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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 1,423 records · Page 79
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

A Statistical Analysis of the Accuracy of the Digitized Magnitudes of Photometric Plates on the Timescale of Decades with an Application to the Century-Long Light Curve of KIC 8462852

We present a statistical analysis of the accuracy of the digitized magnitudes of photometric plates on the timescale of decades. In our examination of archival Johnson B photometry from the Harvard DASCH archive, we find a median rt mean square scatter of light curves of the order of 0.15 magnitude over the range B approximately equal to 9-17 for all calibrations. Slight underlying systematics (trends or flux discontinuities) are on a level of less than or equal to 0.2 magnitudes per century (1889–1990) for the majority of constant stars. These historic data can be unambiguously used for processes that happen on scales of magnitudes, and need to be carefully examined in cases approaching the noise floor. The characterization of these limits in photometric stability may guide future studies in their use of plate archives. We explain these limitations for the example case of KIC 8462852, which has been claimed to dim by 0.16 magnitudes per century, and show that this trend cannot be considered as significant.

digitized magnitudes of photometric plates↗
DOE OSTI2021

p +p - electroproduction off protons in deuterium: measurements of quasi-free cross sections and kinematic probing of final state interactions

In this study, the process of pi+pi- electroproduction off protons bound in deuterium nuclei is explored. The exploration is performed through the analysis of experimental data on electron scattering off the deuteron target, collected in Hall B at Jefferson Lab with the CLAS detector. As a main result, the set of integrated and single-differential cross sections of the reaction yvp(n) -> p'(n')pi+pi- is obtained. The cross sections are extracted in the quasi-free regime, which implies that only events not affected by final state interactions are subject to selection. The measurements are performed in the kinematic region of the invariant mass W from 1.3 GeV to 1.825 GeV and photon virtuality Q2 from 0.4 GeV2 to 1 GeV2. Sufficient experimental statistics allows narrow binning, i.e. 25 MeV in W and 0.05 GeV2 in Q2, while maintaining an adequate statistical uncertainty. The extraction of quasi-free cross sections is accompanied by the kinematic probing of FSI between the reaction final hadrons and the spectator neutron in the aforementioned exclusive channel. In this probing the distributions of missing quantities are used in order to investigate the relative spread of events with FSI along the reaction phase space, trace the difference of FSI manifestations in different reaction topologies, reveal details on alterations of the hadron momentum in FSI, and isolate FSI contributions of various final hadrons. The performed examination is also capable of retrieving information on some underlying FSI mechanisms, among which the process of resonance formation in the intermediate state of pion-neutron interactions is particularly remarkable.

Skorodumina, Iuliia↗
DOE OSTI2022

On analysis and stochastic modeling of the particle kinetic energy equation in particle-laden isotropic turbulent flows

In this study, we analyze three-dimensional particle-laden, isotropic turbulence to develop an understanding of inertial particle dynamics from a kinetic energy perspective. Data trends implying inhomogeneous sampling of the flow by particles are identified and used to support a proposed particle behavior: particles appear to accumulate in regions of low flow kinetic energy over time because they lose kinetic energy and slow down in such regions, ultimately causing them to spend more time there. To elucidate this behavior, we derive a particle kinetic energy equation from the particle momentum equation, which incorporates inertial effects through the Schiller–Naumann drag correlation. Upon extracting fundamental physics from this equation, hypotheses regarding the role of the Stokes number in the temporal change of particle kinetic energy and the previously proposed particle behavior are evaluated using simulation data considering three Stokes numbers. Finally, a Fokker–Planck equation is used to derive the steady-state probability density function of the particle kinetic energy. The model fits the simulation data well and provides a tool for further investigation into understanding preferential concentration, as well as a reduced order model for predicting particle kinetic energy in turbulent flows.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct Estimation of Parameters in ODE Models Using WENDy: Weak-Form Estimation of Nonlinear Dynamics

Abstract We introduce the Weak-form Estimation of Nonlinear Dynamics (WENDy) method for estimating model parameters for non-linear systems of ODEs. Without relying on any numerical differential equation solvers, WENDy computes accurate estimates and is robust to large (biologically relevant) levels of measurement noise. For low dimensional systems with modest amounts of data, WENDy is competitive with conventional forward solver-based nonlinear least squares methods in terms of speed and accuracy. For both higher dimensional systems and stiff systems, WENDy is typically both faster (often by orders of magnitude) and more accurate than forward solver-based approaches. The core mathematical idea involves an efficient conversion of the strong form representation of a model to its weak form, and then solving a regression problem to perform parameter inference. The core statistical idea rests on the Errors-In-Variables framework, which necessitates the use of the iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm. Further improvements are obtained by using orthonormal test functions, created from a set of $$C^{\infty }$$ C ∞ bump functions of varying support sizes.We demonstrate the high robustness and computational efficiency by applying WENDy to estimate parameters in some common models from population biology, neuroscience, and biochemistry, including logistic growth, Lotka-Volterra, FitzHugh-Nagumo, Hindmarsh-Rose, and a Protein Transduction Benchmark model. Software and code for reproducing the examples is available at https://github.com/MathBioCU/WENDy .

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effect of Solvent on the Interaction of Lignin with a Zeolite Nanosheet in the Condensed Phase

Lignin is the essential building block of lignocellulosic biomass, an excellent renewable source of different aromatic monomers for the polymer and biofuel industry. The depolymerization of lignin into value-added chemicals and fuels through the catalytic process poses a significant challenge due to the complex structure of lignin. Understanding lignin’s conformational diversity and dynamics in the liquid phase is crucial to designing an effective depolymerization process. Here, we conducted all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to understand the conformation and dynamics of softwood lignin on the all-silica zeolite nanosheet based on the MFI topology in a binary mixture of water–methanol at three different molar compositions (0%, 50%, and 100% methanol). We observed that the methanol–surface interaction is stronger than the water–surface interaction, and methanol readily diffused into the MFI core. Lignin surface contacts decrease with increasing methanol composition due to higher solubility and dynamics. Lignin dynamics on the surface in neat water is an order of magnitude smaller than methanol. Here, we also found that lignin adopts a slightly extended conformation when it stays on the surface than in the bulk solution phase for the pure water case, whereas for pure methanol and the binary solution structures are statistically similar.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

The role of RF-induced E×B flows in the mitigation of scrape-off-layer convective transport during ion cyclotron resonance heating

Abstract While multiple experiments have reported a decrease in intermittent fluctuations in the far Scrape-Off-Layer (SOL) during ion cyclotron resonance heating (Antar et al 2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 165001, Li et al 2022 Nucl. Eng. Technol. 54 207–19, Antar et al 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 103005), the physical mechanism behind this observation has not been fully established yet. In this work, we demonstrate, for the first time, a direct correlation between the amplitude of RF-induced E×B flows and turbulence suppression in the far SOL. Using the Gas Puff Imaging (GPI) diagnostic on Alcator C-Mod, we show again that Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies can significantly alter the flow in the SOL and introduce a shear layer in regions magnetically connected close to the antenna (Cziegler et al 2012 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 54 105019). With the 4-strap field-aligned antenna operated in dipole phasing, the ratio of the power coupled by the central two straps to the power coupled by the outer two straps was varied. The resulting RF-induced radial electric field magnitude thus varied, and we show that the impact on the far SOL turbulence correlates with the modified E×B velocity. We then apply a newly-developed blob tracking algorithm (Han et al 2022 Sci. Rep. 12 18142) to higher-resolution GPI videos in order to directly observe the process of blob shearing by RF-induced E×B flows. We show that the radially sheared poloidal flows act as a transport barrier by stretching, stopping, and destroying filaments, which is consistent with the observed difference in turbulence statistics.

Diab, R. (ORCID:0000000342065868)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Systematic investigation of the particle spectra in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider

We investigate the charged particle spectra produced in the heavy-ion collisions at nine centralities from different systems, i.e. Pb+Pb at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV and 5.02 TeV as well as Xe+Xe at √ s NN = 5.44 TeV, at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) using one empirical formula inspired by the stationary solution of the Fokker-Planck equation, dubbed as the generalized Fokker-Planck solution (GFPS). Our results show that the GFPS can reproduce the experimental particle spectrum up to transverse momentum pT about 45 GeV/c with the maximum discrepancy 30% covering 10 orders of magnitude. Here, the discrepancy between the data and the results from the GFPS decreases to 15% when the maximum of the charged particle transverse momentum is cut to 20 GeV/c. We confirmed that the Tsallis distribution derived from the non-extensive statistics, which can reproduce the particle spectra produced in small collision systems, such as p+p, up to few hundreds GeV/c, can only apply to systematically study the particle spectra up to 8 GeV/c in A+A collisions at LHC, as pointed out in the study of identified particle spectra in Pb+Pb collisions at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV. A brief discussion on GFPS is also given.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exploring Si Heterojunction Solar Cell Degradation: Bulk and Interface Processes Analyzed by Simulations and Experiments in Order to Develop Mitigation Strategies

The Si technology with the highest conversion efficiency is a-Si/c-Si heterojunction (HJ) PV. Its market penetration, however, is slowed by reports that fielded HJ modules degraded at twice the rate of regular c-Si modules. Our very recent work confirmed this degradation and attributed it to enhanced recombination at the a-Si/c-Si interface, caused by the slow, order-of-magnitude increase of the defect density. We propose to comprehensively explore degradation mechanisms in Si HJ cells by combining simulations and experiments. Theoretically, we will: (1) simulate structure of a-Si and a-Si/c-Si interfaces, identify defects; (2) determine statistics of energy barriers that control defect formation; (3) compute growth of defect density from the barrier distribution, and the resulting degradation of Voc. Experimentally, we will: (1) create a series of HJ-cell-representative stacks with varying layer thicknesses and deposition conditions by using PECVD tools; (2) use temperature and injection-dependent lifetime spectroscopy to determine effective lifetimes; (3) deconvolve the data to separate bulk and interface effects, and the effects of charge density and interface defects to analyze long time degradation. The goal is to identify material and device degradation mechanisms, to develop mitigation strategies for improved stability, such as the introduction of capping layers and hydrogen diffusion control.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Absence of the plasma sheet at lunar distance during geomagnetically quiet times.

Evaluation of plasma data from the Apollo 14 charge particle lunar environment experiment showing that, contrary to previously published analyses, the plasma sheet does not extend to the lunar orbit with a thickness of 8 earth radii. Two electron spectral types are observed: (1) low-energy photoelectrons with no statistically significant medium and high energy fluxes, and (2) double-peaked medium- and high-energy electrons. The second type is observed either coincident with auroral substorms or at the center of the tail during quiet times. These spectra are one to several orders of magnitude less intense than plasma sheet spectra measured near 20 earth radii.

Burke, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The Lockheed diode array magnetograph

A new magnetograph using a solid state monolithic linear silicon diode array has been constructed at Lockheed Solar Observatory. This magnetograph uses a digital image processor, and makes data available both in digital and analog form. The diode array detector is capable of a signal-to-noise ratio of 2000:1 or better when cooled to a temperature of -40 deg centigrade. Thus, intensity differences of the order of one part in a thousand may easily be detected without signal averaging. This instrument may be considered a prototype for an instrument using a two-dimensional array. The magnetograph is now fully operational, and is being used to produce data for statistical studies of solar magnetic field diffusion.

Smithson, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Relationship between voids and interlaminar shear strength of polymer matrix composites

The effect of voids on the interlaminar shear strength of a polyimide matrix composite system is described. The AS4 graphite/PMR-15 composite was chosen for study because this system can be readily processed by using the standard specified cure cycle to produce void-free composites and because preliminary work in this study had shown that the processing parameters of this resin matrix system can be altered to produce cured composites of varying void contents. Thirty-eight 12-ply unidirectional composite panels were fabricated for this study. A significant range of void contents (0 to 10 percent) was produced. The panels were mapped, ultrasonically inspected, and sectioned into interlaminar shear, flexure, and fiber content specimens. The density of each specimen was measured and interlaminar shear and flexure strength measurements were then made. The fiber content was measured last. The results of these tests were evaluated by using ultrasonic results, photomicrographs, statistical methods, theoretical relationships derived by other investigators, and comparison of the test data with the Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN) computer program developed at the Lewis Research Center for predicting composite ply properties. The testing is described in as much detail as possible in order to help others make realistic comparisons.

Bowles, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Relationship between voids and interlaminar shear strength of polymer matrix composites

The effect of voids on the interlaminar shear strength of a polyimide matrix composite system is described. The AS4 graphite/PMR-15 composite was chosen for study because this system can be readily processed by using the standard specified cure cycle to produce void-free composites and because preliminary work in this study had shown that the processing parameters of this resin matrix system can be altered to produce cured composites of varying void contents. Thirty-eight 12-ply unidirectional composite panels were fabricated for this study. A significant range of void contents (0 to 10 percent) was produced. The panels were mapped, ultrasonically inspected, and sectioned into interlaminar shear, flexure, and fiber content specimens. The density of each specimen was measured and interlaminar shear and flexure strength measurements were then made. The fiber content was measured last. The results of these tests were evaluated by using ultrasonic results, photomicrographs, statistical methods, theoretical relationships derived by other investigations, and comparison of the test data with the Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN) computer program developed at the Lewis Research Center for predicting composite ply properties. The testing is described in as much detail as possible in order to help others make realistic comparisons.

Bowles, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A New Normalized Difference Cloud Retrieval Technique Applied to Landsat Radiances Over the Oklahoma ARM Site

We suggest a new approach to cloud retrieval, using a normalized difference of nadir reflectivities (NDNR) constructed from a non-absorbing and absorbing (with respect to liquid water) wavelength. Using Monte Carlo simulations we show that this quantity has the potential of removing first order scattering effects caused by cloud side illumination and shadowing at oblique Sun angles. Application of the technique to TM (Thematic Mapper) radiance observations from Landsat-5 over the Southern Great Plains site of the ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) program gives very similar regional statistics and histograms, but significant differences at the pixel level. NDNR can be also combined with the inverse NIPA (Nonlocal Independent Pixel Approximation) of Marshak (1998) which is applied for the first time on overcast Landsat scene subscenes. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the NIPA-retrieved cloud fields on the parameters of the method and discuss practical issues related to the optimal choice of these parameters.

Orepoulos, Lazaros↗
NASA NTRS2003

Use of an Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer to Obtain Sample Powder for CHEMIN, a Combined XRD/XRF Instrument

A miniature CHEMIN XRD/XRF (X-Ray Diffraction/X-Ray Fluourescence) instrument is currently being developed for definitive mineralogic analysis of soils and rocks on Mars. One of the technical issues that must be addressed in order to enable XRD analysis on an extraterrestrial body is how best to obtain a representative sample powder for analysis. For XRD powder diffraction analyses, it is beneficial to have a fine-grained sample to reduce preferred orientation effects and to provide a statistically significant number of crystallites to the X-ray beam. Although a 2-dimensional detector as used in the CHEMIN instrument will produce good results with poorly prepared powders, the quality of the data will improve if the sample is fine-grained and randomly oriented. An Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC) currently being developed at JPL is an effective mechanism of sampling rock to produce cores and powdered cuttings. It requires low axial load (< 5N) and thus offers significant advantages for operation from lightweight platforms and in low gravity environments. The USDC is lightweight (<0.5kg), and can be driven at low power (<5W) using duty cycling. It consists of an actuator with a piezoelectric stack, ultrasonic horn, free-mass, and drill bit. The stack is driven with a 20 kHz AC voltage at resonance. The strain generated by the piezoelectric is amplified by the horn by a factor of up to 10 times the displacement amplitude. The tip impacts the free-mass and drives it into the drill bit in a hammering action. The free-mass rebounds to interact with the horn tip leading to a cyclic rebound at frequencies in the range of 60-1000 Hz. It does not require lubricants, drilling fluid or bit sharpening and it has the potential to operate at high and low temperatures using a suitable choice of piezoelectric material. To assess whether the powder from an ultrasonic drill would be adequate for analyses by an XRD/XRF spectrometer such as CHEMIN, powders obtained from the JPL ultrasonic drill were analyzed and the results were compared to carefully prepared powders obtained using a laboratory bench scale Retsch mill.

Chipera, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

MHD Flow Visualization of Magnetopause and Polar Cusps Vortices

Detailed analysis of Wind, Geotail, and Cluster data shows how magnetopause boundary and polar cusps vortices associated with high speed streams can be a carrier of energy flux to the Earth s magnetosphere. For our analysis time interval, March 29 . - April 5 2002, the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is primarily northward and MHD simulations of vortices along the flanks within nine hours of the time interval suggest that a Kelvin Helmholtz (KH) instability is likely present. Vortices were classified by solar wind input provided by the Wind satellite located 70-80 RE upstream from Earth. We present statistics for a total of 304 vortices found near the ecliptic plane on the magnetopause flanks, 273 with northward IMF and 31 with southward IMF. The vortices generated under northward IMF were more driven into the dawnside than into the duskside, being substantially more ordered on the duskside. Most of the vortices were large in scale, up to 10 RE, and with a rotation axis closely aligned with the ZGSE direction. They rotated preferentially clockwise on the dawnside, and. counter-clockwise on the duskside. Those generated under southward IMF were less ordered, fewer in number, and also smaller in diameter. Significant vortex activity occurred on the nightside region of the magnetosphere for these southward cases in contrast to the northward IMF cases on which most of the activity was driven onto the magnetopause flanks. Magnetopause crossings seen by the Geotail spacecraft for the time interval were analyzed and compared with the MHD simulation to validate our results. Vortices over the polar cusps are also being analyzed and the simulation results will be compared to the multi-point measurements of the four Cluster satellites.

Collado-Vega, Y. M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

MHD Flow Visualization of Magnetopause and Polar Cusps Vortices

Detailed analysis of Wind, Geotail, and Cluster data shows how magnetopause boundary and polar cusps vortices associated with high speed streams can be a carrier of energy flux to the Earth's magnetosphere. For our analysis time interval, March 29 . - April 5 2002, the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is primarily northward and MHD simulations of vortices along the flanks within nine hours of the time interval suggest that a Kelvin Helmholtz (KH) instability is likely present. Vortices were classified by solar wind input provided by the Wind satellite located 70-80 RE upstream from Earth. We present statistics for a total of 304 vortices found near the ecliptic plane on the magnetopause flanks, 273 with northward IMF and 31 with southward IMF. The vortices generated under northward IMF were more driven into the dawnside than into the duskside, being substantially more ordered on the duskside. Most of the vortices were large in scale, up to 10 RE, and with a rotation axis closely aligned with the Z(sub GSE) direction. They rotated preferentially clockwise on the dawnside, and. counter-clockwise on the duskside. Those generated under southward IMF were less ordered, fewer in number, and also smaller in diameter. Significant vortex activity occurred on the nightside region of the magnetosphere for these southward cases in contrast to the northward IMF cases on which most of the activity was driven onto the magnetopause flanks. Magnetopause crossings seen by the Geotail spacecraft for the time interval were analyzed and compared with the MHD simulation to validate our results. Vortices over the polar cusps are also being analyzed and the simulation results will be compared to the multi-point measurements of the four Cluster satellites.

Collado-Vega, Y. M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Sea Ice Outlook for September 2015 June Report - NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office

The recent decline in perennial sea ice cover in Arctic Ocean is a topic of enormous scientific interest and has relevance to a broad variety of scientific disciplines and human endeavors including biological and physical oceanography, atmospheric circulation, high latitude ecology, the sustainability of indigenous communities, commerce, and resource exploration. A credible seasonal prediction of sea ice extent would be of substantial use to many of the stakeholders in these fields and may also reveal details on the physical processes that result in the current trends in the ice cover. Forecasts are challenging due in part to limitations in the polar observing network, the large variability in the climate system, and an incomplete knowledge of the significant processes. Nevertheless it is a useful to understand the current capabilities of high latitude seasonal forecasting and identify areas where such forecasts may be improved. Since 2008 the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) has conducted a seasonal forecasting contest in which the average Arctic sea ice extent for the month of September (the month of the annual extent minimum) is predicted from available forecasts in early June, July, and August. The competition is known as the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) but recently came under the auspices of the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN), and multi-agency funded project to evaluate the SIO. The forecasts are submitted based on modeling, statistical, and heuristic methods. Forecasts of Arctic sea ice extent from the GMAO are derived from seasonal prediction system of the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System model, version 5 (GEOS 5) coupled atmosphere and ocean general circulation model (AOGCM). The projections are made in order to understand the relative skill of the forecasting system and to determine the effects of future improvements to the system. This years prediction is for a September average Arctic ice extent of 5.030.41 million km2.

SIPN↗
NASA NTRS2016

Real-time Identification and Control of Satellite Signal Impairments Solution and Application of the Stratonovich Equation Part 1. Theoretical Development

As satellite communications systems become both more complex and reliant with respect to their operating environment, it has become imperative to be able to identify, during real-time operation, the onset of one or more impairments to the quality of overall communications system integrity. One of the most important aspects to monitor of a satellite link operating within the Earth's atmosphere is the signal fading due to the occurrence of rain and/or phase scintillations. This, of course, must be done in the presence of the associated measurement uncertainty or potentially faulty measurement equipment such as in the Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS) experiment. In the present work, an approach originally suggested in 1991, and apparently still considered iconoclastic, will be significantly developed and applied to the satellite communications link on which the deleterious composite signal fade is the result of one or many component fade mechanisms. Through the measurement (with the attendant uncertainty or 'error' in the measurement) of such a composite fading satellite signal, it is desired to extract the level of each of the individual fading mechanisms so they can be appropriately mitigated before they impact the overall performance of the communications network. Rather than employing simple-minded deterministic filtering to the real-time fading, the present approach is built around all the models and/or descriptions used to describe the individual fade components, including their dynamic evolution. The latter is usually given by a first-order Langevin equation. This circumstance allows the description of the associated temporal transition probability densities of each of the component processes. By using this description, along with the real-time measurements of the composite fade (along with the measurement errors), one can obtain statistical estimates of the levels of each of the component fading mechanisms as well as their predicted values into the future. This is all accomplished by the use of the well-known Stratonovich integro-differential equation that results from the model of the measured signal fade that is also tailored to adaptively adjust the values of the parameters used in the statistical models of the individual fade mechanisms. Three examples of increasing complexity are addressed and solved for the iterative determination of fade component levels from the measured composite signal fade in the presence of measurement error and, in the last case, with uncertainty in the model parameters.

Countermeasure↗