional outcome of our results is that the dimensionality of the circles-in-the-sky parameter space that needs to be spanned in searches for matching pairs of circles is reduced from six to 5 degrees of freedom, with a significant reduction in the necessary computational time.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

An approach for online evaluations of dose consequences caused by small rotational setup errors in intracranial stereotactic radiation therapy

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to investigate the impact of small rotational errors on the magnitudes and distributions of spatial dose variations for intracranial stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) treatment setups, and to assess the feasibility of using the original dose map overlaid with rotated contours (ODMORC) method as a fast, online evaluation tool to estimate dose changes (using DVHs) to clinical target volumes (CTVs) and organs-at-risks (OARs) caused by small rotational setup errors. Methods: Fifteen intracranial SRT cases treated with either three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) techniques were chosen for the study. Selected cases have a variety of anatomical dimensions and pathologies. Angles of {+-}3 deg. and {+-}5 deg. in all directions were selected to simulate the rotational errors. Dose variations in different regions of the brain, CTVs, and OARs were evaluated to illustrate the various spatial effects of dose differences before and after rotations. DVHs accounting for rotations that were recomputed by the treatment planning system (TPS) and those generated by the ODMORC method were compared. A framework of a fast algorithm for multicontour rotation implemented by ODMORC is introduced as well. Results: The average values of relative dose variations between original dose and recomputed dose accounting for rotations were greater than 4.0% and 10.0% in absolute mean and in standard deviation, respectively, at the skull and adjacent regions for all cases. They were less than 1.0% and 2.5% in absolute mean and in standard deviation, respectively, for dose points 3 mm away from the skull. The results indicated that spatial dose to any part of the brain organs or tumors separated from the skull or head surface would be relatively stable before and after rotations. Statistical data of CTVs and OARs indicate the lens and cochleas have the large dose variations before and after rotations, whereas the remaining ROIs have insignificant dose differences. DVH comparisons suggest that the ODMORC method is able to estimate the DVH of CTVs fairly accurately (within 1.5% of relative dose differences for evaluation volumes). The results also show that most of the OARs including the brain stem, spinal cord, chiasm, hippocampuses, optic nerves, and retinas, which were relatively distal from the skull and surface, had good agreement (within 2.0% of relative dose differences for 0.1 cc of the volumes ) between the ODMORC method and the recomputation, whereas OARs more proximate to the bone-tissue interface or surface, such as the lenses and cochlea, had larger dose variations (greater than 5.0%) for some cases due to the incapability of the ODMORC to account for scatter contribution variations proximate to interfaces and intrinsic dose calculation uncertainties for ROIs with small volumes. Conclusions: The ODMORC method can be implemented as an online evaluation system for rotation-induced dose changes of CTVs and most OARs and for other related dose consequence analyses.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Leaf traits and canopy structure together explain canopy functional diversity: an airborne remote sensing approach

Plant functional diversity is strongly connected to photosynthetic carbon assimilation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, many of the plant functional traits that regulate photosynthetic capacity, including foliar nitrogen concentration and leaf mass per area, vary significantly between and within plant functional types and vertically through forest canopies, resulting in considerable landscape-scale heterogeneity in three dimensions. Hyperspectral imagery has been used extensively to quantify functional traits across a range of ecosystems but is generally limited to providing information for top-of-canopy leaves only. On the other hand, lidar data can be used to retrieve the vertical structure of forest canopies. Because these data are rarely collected at the same time, there are unanswered questions about the effect of forest structure on the 3-D spatial patterns of functional traits across ecosystems. In the United States, the National Ecological Observatory Network's Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP) provides an opportunity to address this structure-function relationship by collecting lidar and hyperspectral data together across a variety of ecoregions. With a fusion of hyperspectral and lidar data from the NEON AOP and field-collected foliar trait data, we assessed the impacts of forest structure on spatial patterns of N. In addition, we examine the influence of abiotic gradients and management regimes on top of canopy %N and total canopy N (i.e. the total amount of N (g/m 2 ) within a forest canopy) at a NEON site consisting of a mosaic of open longleaf pine and dense broadleaf deciduous forests. Here, our resulting maps suggest that in contrast with top-of-canopy values, total canopy N variation is dampened across this landscape resulting in relatively homogeneous spatial patterns. At the same time, we found that leaf functional diversity and canopy structural diversity showed distinct dendritic patterns related to the spatial distribution of plant functional types.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-C-201-07: Validation of a GATE Gamma Camera Model for the Siemens Symbia

Purpose: To develop a simulation model of a clinical gamma camera/SPECT system and to validate the model using experimental and published measurements from the clinical system. Methods: Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE) was used to create a model of the Siemens Symbia gamma camera. A modular model was implemented that allows specifying combinations of crystal thickness (3/8”, 5/8”) and collimator (LEHR, MELP, HE). Shielding, energy resolution, intrinsic resolution, crystal thickness, and collimator properties were set based on manufacturer specifications. Validation of the model was performed by simulating NEMA 2007 gamma camera tests including spatial resolution and sensitivity for Tc99; these were compared with experimental and published data for the scanner. The simulated energy spectra of a Tc99 line source in acrylic blocks was visually compared with the corresponding experimental acquisition. For a 4 cm diameter sphere filled with Tc99, the attenuation maps were generated from simulation data, and the photopeak and scatter window were extracted from GATE output using ROOT to create DICOM files to use in the clinical reconstruction. Results: Simulated spatial resolutions for LEHR 3/8” crystal at 0, 10 cm, 10 cm (with scatter), and 30 cm were 4, 6.7, 7.9, and 14.5 mm FWHM; these were 9% less than published data. For 5/8” crystal the spatial resolutions were 4.5, 7.0, 8.5, and 14.7 mm FWHM; these were 4% to 10% less than published data. Simulated sensitivity was within 3.5% of published data for both LEHR 3/8” and 5/8”. The simulated energy spectra matched the photopeak and scatter window well, but did overestimate the counts below 90 keV. The simulated attenuation map and projection data were successfully reconstructed with the clinical software, and the passed visual inspection. Conclusions: Validation of a specific clinical scanner allows future studies of quantification accuracy for both planar and SPECT imaging. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01CA138986. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗