Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “completely positive”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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

At least 1,513 records · Page 84

Compact Autonomous Hemispheric Vision System

Solar System Exploration camera implementations to date have involved either single cameras with wide field-of-view (FOV) and consequently coarser spatial resolution, cameras on a movable mast, or single cameras necessitating rotation of the host vehicle to afford visibility outside a relatively narrow FOV. These cameras require detailed commanding from the ground or separate onboard computers to operate properly, and are incapable of making decisions based on image content that control pointing and downlink strategy. For color, a filter wheel having selectable positions was often added, which added moving parts, size, mass, power, and reduced reliability. A system was developed based on a general-purpose miniature visible-light camera using advanced CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imager technology. The baseline camera has a 92 FOV and six cameras are arranged in an angled-up carousel fashion, with FOV overlaps such that the system has a 360 FOV (azimuth). A seventh camera, also with a FOV of 92 , is installed normal to the plane of the other 6 cameras giving the system a > 90 FOV in elevation and completing the hemispheric vision system. A central unit houses the common electronics box (CEB) controlling the system (power conversion, data processing, memory, and control software). Stereo is achieved by adding a second system on a baseline, and color is achieved by stacking two more systems (for a total of three, each system equipped with its own filter.) Two connectors on the bottom of the CEB provide a connection to a carrier (rover, spacecraft, balloon, etc.) for telemetry, commands, and power. This system has no moving parts. The system's onboard software (SW) supports autonomous operations such as pattern recognition and tracking.

Pingree, Paula J.↗

Flavor in SU(5)$SU(5)$ Finite Grand Unified Models

Abstract Four supersymmetric models which exhibit and/or symmetries are studied, that are finite to two or all loops, and their corresponding mass matrices. The first is an all‐loop finite model based on an flavor symmetry, which leads to phenomenologically nonviable mass matrices. The remaining models, based on cyclic symmetries, show various mass textures, some of which are phenomenologically promising. For the two‐loop finite models, the parametric solutions to the finiteness conditions determine completely some of the Yukawa couplings, and lead to a restricted range of values for other ones at the GUT scale, with a considerable reduction in the number of free parameters. One particular solution of the two‐loop models shows an enhanced symmetry, leading to an all‐loop finite model, which has a significant parameter reduction and could in principle reproduce the observed quark masses and mixing pattern. In this case the finiteness conditions determine the absolute value of all the Yukawa couplings at the unification scale. Finally, the minimum number of phases in the mass matrices and their position are determined, a task not previously done in Finite Unified Theories, which contributes towards the reduction of parameters and a better understanding of the Yukawa couplings.

Estrada Ramos, Luis Odín↗

Reduced CO 2 uptake and growing nutrient sequestration from slowing overturning circulation

Current Earth system models (ESMs) project dramatic slowing (28–42% by 2100) of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and Southern Meridional Overturning Circulation (SMOC) across a range of climate scenarios, with a complete shutdown of SMOC possible by year 2300. Slowing meridional overturning circulation (MOC) differentially impacts the ocean biological and solubility carbon pumps, leaving the net impact on ocean carbon uptake uncertain. Here using a suite of ESMs, we show that slowing MOC reduces anthropogenic carbon uptake by the solubility pump but increases deep-ocean storage of carbon and nutrients by the biological pump. The net effect reduces ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 . The deep-ocean nutrient sequestration will increasingly depress global-scale, marine net primary production over time. As a result, MOC slowdown represents a positive feedback that could extend or intensify peak-warmth climate conditions on multi-century timescales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

A complete spectroscopic catalogue of local galaxies in the northern spring sky: Gas properties and nuclear activity in different environments

With the aim of providing the complete demography of galaxies in the local Universe, including their nuclear properties, we present SPRING, a complete census of local galaxies limited to the spring quarter of the northern sky (10h < RA < 16h; 0° < Dec < 65°). The SPRING catalogue is a flux- and volume-limited sample (r < 17.7 mag, cz < 10 000 km s -1 ) of 30 597 galaxies, including the Virgo, Coma, and A1367 clusters. Images and spectra were individually examined to clear the sample from unwanted entries. To inspect possible secular and environmental dependencies of the various nuclear excitation properties (star-forming versus active nuclei), we performed a multi-dimensional analysis by dividing the total sample according to: (i) their position in the (NUV - i) versus M star diagram, (ii) the local galaxy density, (iii) the stellar mass, (iv) the halo mass of the group to which galaxies belong, and (v) the neutral hydrogen content. We present a new calibration of the optical diameter-based H I-deficiency parameter H I def , employing a reference sample of isolated galaxies extracted from SPRING. At intermediate distances between Virgo and Coma, we identify a ring-like structure of galaxies constituted by three large filaments, each with a length of approximately 20h -1 Mpc, mostly composed of blue-cloud galaxies with stellar masses M star ≲ 10 10 M ⊙ . The fraction of H I-deficient galaxies within the filament (~30%) suggests that filaments are a transitioning environment between lower- and higher-overdensity environments in terms of H I content, as we find a clear progression from field galaxies to the filament and cluster galaxies for an increasing H I def parameter. We classify the nuclear spectra according to the four-line Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich (BPT) and the two-line EWHα versus [NII]/Hα (WHAN) diagnostic diagrams, and investigate the variation in the fraction of active nuclei hosts with stellar mass, as well as their colours and environments. We observe that the fraction of low-ionisation nuclear emitting regions (LINERs) is a steep function of stellar mass, for example, it is consistent with zero up to M star ≲ 10 9.5 M ⊙ and becomes ~40% for M star ≳ 101 0.5 M ⊙ , whereas, for M star ≲ 10 9 - 9.5 M ⊙ , almost the entire spectroscopic sample is constituted of galaxies with star-forming nuclei. We investigate whether the nuclear-excitation fractions depend predominantly on the stellar mass or, conversely, on the galaxy environment. In general, we observe that the mass dependence of the fraction of Seyfert nuclei is not very sensitive to the galaxy environment, whereas the fraction of star-forming nuclei is a steeper function of stellar mass in lower-density environments and in blue-cloud galaxies. We find that the fraction of LINERs depends on galaxy colour and, for M star ≳ 10 9.5 - 10 M ⊙ , increases in galaxies belonging to the green valley.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The DOE CSSG: 2021 the Year in Review [Slides]

2021 accomplishments include completed taskings (2021-01, CSSG Review of Draft Revision to DOE-STD-1134 amd 2021-02, CSSG Review of FY22 NCSP Proposals) and a panel presentation at the 2021 ANS Winter Meeting. Projected taskings for 2022 include CSSG Guidance to NNSA on Contract Transition Regarding Criticality Safety, self-assessment of the CSSG, and a focus on improving the visibility and relevance of the CSSG. The CSSG is active and always seeking opportunities to assist. The CSSG is striving to be a strong, unified voice, bringing reason to and/or keeping reason in Criticality Safety. The CSSG is well positioned to continue their support role into the future.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Big Data Synchrophasor Monitoring and Analytics for Resiliency Tracking (BDSMART)

This report contains key findings from a project titled Big Data Synchrophasor Monitoring and Analytics for Resiliency Tracking (BDSMART), which was carried out through a collaborative effort of a team of researchers from Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Temple University, and Quanta Technology, LLC. The in-kind support came from OSIsoft (acquired by AVEVA), which provided their PI Historian software to demonstrate the use case of streaming PMU data. The first section of the report describes the project goals and objectives related to the development of Machine Learning (ML) models capable of detecting and classifying events by processing phasor measurements captured in the field by Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). The data for this study was contributed by the utilities/ISOs from the Western and Eastern interconnects and ERCOT, further referred to as Interconnect B (IC B), Interconnect A (IC A), and Interconnect C (IC C), respectively. The approach that the BDSMART Research Team proposed and the key research tasks defined by the team are outlined in this section. The next section describes the technical approach. We first discuss the data constraints related to the PMU measurements and data interpretation constraints imposed by the data contributors. They provided neither the topological information of the grid nor PMU placement locations and captured recorded data at very few locations in the system with the reporting rate of either 30 or 60 fps. The recordings are mostly positive sequence voltage, frequency, and ROCOF, and in some limited cases, three-phase voltages and currents. We then reflect on the bad data issues that stem from poor recording practices and vague definitions of the PMU status bits to supposedly be used for bad data identification. Finally, the data discovery points to imprecise time stamps with incomplete event start/end time, as well as inconsistent and incomplete event labeling, which combined make the implementation of the data models using supervising learning quite challenging. Following the data discovery study, we hypothesize that because the IC B data has the most complete labels, we should focus our model development on that data and then test it on data from other interconnects. We also define the common metrics used to evaluate the results from the ML algorithm tests. We concluded this section by summarizing the common ML models we used and explaining how we implemented and tested them. The issues from this section are expanded in the Training Dataset Report from this project. The final section of this report deals with the accomplishments and conclusions. As the accomplishments, we formulate the problem we are solving and what is achieved by solving the problem. We then reflect on each of the analytics tools we developed and point out the performance of each tool when applied to solving the mentioned problems. We reference this work for further details to the papers we published on each tool. In the conclusions, we give recommendations on how to improve future PMU recording practices to facilitate the ML algorithm implementation and guidance for the future standardization work aimed at clarifying the ambiguities associated with the PMU status bits. We finally list future tasks that can bring about further improvements in the proposed algorithms. The issues from this section are expanded in the Training, and Test Dataset Report filed at the project completion date.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Charge per Micro-Pulse Calculation for Ideal Lujan and WNR beams

A complete redesign of the LANSCE front-end is currently under development for the Los Alamos Modernization Project (LAMP). This includes the replacement of the traditional Cockroft-Walton injection system to the newer radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) standard. LANSCE accelerates both H- and H+ beams and therefore requires an unconventional application for RFQ systems. A new facility could consider using an independent RFQ for each beam species. However, with the tight space of the LANSCE injector facility, it would prove difficult to instrument. Our initial studies have shown that a single RFQ could be used. The negatively- and positively-charged direct current (DC) beams are shaped, bunched, and accelerated out of phase to each other, with very little interaction. This would work for all possible H+ beam gates and most H- Beam gates. However, a challenge arises with the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) beam structure that requires the acceleration of bunched beams at higher charge density per pulse. The Long Bunch Enable Gate (LBEG) used for the Lujan center is the best example of a standard injector beam gate. The beam gate, or Macro-Pulse (MP), is 625-us long, separated by at least 8.3 ms. A chopper is used to dice the MP into 1750 mini-Pulses (mP), which are 290-ns wide. After chopping, the MP contains 100,000 micro-Pulses (uP), which are generated by the linac acceleration structure modulated at 201.25 MHz; that is, the micro-Pulses are separated 5 ns apart from each other. The H+ beam structure will be very similar once a chopper is added to its transport. However, the Multi-Pulse Enable Gate (MPEG) used for WNR is significantly different in structure. In this case, the mP is chopped to be only 35-ns wide. This width is then rotated into a single 201.25 MHz RF bucket using the Low Frequency Buncher (LFB). This is proving difficult for the RFQ design in the LAMP upgrade. We began investigating the amount of current sent to WNR for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to find a solution to avoid using the Low Frequency Buncher to simplify the LAMP RFQ design. It is simple to inject and accelerate a 35 mA DC beam in the LAMP RFQ (this is done in numerous accelerator facilities). However, injecting a short bunch with a larger current (once compressed to 5 ns to meet the RFQ frequency) may be difficult. Second, we have a technique called PSR2WNR in which we do not employ the Low Frequency Buncher, but rather accumulate 5 LBEG uP (5 ns) in the PSR and deliver the accumulated beam to WNR every 1.8 us. As a result, we could provide to WNR with five accumulated LBEG uPs every shot. The goal here is to create a rapid kicker with a frequency response of 555 kHz. DARHT-II and other accelerator facilities have constructed kickers of this type for other uses, and our engineers consider this technology as feasible.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Flight test evaluation of the Stanford University/United Airlines differential GPS Category 3 automatic landing system

Test flights were conducted to evaluate the capability of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to provide the accuracy and integrity required for International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Category (CAT) 3 precision approach and landings. These test flights were part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program to evaluate the technical feasibility of using DGPS based technology for CAT 3 precision approach and landing applications. A United Airlines Boeing 737-300 (N304UA) was equipped with DGPS receiving equipment and additional computing capability provided by Stanford University. The test flights were conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Crows Landing Flight Facility, Crows Landing, California. The flight test evaluation was based on completing 100 approaches and autolandings; 90 touch and go, and 10 terminating with a full stop. Two types of accuracy requirements were evaluated: 1) Total system error, based on the Required Navigation Performance (RNP), and 2) Navigation sensor error, based on ICAO requirements for the Microwave Landing System (MLS). All of the approaches and autolandings were evaluated against ground truth reference data provided by a laser tracker. Analysis of these approaches and autolandings shows that the Stanford University/United Airlines system met the requirements for a successful approach and autolanding 98 out of 100 approaches and autolandings, based on the total system error requirements as specified in the FAA CAT 3 Level 2 Flight Test Plan.

Kaufmann, David N.↗

Flight test evaluation of the E-systems Differential GPS category 3 automatic landing system

Test flights were conducted to evaluate the capability of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to provide the accuracy and integrity required for International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Category (CAT) III precision approach and landings. These test flights were part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program to evaluate the technical feasibility of using DGPS based technology for CAT III precision approach and landing applications. An IAI Westwind 1124 aircraft (N24RH) was equipped with DGPS receiving equipment and additional computing capability provided by E-Systems. The test flights were conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Crows Landing Flight Facility, Crows Landing, California. The flight test evaluation was based on completing 100 approaches and landings. The navigation sensor error accuracy requirements were based on ICAO requirements for the Microwave Landing System (MLS). All of the approaches and landings were evaluated against ground truth reference data provided by a laser tracker. Analysis of these approaches and landings shows that the E-Systems DGPS system met the navigation sensor error requirements for a successful approach and landing 98 out of 100 approaches and landings, based on the requirements specified in the FAA CAT III Level 2 Flight Test Plan. In addition, the E-Systems DGPS system met the integrity requirements for a successful approach and landing or stationary trial for all 100 approaches and landings and all ten stationary trials, based on the requirements specified in the FAA CAT III Level 2 Flight Test Plan.

Kaufmann, David N.↗

STS-80 Mission Highlights Resource Tape

The flight crew of STS-80, Cmdr. Kenneth D. Cockrell, Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Mission Specialists, Tamara E. Jernigan, Thomas D. Jones, and F. Story Musgrave are seen performing pre-launch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, being suited-up, and riding out to the launch pad. Also, included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew is readied in the 'white room' for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including the countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) from the shuttle. The crew completes the first major objective of the mission with the deployment of the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) on the reusable Shuttle Pallet Satellite. The crew than begins final preparations for the release of Wake Shield. Jones powers up the shuttle's Canadian-built robot arm and grapples the satellite, while Jernigan powers up the Orbiter Space Vision System, which will be used to track precisely the Wake Shield's location. Cockrell places Columbia in a gravity gradient attitude to minimize disturbances during the release. Jones uses the robot arm to hold Wake Shield in position for a two-and-a-half hour cleansing by atomic oxygen molecules before moving the arm to the deploy position. The failure of the hatch to properly open causes the cancellation of all EVA's planned for this mission by Jernigan and Jones. The mission ends with the shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

Source record↗

Mass Inferencing Model Creation and Deployment to the RASSOR Lunar Excavation Robot

The Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Excavator is a teleoperated mobile robotic platform with a unique space regolith excavation capability. The Intelligent Capabilities Enhanced RASSOR research project developed functionality for inferencing regolith mass ingested during RASSOR operation, enhancing RASSOR’s ability to successfully complete ISRU missions. To teleoperate or run autonomously, it is crucial for the quantity of regolith mass ingested by RASSOR to be available as a system state for efficient operation. For example, during autonomous operation, RASSOR should navigate and move to a processing plant to offload the collected regolith when the drums are full; without knowledge of how much mass is in the drums, this type of high-level planning is not possible. Four distinct modeling approaches were employed in developing a mass inferencing approach that could work on RASSOR. All take in system states, such as arm/drum positions, velocities, currents, voltages, and robot pose, and output a mass prediction for each set of the robot’s bucket drums.1) A neural network model that takes a vector of normalized system states; 2) A model that uses the integrated power consumption of an arm-raise (normalized by velocity); 3) A model that uses average drum current over a variable length interval of the drum disengaged from the surface; and 4) A real-time estimation model that aggregates excavation drum current. The developed models run in real time, outputting predictions for the front and rear drums, timestamp of the last prediction, and total mass in RASSOR’s drums. Further testing is required to validate the arm-raise model (2), though initial tests indicate reasonable performance (<10% mean error) on the hardware. The linear fit of average drum-current model (3) had a front value of r^2=0.99 and a rear value of r^2=0.98 on the validation dataset. This model currently has the best performance on unseen data. The real time model (4) is still in development, though initial results on a small subset of the training data show that it has high accuracy in predicting the increase in mass during excavation. Though work remains to be done with deploying a high-fidelity model to the physical system that makes predictions with error below the desired threshold, the modular architecture for model development allows quick adjustment of parameters to increase model fidelity. This architecture can also be adapted to use lunar excavation data to create models that are reflective of RASSOR’s dynamics when operating on the lunar surface. The results are promising as it has been shown that models can be developed that accurately estimate excavated regolith mass.

rassor↗

Computational Imaging for Intelligence in Highly Scattering Aerosols (Final Report)

Natural and man-made degraded visual environments pose major threats to national security. The random scattering and absorption of light by tiny particles suspended in the air reduces situational awareness and causes unacceptable down-time for critical systems and operations. To improve the situation, we have developed several approaches to interpret the information contained within scattered light to enhance sensing and imaging in scattering media. These approaches were tested at the Sandia National Laboratory Fog Chamber facility and with tabletop fog chambers. Computationally efficient light transport models were developed and leveraged for computational sensing. The models are based on a weak angular dependence approximation to the Boltzmann or radiative transfer equation that appears to be applicable in both the moderate and highly scattering regimes. After the new model was experimentally validated, statistical approaches for detection, localization, and imaging of objects hidden in fog were developed and demonstrated. A binary hypothesis test and the Neyman-Pearson lemma provided the highest theoretically possible probability of detection for a specified false alarm rate and signal-to-noise ratio. Maximum likelihood estimation allowed estimation of the fog optical properties as well as the position, size, and reflection coefficient of an object in fog. A computational dehazing approach was implemented to reduce the effects of scatter on images, making object features more readily discernible. We have developed, characterized, and deployed a new Tabletop Fog Chamber capable of repeatably generating multiple unique fog-analogues for optical testing in degraded visual environments. We characterized this chamber using both optical and microphysical techniques. In doing so we have explored the ability of droplet nucleation theory to describe the aerosols generated within the chamber, as well as Mie scattering theory to describe the attenuation of light by said aerosols, and correlated the aerosol microphysics to optical properties such as transmission and meteorological optical range (MOR). This chamber has proved highly valuable and has supported multiple efforts inclusive to and exclusive of this LDRD project to test optics in degraded visual environments. Circularly polarized light has been found to maintain its polarization state better than linearly polarized light when propagating through fog. This was demonstrated experimentally in both the visible and short-wave infrared (SWIR) by imaging targets made of different commercially available retroreflective films. It was found that active circularly polarized imaging can increase contrast and range compared to linearly polarized imaging. We have completed an initial investigation of the capability for machine learning methods to reduce the effects of light scattering when imaging through fog. Previously acquired experimental long-wave images were used to train an autoencoder denoising architecture. Overfitting was found to be a problem because of lack of variability in the object type in this data set. The lessons learned were used to collect a well labeled dataset with much more variability using the Tabletop Fog Chamber that will be available for future studies. We have developed several new sensing methods using speckle intensity correlations. First, the ability to image moving objects in fog was shown, establishing that our unique speckle imaging method can be implemented in dynamic scattering media. Second, the speckle decorrelation over time was found to be sensitive to fog composition, implying extensions to fog characterization. Third, the ability to distinguish macroscopically identical objects on a far-subwavelength scale was demonstrated, suggesting numerous applications ranging from nanoscale defect detection to security. Fourth, we have shown the capability to simultaneously image and localize hidden objects, allowing the speckle imaging method to be effective without prior object positional information. Finally, an interferometric effect was presented that illustrates a new approach for analyzing speckle intensity correlations that may lead to more effective ways to localize and image moving objects. All of these results represent significant developments that challenge the limits of the application of speckle imaging and open important application spaces. A theory was developed and simulations were performed to assess the potential transverse resolution benefit of relative motion in structured illumination for radar systems. Results for a simplified radar system model indicate that significant resolution benefits are possible using data from scanning a structured beam over the target, with the use of appropriate signal processing.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

The Single Residue K12 Governs the Exceptional Voltage Sensitivity of Mitochondrial Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel Gating

The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is a β-barrel channel of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) that passively transports ions, metabolites, polypeptides, and single-stranded DNA. VDAC responds to a transmembrane potential by “gating,” i.e. transitioning to one of a variety of low-conducting states of unknown structure. The gated state results in nearly complete suppression of multivalent mitochondrial metabolite (such as ATP and ADP) transport, while enhancing calcium transport. Voltage gating is a universal property of β-barrel channels, but VDAC gating is anomalously sensitive to transmembrane potential. Here, we show that a single residue in the pore interior, K12, is responsible for most of VDAC’s voltage sensitivity. Using the analysis of over 40 μs of atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we explore correlations between motions of charged residues inside the VDAC pore and geometric deformations of the β-barrel. Residue K12 is bistable; its motions between two widely separated positions along the pore axis enhance the fluctuations of the β-barrel and augment the likelihood of gating. Single channel electrophysiology of various K12 mutants reveals a dramatic reduction of the voltage-induced gating transitions. The crystal structure of the K12E mutant at a resolution of 2.6 Å indicates a similar architecture of the K12E mutant to the wild type; however, 60 μs of atomistic MD simulations using the K12E mutant show restricted motion of residue 12, due to enhanced connectivity with neighboring residues, and diminished amplitude of barrel motions. We conclude that β-barrel fluctuations, governed particularly by residue K12, drive VDAC gating transitions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Etched Silicon Planar CRL Optics for the High-Energy X-ray Diffraction Beamlines 11-ID-B and 11-ID-C at the APS

We report the focusing of high-energy X-rays is most commonly achieved by commercially available compound refractive lenses (CRL), which are added together in larger structures. There is a need for high-energy X-ray beamlines to enable focusing in only one dimension down to a few micrometers to study layered materials and thin films. High-energy X-rays above 50 keV require often 100 lenses or more, therefore it is more efficient to etch the complete arrays of lenses into a monolithic substrate like a silicon wafer. Custom lens arrays were fabricated for the high-energy x-ray beamlines 11-ID-B, and 11-ID-C at the Argonne National Laboratory. The fabrication required tuning parameters of the Bosch process to optimize the etching of deep vertical sidewalls at a reasonable speed without overheating. The beamline 11-ID-B is equipped with lens arrays of 85-110 lenses for 59 keV and 190-250 lenses for 87 keV photon energy, focusing the beam vertically below 5.0 µm at the sample positions between 1600 mm to 2100 mm. 11-ID-C has received arrays of 435 lenses that focus 106 keV X-rays to a vertical height of 2.0 µm at the sample position. In both cases, the flux density gain in the focal spot is larger than a factor of 20, relative to using slits to cut the beam size. The lens setup is permanently installed and can be moved in and out of the beam during the experiment without further alignment. The lenses have enabled operando diffraction studies on interfaces in batteries and the development of pair distribution function (PDF) analysis using grazing incidence geometry.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Construction status of the Mu2e crystal calorimeter

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will search for the charged-lepton flavor violating neutrino-less conversion of a negative muon into an electron in the field of an aluminum nucleus. The Mu2e detector is composed of a tracker, an electromagnetic calorimeter and an external veto for cosmic rays. The calorimeter plays an important role in providing excellent particle identification capabilities and a fast online trigger filter, while aiding the track reconstruction capabilities. Calorimeter requirements are to provide a large acceptance for 0~10 MeV electrons and reach: i) a time resolution better than 0.5 ns; ii) an energy resolution better than 10%; and iii) a position resolution of 1 cm. The calorimeter consists of two disks, each one made of 674 pure CsI crystals. Each crystal is readout by two large area 2×3 arrays of UV-extended SiPMs of 6×6 mm2 dimensions. A large scale prototype (Module-0) has been tested at an electron beam. We report here the tests done to finalize the calorimeter design, the results obtained with Module-0 and the status of production. At this time, the performance characteristics of 85% of the crystals and all of the SiPMs have been measured. The calorimeter engineering drawings have been completed and the large mechanical components are under fabrication. Analog and digital electronics have been prototyped and tested with irradiation dose. Their serial production is being organized. The calorimeter assembly phase is planned for mid-2020.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Highly Accurate Experimental Heave Decay Tests with a Floating Sphere: A Public Benchmark Dataset for Model Validation of Fluid–Structure Interaction

Highly accurate and precise heave decay tests on a sphere with a diameter of 300 mm were completed in a meticulously designed test setup in the wave basin in the Ocean and Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Aalborg University, Denmark. The tests were dedicated to providing a rigorous benchmark dataset for numerical model validation. The sphere was ballasted to half submergence, thereby floating with the waterline at the equator when at rest in calm water. Heave decay tests were conducted, wherein the sphere was held stationary and dropped from three drop heights: a small drop height, which can be considered a linear case, a moderately nonlinear case, and a highly nonlinear case with a drop height from a position where the whole sphere was initially above the water. The precision of the heave decay time series was calculated from random and systematic standard uncertainties. At a 95% confidence level, uncertainties were found to be very low—on average only about 0.3% of the respective drop heights. Physical parameters of the test setup and associated uncertainties were quantified. A test case was formulated that closely represents the physical tests, enabling the reader to do his/her own numerical tests. The paper includes a comparison of the physical test results to the results from several independent numerical models based on linear potential flow, fully nonlinear potential flow, and the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. A high correlation between physical and numerical test results is shown. The physical test results are very suitable for numerical model validation and are public as a benchmark dataset.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The soft X-ray turnoff of Nova Muscae 1983

Nova GQ Muscae 1983 was detected by ROSAT as a luminous 'supersoft' X-ray source in 1992, nearly a decade after outburst. Further, this is the only classical postnova known to have maintained constant luminosity on a timescale predicted by theoretical models. Follow-up observations were made with the ROSAT position-sensitive proportional counter in 1993 January and September, and complemented with B-band photometry taken in 1993 January. By 1993 January, the X-ray count rate had declined by a factor of 17, while there was neither an appreciable decrease in the optical magnitude nor a change in the amplitude of modulation. In 1993 September the soft X-ray flux was below the ROSAT threshold limit, implying a decrease of a factor greater than or equal to 30 in the count rate. This decline can be interpreted by the turnoff of nuclear processes due to the complete consumption of the residual hydrogen-rich envelope. However, the optical luminosity of the system is not simply coupled to the X-ray luminosity (e.g., through reprocessing).

Shanley, L.↗

High-Reynolds Number Circulation Control Testing in the National Transonic Facility

A new capability to test active flow control concepts and propulsion simulations at high Reynolds numbers in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center is being developed. The first active flow control experiment was completed using the new FAST-MAC semi-span model to study Reynolds number scaling effects for several circulation control concepts. Testing was conducted over a wide range of Mach numbers, up to chord Reynolds numbers of 30 million. The model was equipped with four onboard flow control valves allowing independent control of the circulation control plenums, which were directed over a 15% chord simple-hinged flap. Preliminary analysis of the uncorrected lift data showed that the circulation control increased the low-speed maximum lift coefficient by 33%. At transonic speeds, the circulation control was capable of positively altering the shockwave pattern on the upper wing surface and reducing flow separation. Furthermore, application of the technique to only the outboard portion of the wing demonstrated the feasibility of a pneumatic based roll control capability.

Milholen, William E., II↗