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DOE OSTI2025

Elastic Stochastic Full Waveform Inversion (eSFWI)

This collaboration between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Chevron USA Inc., acting through its Chevron Technical Center division, aimed at developing next-generation computational methods for the Elastic Stochastic Full Waveform Inversion (eSFWI). Seismic imaging is heavily used in the oil and gas industry for identifying and operating subsurface reservoirs. Improved seismic imaging methods can improve productivity, lower costs, and improve operational and environmental safety. This CRADA demonstrated that new high-performance computing (HPC) architectures being rolled out over the next five years can enable unprecedented seismic imaging resolution when using eSFWI techniques to process active seismic data. An open-source computational mini-application was developed, capable of demonstrating near-peak performance for eSFWI algorithms on CPU and GPU enabled HPC platforms. Performance was demonstrated on LLNL HPC systems such as Lassen, as well as on Chevron systems. This project benefited Chevron USA Inc. by demonstrating the potential computational efficiency of their full waveform inversion capabilities used to characterize oil/gas reservoirs, which in turn benefits the public through potential increases in capabilities to perform analysis of leasing sites.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

2023 Central Hanford Ecological Integrity Assessments Monitoring Report

The Hanford Site is comprised of an expanse of shrub-steppe habitats that provides exceptional ecological value to plants and animals located on the site and in the surrounding greater Columbia Basin. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed portion of the Hanford Site, referred to from here on as Central Hanford, has been the focus of various ecological monitoring efforts, including vegetation monitoring. The scope and goals of vegetation surveys have varied greatly since the Hanford Site was established, but previous studies have documented a rapidly changing landscape, making it clear that continued vegetation monitoring is integral to preserving the ecological value of Central Hanford. A new vegetation monitoring effort was initiated in 2023 using methods based on ecological integrity assessments (EIA) (Natural Heritage Report [NHR] 2020-05) developed by the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), a division of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and NatureServe®. The methods were modified and supplemented to meet monitoring goals at the Hanford Site. The 2023 EIA monitoring effort consisted of field surveys to evaluate vegetation and soil condition across Central Hanford. Surveys were focused on upland habitats, and areas under consideration for upcoming projects were prioritized. Vegetation cover estimates were used to score a variety of metrics for vegetation conditions in each area. In 2023, approximately half of the site was surveyed. Monitoring methods and results for the 2023 field season are summarized in this report, and management recommendations are also provided.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Computed Tomography Scanning and Geophysical Measurements of the Clinton Formation in Ohio

Computed tomography and multi-sensor core logging of core material from twelve Ohio wells held by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey to make publicly available core information from the Early Silurian Clinton Formation in Eastern Ohio. Describes data available can be accessed from NETL’s Energy Data eXchange (EDX) online system, https://edx.netl.doe.gov/dataset/ct-and-geophysical-data-of-ohio-clinton-sands.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technology (AMMT): Process understanding for qualifying LPBF 316H SS

Investigations were conducted in fiscal years (FY) 2023 and 2024 to gather relevant data sets addressing challenges related to qualifying 316H stainless steel (SS) for use in future nuclear reactors. This work was a collaborative effort involving researchers from Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Key outcomes included: • Development of process-structure-property data sets to better understand the relationships between manufacturing processes, material structure, and performance characteristics. • Establishment of an in-situ monitoring system to link these various data sets together. • Detailed characterization of the raw material feedstock to further strengthen the understanding of process-structure and process-property relationships. Building on this foundation, in FY25 there was interest in exploring the behavior of additively manufactured 316H SS under different test conditions to support the overall material qualification process. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was tasked with providing specimen samples to the collaborating labs, who then conducted a round-robin study examining factors like selective heat treatment, low-cycle fatigue (LCF), and tensile-creep (T-C) properties. Additionally, high-temperature differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed by LANL to better understand how the material's thermal characteristics change as it is heated up to the melting point. This provided a more comprehensive understanding of the material's behavior. The combined results from these investigations could potentially be used to support the inclusion of 316H stainless steel in Section III, Division 5 of the relevant codes and standards, allowing its use in future nuclear reactor applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Bioaccumulation Factor for Radium in Rio Grande Biota

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or Laboratory) Environmental Protection and Compliance Division’s Environmental Stewardship Group (EPC-ES) performs the radiological analysis portion of biota dose assessments using the computer program RESRAD-Biota (DOE 2004, DOE 2020). RESRAD-Biota uses a default bioaccumulation factor, B iv , for radium in aquatic animals. This bioaccumulation factor, also listed in Department of Energy (DOE) Standard, DOE-STD-1153-2019, is the ratio of a radionuclide concentration in fresh weight biota to the environment in which it resides, which for aquatic animals is water. DOE-STD-1153-2019 offers conservative values for these ratios that are specific to the radiological contaminant, the biota, and the environment. The B iv in RESRAD-Biota can be used for general screening (Level 1 screening). If the factor proves to be too conservative, then a site-specific B iv may be used. The biota dose assessment of fish from the northern New Mexico region of the Rio Grande fail the general screen, which indicates that further analysis is necessary. Level 2 analysis is site-specific but still has conservative limitations. Level 3 analysis is a more realistic and representative, sitespecific analysis. The purpose of this paper is to use data specific to the Rio Grande to calculate a new aquatic animal radium B iv . This B iv can then be used for Level 3 analysis of aquatic animals specifically in the northern New Mexico region of the Rio Grande. The calculated radium B iv is a useful value for performing detailed, accurate biota dose assessments and calculating dose to fish using RESRAD-Biota when only sediment data are available.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

ARM Aerial Instrument Workshop Report

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program is to “support transformative science and scientific user facilities to achieve a predictive understanding of complex biological, earth, and environmental systems for energy and infrastructure security, independence, and prosperity.” (https://science.osti.gov/ber) Aligned with the BER central mission, the Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division (EESSD) plays a vital role in supporting the fundamental research to understand and predict Earth’s climate and environmental systems, and is also in a unique position to inform the development of sustainable solutions to the nation’s energy and environmental challenges. Specifically, EESSD manages two scientific user facilities: the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). These facilities provide the broader scientific community with scientific expertise, technical capabilities, and unique data sets to facilitate science in areas of importance to DOE. As a multi-platform scientific user facility, ARM aims to fulfill the needs predominantly within the EESSD Atmospheric System Research (ASR) and the Earth and Environmental System Modeling (EESM) mission areas, and provide the critical measurements required to improve understanding of aerosol and cloud life cycles and their interactions, and their coupling with the Earth’s surface. Over the years, ARM has carried out piloted and unmanned aircraft campaigns under different organizational and operational paradigms (Schmid et al. 2014, 2016). Building on its success, the ARM Aerial Facility (AAF) continues to complement the ground-based observations with airborne in situ cloud, aerosol, and trace gas observations as well as measurements of atmospheric state and atmospheric radiation. During the past three years, ARM has managed field campaigns using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and tethered balloon systems (TBS) at Oliktok Point in Alaska to improve understanding of atmospheric processes in the Arctic. In 2019, following a careful evaluation of scientific community needs, ARM acquired a Bombardier Challenger 850 regional jet to replace the vintage Grumman Gulfstream-159 turboprop aircraft previously used by AAF. With this new “laboratory in the sky”, AAF is evaluating its current and future aerial observation capabilities to continue satisfying the needs of the research community.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan for Corrective Action Unit 114: Area 25 EMAD Facility Nevada National Security Site, Nevada

This Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan addresses the actions needed to achieve closure for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 114, Area 25 EMAD Facility, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). CAU 114 comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs) located in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site: • 25-41-03, EMAD Facility (Building 3900) • 25-99-23, Manned Control Car (MCC) and Engine Installation Vehicle (EIV) • 25-33-05, Building 3901, Engine Transport System Maintenance Building (Train Shed) This plan provides the methodology for field activities needed to gather the necessary information for closing CAU 114. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation and investigations of similar sites regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 114 using the SAFER process. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a field investigation before selecting the appropriate corrective actions for CAU 114. It is anticipated that the results of the field investigation and implementation of corrective actions will support a defensible recommendation that no further corrective action is necessary. The purpose of the corrective action investigation will be to document and verify the adequacy of existing information; to affirm the decision for either clean closure, closure in place, or no further action; and to provide sufficient data to implement the corrective action. The actual corrective action selected will be based on characterization activities implemented under this SAFER Plan. If specific conditions or findings fall outside the bounds of the conceptual site model, such as an unanticipated release, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) will be consulted to determine the path forward before proceeding. Upon completion of SAFER activities, a closure report (CR) will be prepared and submitted to NDEP for review and approval. The schedule for completion of the CR will be established in consultation with NDEP.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Western Regional Direct Air Capture Hub Pre-Feasibility Study

Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Recipient), led a multi organizational team that included direct air capture (DAC) technology companies, an engineering firm, a university, and a grant administrator to explore the feasibility of a DAC hub initially focused on Kern County, California.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2025

LandScan Mosaic Rapid Population Update: Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa (V1)

During a natural disaster such as Hurricane Melissa, understanding where people are located is critical for situational awareness, operational planning and humanitarian support and consequence assessment. Traditional population datasets focus on mapping populations based on residential, or "business-as-usual" scenarios. However, natural disasters can create disruptions in daily routines of population in addition to the magnitude of the population displacement, depending on the type, duration, context, and location of the event. The Geospatial Science and Human Security Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) produced this latest LandScan Mosaic Rapid Population Update for Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Jamaica on October 28 2025. This Rapid Population Update captures the immediate population displacement following the hurricane using a combination of open-source building damage assessment data from Microsoft, flood exposure data from the Global Flood Monitoring service, reported population displacement information, and humanitarian shelter locations from the Jamaican Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the underlying LandScan Mosaic Jamaica as a base population.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2025

ASME Composite Code Rule Development Status

This report provides an update on the status of the composite code rule development for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler Pressure Vessel (BPV) code Section III Division 5 Subsection HA Subpart B (HAB) and Subsection HH Subpart B (HHB) during FY 2025 (from October 2024 to September 2025). In the context of this document, reference to “the code” is specific to these subsections unless otherwise specified. A composites task group under the ASME Nonmetallic Design and Materials Working Group (WG-NDM), with the support of external experts, was established and is now working toward addressing previously identified areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Analyzing Trip Chaining Behavior in New York State Using 2009 and 2017 National Household Travel Survey

Trip chaining, defined as the sequential linking of trips by individuals throughout a given day, provides critical insights into daily mobility patterns and activity sequencing. Understanding these patterns has significant implications for transportation demand forecasting, congestion management, and local economic activity. This analysis examines trip chaining behaviors in New York State (NYS) for the years 2009 and 2017 and compares the Middle Atlantic Census Division with other U.S. regions in 2022, utilizing data from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Through demographic, geographic, and temporal analysis, this study characterizes how populations organize travel for work, personal errands, and social activities, providing empirical evidence of evolving trip chaining behaviors to inform transportation planning strategies.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (Final Report)

The National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (User Resource) will provide isotopic analysis (primarily radiocarbon or 14C) by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for NIH- funded researchers across the United States and will be the only User Resource of its type in the United States. The User Resource will provide measurement capability and expertise to a research community that requires highly sensitive, quantitative isotope analyses. Since commissioning a new accelerator mass spectrometer in June 2014, we have measured over 4000 samples a year for collaborators and service users. The User Resource will enable us to continue to meet these research needs, as well as provide for new users whose research programs would benefit from AMS as a measurement tool. The User Resource’s forte will be ultra-high sensitivity quantitation of radiocarbon and selected other radioisotopes for research studies where isotopes are required. Radioisotope labeling studies have been and will continue to be an important tool for addressing many complex biomedical science problems. AMS is a specialized and unique type of mass spectrometry that provides absolute quantitation of radiocarbon and other relevant radioisotopes with extreme sensitivity, having limits of detection in real samples on the order of a few attomol/mg of sample at measurement precisions of ~3%. It is the only instrumental method capable of quantifying radioisotope-labeled agents routinely in real-world samples with such precision and sensitivity. The sensitivity of AMS allows for the quantification of radiolabeled metabolites in extremely complex matrices of cells and organisms at very low concentrations and in small samples. AMS allows studies to be conducted without perturbing metabolism leading to more relevant quantification of metabolic rates and pathways. In addition, it enables quantification of pharmacokinetic and metabolic properties of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations in model systems as well as the ability to quantify pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans. Such quantitative assessments can 1) improve risk assessment for toxicants, 2) address safety and efficacy considerations for therapeutic entities, 3) deepen understanding of xenobiotic and intermediary metabolism, 4) help understand the interactions between critical molecular pathways, and 5) improve efforts to model and predict various metabolic and biological states. These capabilities have been applied in a number of areas including research in carcinogenesis, toxicology, nutrition, pharmacology/drug development and basic biological science. As a NIGMS National Resource the National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry will help NIH funded scientists achieve a deeper understanding of the etiology of human health concerns by (1) enabling the quantification of pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans; (2) offering the ability to conduct quantitative studies using biologics such as proteins or lipids, and thereby reducing the amount of radioisotope usage in biomedical labs; and (3) enabling more relevant studies of metabolic pathways in health and disease through the use of much lower, more biologically-relevant, concentrations of metabolic substrates in cells and intact organisms. Such studies support NIGMS’s basic biomedical research areas that contribute to the understanding of fundamental cellular and physiological principles and enable research supported by the Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); Pharmacology, Physiology, Biological Chemistry (PPBC) and Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) Divisions. Over the next five years, our goals are to: 1. Improve the efficiency of operation for AMS measurements through installation of new interfaces to our AMS systems, technical modifications to improve gas accepting ion source efficiency and upgrading our data analysis software for improved ease of use and data reporting. 2. Increase the accessibility and visibility of ultra-sensitive 14C measurements for the biomedical research community by training of new investigators and expanding our national user base. 3. Provide high throughput, ultra-sensitive 14C analysis for the NIGMS and NIH user community.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Building partnerships for development of sustainable energy systems with atmospheric measurements

Atmospheric dynamics often play a critical role in the sustainability and reliability of diverse forms of energy production. This is especially true for the growing number of renewable energy deployments that harness aspects of the environment for power production. While the University of Memphis has a strong research background in energy systems, we have little experience working with the Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division (EESSD) and their associated User Facilities. Of particular interest to us is the Atmospheric Science Research and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility to address surface-boundary layer interactions and physical phenomena. One of the major challenges for understanding and developing energy systems and management platforms is accurate modeling/forecasting of atmospheric conditions across disparate spatial and temporal scales. These conditions are often required to understand the lowest levels of the atmospheric boundary layer, but are also important to understand higher atmospheric conditions where aerosols affect cloud development. The objective of this work was to develop partnerships with national laboratories for collaboration on environmental science and its intersection with sustainable energy systems, as well as to leverage the ARM user facility data repositories to enhance our research capabilities in energy systems and their inter-dependence on environmental systems for future engagement with EESSD. Specifically, we accomplished these objectives by (1) developing collaborations with Oakridge National Laboratory ARM Data Science and Integration Group which resulted in student internships, (2) employed ARM data to develope modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer optical turbulence, and (3) optimally-sized large-scale renewable energy systems and their associated energy storage systems with ARM repository data.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Target Diagnostic Menu Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory SYSM-5620: Design Thinking and Systems Engineering

Target Diagnostic’s Engineering Science (TDES) currently supports over 80 diagnostic systems, all of which draw from a fixed budget that covers staff time and procurement. As the division continues to add new diagnostics, demand on these limited resources increases, yet the budget remains unchanged. Shot Responsible Individuals (RIs) have unrestricted freedom to select any number or type of diagnostics for each experiment, often by copying previous shot configurations with only minor modifications. This practice makes it easy to generate new shots but does not encourage critical evaluation of diagnostic necessity. As a result, many diagnostics are routinely included in a shot without a clear justification, and in practice, much of the data collected is not analyzed. The ever-growing arsenal of diagnostics also increases the burden on TDES personnel, requiring more staff for support, maintenance, and service. This environment creates challenges in focusing resources on diagnostics that provide the greatest value to the NIF mission and raises concerns about the continued justification for maintaining all existing systems. The static TDES budget cannot sustain the ongoing growth in demand for new diagnostic systems. Shot RIs currently face no constraints on the number or type of diagnostics they assign to each experiment, often defaulting to previous configurations without critically assessing the necessity of each diagnostic. This results in the routine inclusion of diagnostics whose data may not be analyzed or may no longer directly support the NIF mission. Consequently, TDES is required to maintain and support an expanding set of diagnostics, straining limited resources and risking inefficient use of staff and funding. There is a need for TDES to efficiently allocate limited resources by establishing a process that requires shot RIs to critically evaluate and justify the inclusion of each diagnostic in their experiments. This process should discourage the routine, unexamined inclusion of diagnostics, support the identification of underutilized or obsolete systems, and ensure that only those diagnostics providing the greatest value to the NIF mission are maintained and supported. Ultimately, this approach must enable TDES to operate within budget constraints while maximizing scientific impact and operational efficiency.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Facility Radionuclide Emission Points and Sampling Systems

Battelle–Pacific Northwest Division operates numerous research and development laboratories in Richland, Washington. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contracts to Battelle include Richland facilities on the DOE Hanford Site and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) – Richland Campus that have the potential for radionuclide air emissions. The PNNL contract also includes DOE operations at the PNNL-Sequim Campus, in Sequim, Washington, where there is also the potential for radionuclide air emissions. This document is a periodic update that describes current PNNL facility emission units and sampling systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Critical Simulation Pipeline for COG Suites [Poster]

The CRItical Simulation Pipeline (CRISP) is a Python package for automating validation of reactor criticality benchmarks. CRISP supplies COG—a multi-particle radiation transport code maintained by the Nuclear Criticality Safety Division—with a pipeline to calculate k eff performance for 400+ benchmark experiments with 3,400+ configurations from the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). The pipeline includes four stages: materials configuration, input card templating, cluster submission, and results analysis. CRISP includes a command-line interface to facilitate user interaction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

HFIR Activity Workbook Generator (HAWK) User Guide

The HFIR Activity WorkbooK generator (HAWK) is a Python code that automates and streamlines the activity calculation of samples after irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). HAWK’s results provide estimates of the activity and nuclide inventory of irradiated specimens before they are moved to hot cell facilities, where they undergo post-irradiation examination. The samples’ activity results guide the packing of shipping containers and inform the accountable inventories for the hot cell facilities. The toolkit was originally developed by Charles Daily, a former R&D staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). As of May 2025, HAWK is developed by the Radiation Transport & HPC Methods Group (Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division) at ORNL. Figure 1 presents HAWK’s workflow. To use HAWK, users need to: 1. Develop an Excel input workbook (i.e., XLSX extension) containing data from the experiment’s materials, irradiation history (cycles), and irradiation positions. 2. Make minor edits to an existing template JSON file (i.e., auxiliary_data.JSON) and to the Python driver. The driver sets the necessary environment variables, defines the material compositions, and ultimately calls HAWK. Once configured, HAWK runs the Oak Ridge Isotope Generation code (ORIGEN) to calculate the masses, activities, and heat load at the end of irradiation for each isotope in the specimen. ORIGEN is part of SCALE, ORNL’s in-house computational tool for performing nuclear safety and design calculations. Following this step, HAWK postprocesses the results and generates three output workbooks summarizing the activity calculations.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

2023 Annual Explosives Inventory Completion

The 2023 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) annual explosives inventory was executed from May 18, 2023 to September 27, 2023 and was verified for accuracy effective September 28, 2023 following the LLNL Explosive Materials Inventory Plan. This year’s annual inventory includes changes incorporated based on the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit Report DOE-OIG-20-50, The Department of Energy’s Storage and Disposition of Explosives Material at Selected Sites, dated July of 2020. Based on the associated recommendations, explosives at DOE and National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) sites are considered "sensitive personal property" and applicable inventories must comply with 41 CFR 109, Personal Property Management. This regulation adds additional stipulations which require the annual inventory to include accountability of the total site inventory. In addition, the inventory must be performed by personnel other than the property owner, or alternatively must include independent verification. The development of the inventory plan was agreed to by the LLNL Explosives Safety Committee in conjunction with the LLNL Property and Business Division Leader. The LLNL Explosive Materials Inventory Plan was reviewed and approved by the DOE Explosives Safety Committee Chair on May 17, 2023 and by the NNSA Property Management Office on May 25, 2023.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗