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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Machine learning and process-based modeling of spatiotemporal changes in active layer thickness across Alaska

Permafrost degradation poses a growing threat to infrastructure stability and ecosystem resilience in the rapidly warming Arctic. We investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of active layer thickness (ALT) across Alaska by integrating field observations, environmental datasets, a physically based Stefan model, and machine learning (ML) techniques. Using weather projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP 2-4.5 and SSP 5-8.5), we assessed ALT sensitivity to projected future weather conditions. The random forest (RF) model outperformed the Stefan approach in predicting ALT on the training dataset (R² = 0.84 vs. 0.53) but demonstrated lower generalizability on the test dataset (R² = 0.24 vs. 0.54). The root mean square error (RMSE) for the RF model for training and testing ranged from 14 to 22 cm, compared to 17 and 18 cm for the Stefan model. Variable importance analysis revealed that mean annual temperature and slope angle were the strongest predictors of ALT, accounting for 19% and 18% of the variance, respectively, followed by sediment transport index (14%) and stream power index (11%). Comparative analysis of baseline ALT predictions showed the Stefan model tended to project a thicker active layer (mean ± SD: 65 ± 16 cm), compared to the RF model (mean ± SD: 59 ± 8.8) cm). Both models indicated a latitudinal gradient in ALT, with shallower depths at higher latitudes. Projected ALT increases by 2100 were estimated at 3.3 ± 2.2 cm under SSP 2-4.5 and 5.9 ± 4.0 cm under SSP 5-8.5 for the ML model, whereas the Stefan model projected substantially larger increases of 13 ± 2.6 cm (SSP 2-4.5) and 28 ± 4.4 cm (SSP5-8.5). Spatial analysis showed the greatest ALT increases in northern Alaska, with relatively smaller changes in southern regions. These findings highlight the complex, multifactorial nature of ALT dynamics and the value of hybrid modeling approaches. As rising temperatures accelerate permafrost thaw, changes in ALT can disrupt ecosystems, damage infrastructures, and enhance the release of stored soil carbon, highlighting the urgent need for improved predictive capabilities to inform adaptation strategies in the Arctic.

Climate sciences↗
DOE OSTI2013

Broadband, Polarization-Sensitive Photodetector Based on Optically-Thick Films of Macroscopically Long, Dense and Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

Increasing performance demands on photodetectors and solar cells require the development of entirely new materials and technological approaches. We report on the fabrication and optoelectronic characterization of a photodetector based on optically-thick films of dense, aligned, and macroscopically long single-wall carbon nanotubes. The photodetector exhibits broadband response from the visible to the mid-infrared under global illumination, with a response time less than 32 ms. Scanning photocurrent microscopy indicates that the signal originates at the contact edges, with an amplitude and width that can be tailored by choosing different contact metals. A theoretical model demonstrates the photo-thermoelectric origin of the photo-response due to gradients in the nanotube Seebeck coefficient near the contacts. The experimental and theoretical results open a new path for the realization of optoelectronic devices based on three-dimensionally organized nanotubes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Temperature effects on nanostructure and mechanical properties of single-nanoparticle thick membranes.

In this study, the properties of mechanically stable single-nanoparticle (NP)-thick membranes have largely been studied at room temperature. How these membranes soften as nanoparticle ligands disorder with increasing temperature is unknown. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to probe the temperature dependence of the mechanical and nanostructural properties of nanoparticle membranes made of 6 nm diameter Au nanoparticles coated with dodecanethiol ligands and terminated with either methyl (CH 3 ) or carboxyl (COOH) terminal groups. For methyl-terminated ligands, interactions along the alkane chain provide mechanical stiffness, with a Young's modulus of 1.7 GPa at 300 K. For carboxyl-terminated chains, end-group interactions are significant, producing stiffer membranes at all temperatures, with a Young's modulus of 3.8 GPa at 300 K. For both end-group types, membrane stiffness is reduced to zero at about 400 K. Ligand structure and mechanical properties of membranes at 300 K that have been annealed at 400 K are comparable to samples that do not undergo thermal annealing.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Mesoporous Ni 60 Fe 30 Mn 10 -alloy based metal/metal oxide composite thick films as highly active and robust oxygen evolution catalysts

A major challenge in the field of water electrolysis is the scarcity of oxygen-evolving catalysts that are inexpensive, highly corrosion-resistant, suitable for large-scale applications and able to oxidize water at high current densities and low overpotentials. Most unsupported, non-precious metals oxygen-evolution catalysts require at least ~350 mV overpotential to oxidize water with a current density of 10 mA cm –2 in 1 M alkaline solution. In this paper we report on a robust nanostructured porous NiFe-based oxygen evolution catalyst made by selective alloy corrosion. In 1 M KOH, our material exhibits a catalytic activity towards water oxidation of 500 mA cm –2 at 360 mV overpotential and is stable for over eleven days. This exceptional performance is attributed to three factors. First, the small size of the ligaments and pores in our mesoporous catalyst (~10 nm) results in a high BET surface area (43 m 2 g –1 ) and therefore a high density of oxygen-evolution catalytic sites per unit mass. Second, the open porosity facilitates effective mass transfer at the catalyst/electrolyte interface. Third and finally, the high bulk electrical conductivity of the mesoporous catalyst allows for effective current flow through the electrocatalyst, making it possible to use thick films with a high density of active sites and ~3 × 10 4 cm 2 of catalytic area per cm 2 of electrode area. Our mesoporous catalyst is thus attractive for alkaline electrolyzers where water-based solutions are decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen as the only products, driven either conventionally or by photovoltaics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Lipid bilayer thickness determines cholesterol's location in model membranes

Cholesterol is an essential biomolecule of animal cell membranes, and an important precursor for the biosynthesis of certain hormones and vitamins. It is also thought to play a key role in cell signaling processes associated with functional plasma membrane microdomains (domains enriched in cholesterol), commonly referred to as rafts. In all of these diverse biological phenomena, the transverse location of cholesterol in the membrane is almost certainly an important structural feature. Using a combination of neutron scattering and solid-state 2 H NMR, we have determined the location and orientation of cholesterol in phosphatidylcholine (PC) model membranes having fatty acids of different lengths and degrees of unsaturation. The data establish that cholesterol reorients rapidly about the bilayer normal in all the membranes studied, but is tilted and forced to span the bilayer midplane in the very thin bilayers. The possibility that cholesterol lies flat in the middle of bilayers, including those made from PC lipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), is ruled out. Finally, these results support the notion that hydrophobic thickness is the primary determinant of cholesterol's location in membranes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Thickness-dependence of block copolymer coarsening kinetics

In spite of active research, many fundamental aspects of block copolymer ordering remain unresolved. We studied the thickness-dependence of block copolymer grain coarsening kinetics, and find that thinner films order more rapidly than thicker films. Bilayer films, or monolayers with partial layers of islands, order more slowly than monolayers because of the greater amount of material that must rearrange in a coordinated fashion. Sub-monolayer films order much more rapidly than monolayers, exhibiting considerably smaller activation energies, as well as larger exponents for the time-growth power-law. Furthermore, by using molecular dynamics simulations, we directly study the motion of defects in these film regimes. Here, we attribute the enhanced grain growth in sub-monolayers to the film boundaries, where defects can be spontaneously eliminated. The boundaries thus act as efficient sinks for morphological defects, pointing towards methods for engineering rapid ordering of self-assembling thin films.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Influence of graphene thickness and grain boundaries on MoS 2 wrinkle nanostructures

Controlling wrinkle nanostructures of two-dimensional materials is critical for optimizing the material properties and device performance. Herein, we demonstrated the in situ synthesis of large-area MoS 2 wrinkles on graphene by chemical-vapor-deposition-assisted sulfurization, and investigated the influence of graphene thickness and grain structures on the feature dimensions of MoS 2 wrinkle nanostructures. The height, width, and overall surface roughness of the MoS 2 wrinkles diminish as the number of graphene layers increases, which was further verified by determining the binding energy of graphene layers by density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, the feature dimensions of MoS 2 wrinkle nanostructures were also influenced by graphene domain boundaries because of the difference in graphene nucleation density. This may be attributed to the influence of the mechanical properties of graphene substrates on the overall feature dimensions of MoS 2 wrinkles, which are directly correlated with the interfacial adhesion energy. We believe that our findings may contribute toward the controllable synthesis of MoS 2 wrinkle nanostructures and other two-dimensional materials used for high-performance devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electrodeposition of nanometer-thick epitaxial films of silver onto single-crystal silicon wafers

Silver films were deposited epitaxially for the first time onto low-index, single-crystal silicon wafers through an electrochemical method in an aqueous silver acetate bath. A negative potential of -2.34 V vs. Hg/Hg 2 SO 4 was used for both pre-polarization and during the deposition to avoid Si oxidation. The epitaxy of Ag films on Si(111), (110) and (100) was characterized by X-ray diffraction symmetric scans and pole figures. The Ag films showed [111], [110] and [100] out-of-plane orientations, respectively, with in-plane order determined by the Si substrates. Interface models consistent with the observed orientations invoke coincident site lattices (CSLs), in which four unit meshes of Ag coincide with three unit meshes of Si. These CSLs reduce the lattice mismatch from -24.9% to +0.13%. A thickness of about 10 nm was obtained for Ag deposited for ten minutes. A comparison of silver acetate electrolyte and cyanide electrolyte was also performed, showing advantages of the acetate bath over the cyanide bath for growth of epitaxial films of Ag on Si surfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of a cold-neutron imaging detector based on thick gaseous electron multiplier

We present the results of our recent studies on a cold-neutron imaging detector prototype based on THick Gaseous Electron Multiplier (THGEM). The detector consists of a thin Boron layer, for neutron-to-charged particle conversion, coupled to two THGEM electrodes in cascade for charge amplification and a position-sensitive charge-readout anode. The detector operates in Ne/(5%)CF{sub 4}, at atmospheric pressure, in a stable condition at a gain of around 10{sup 4}. Due to the geometrical structure of the detector elements (THGEM geometry and charge read-out anode), the image of detector active area shows a large inhomogeneity, corrected using a dedicated flat-filed correction algorithm. The prototype provides a detection efficiency of 5% and an effective spatial resolution of the order of 1.3 mm.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thin-thick hydrogen target for nuclear physics

In spectroscopic studies of unstable nuclei, hydrogen targets are of key importance. The CHyMENE Project aims to provide to the nuclear physics community a thin and pure solid windowless hydrogen or deuterium target. CHyMENE project must respond to this request for the production of solid Hydrogen. The solid hydrogen target is produced in a continuous flow (1 cm/s) by an extrusion technique (developed with the PELIN laboratory) in a vacuum chamber. The shape of the target is determined by the design of the nozzle at the extrusion process. For the purpose, the choice is a rectangular shape with a width of 10 mm and a thickness in the range of 30-50 microns necessary for the physics objectives. The cryostat is equipped with a GM Cryocooler with sufficient power for the solidification of the hydrogen in the lower portion of the extruder. In the higher part of the cryostat, the hydrogen gas is first liquefied and partially solidified. It is then compressed at 100 bars in the cooled extruder before expulsion of the film through the nozzle at the center of the reaction vacuum chamber. After the previous step, the solid hydrogen ribbon falls by gravity into a dedicated chamber where it sublimes and the gas is pumped and evacuated in a exhaust line. This paper deals with the design of the cryostat with its equipment, with the sizing of the thermal bridge (Aluminum and copper), with the results regarding the contact resistance as well as with the vacuum computations of the reaction and recovery hydrogen gas chambers.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Welding for testability: An approach aimed at improving the ultrasonic testing of thick-walled austenitic and dissimilar metal welds

Austenitic and dissimilar welds in thick walled components show a coarse grained, dendritic microstructure. Therefore, ultrasonic testing has to deal with beam refraction, scattering and mode conversion effects. As a result, the testing techniques typically applied for isotropic materials yield dissatisfying results. Most approaches for improvement of ultrasonic testing have been based on modeling and improved knowledge of the complex wave propagation phenomena. In this paper, we discuss an alternative approach: is it possible to use a modified welding technology which eliminates the cause of the UT complications, i.e. the large-grained structure of the weld seams? Various modification parameters were tested, including: TIG current pulsing, additional DC and AC magnetic fields, and also additional external vibrations during welding. For all welds produced under different conditions, the grain structure of the weld seam was characterized by optical and GIUM microstructure visualizations on cross sections, wave field propagation measurements, and ultrasonic tests of correct detectability of flaws. The mechanical properties of the welds were also tested.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

1-nm-thick graphene tri-layer as the ultimate copper diffusion barrier

We demonstrate the thinnest ever reported Cu diffusion barrier, a 1-nm-thick graphene tri-layer. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra show that the graphene is thermally stable at up to 750 °C against Cu diffusion. Transmission electron microscopy images show that there was no inter-diffusion in the Cu/graphene/Si structure. Raman analyses indicate that the graphene may have degraded into a nanocrystalline structure at 750 °C. At 800 °C, the perfect carbon structure was damaged, and thus the barrier failed. The results of this study suggest that graphene could be the ultimate Cu interconnect diffusion barrier.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Superferrimagnetism in hard Nd-Fe-B thick films, an original concept for coercivity enhancement

In a number of applications (automotive, wind generators), RFeB magnets are parts of systems which operate at temperatures in the range of 160 °C–180 °C. At these high temperatures, coercivity is preserved by substituting Dy atoms for a part of the Nd ones. The enhanced coercivity obtained may be associated to the high magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Dy atoms, which diffuse into the R{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B phase. The introduction of Dy, however, induces a reduction in the remanent magnetization. Furthermore, Dy is an expensive and strategic material. In this study, we explore a radically different approach to coercivity. A magnetic layer is deposited at the surface of the hard grains, this layer being exchange coupled to the main hard phase in a way that its magnetization is antiparallel to it. Under an applied field that tends to reverse the main phase magnetization, the surface layer, the magnetization of which is along the field, works against reversal. This is the concept of superferrimagnetism. In order to test its impact on the coercivity of real systems, magnetically hard thick films of NdFeB have been sandwiched between thin layers of Gd/Fe, which were transformed to GdFe{sub 2} upon annealing. Coercivity enhancement was achieved compared to a reference NdFeB single layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Exciplex emission and decay of co-deposited 4,4′,4″-tris[3-methylphenyl(phenyl)amino]triphenylamine:tris-[3-(3-pyridyl) mesityl]borane organic light-emitting devices with different electron transporting layer thicknesses

Highly efficient fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on the mixed 4,4′,4″-tris[3-methylphenyl(phenyl)amino]triphenylamine:tris-[3-(3-pyridyl) mesityl]borane (1:1) system are reported. The electroluminescence due to the exciplex emission is red shifted when the thickness of the electron-transporting layer increases. The prepared OLEDs achieve a low turn-on voltage of 2.1 V, a high current efficiency of 36.79 cd/A, and a very high luminescence of 17 100 cd/m{sup 2}, as well as a low efficiency roll-off. The current efficiency of the optimized OLED is maintained at more than 28.33 cd/A up to 10 000 cd m{sup −2}. The detailed recombination mechanism of the prepared OLEDs is investigated by the transient electroluminescence method. It is concluded that there are no contributions from trapped charges and annihilations of triplet-triplet excitons to the detected electroluminescence.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Structural and electronic characterization of 355 nm laser-crystallized silicon: Interplay of film thickness and laser fluence

We present a detailed study of the laser crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films as a function of laser fluence and film thickness. Silicon films grown through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were subjected to a Q-switched, diode-pumped solid-state laser operating at 355 nm. The crystallinity, morphology, and optical and electronic properties of the films are characterized through transmission and reflectance spectroscopy, resistivity measurements, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and optical and scanning-electron microscopy. Our results reveal a unique surface morphology that strongly couples to the electronic characteristics of the films, with a minimum laser fluence at which the film properties are optimized. A simple scaling model is used to relate film morphology to conductivity in the laser-processed films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Temperature dependent DC electrical conductivity studies of ZnO nanoparticle thick films prepared by simple solution combustion method

ZnO nanoparticles of different size were prepared by varying the molar ratio of glycine and zinc nitrate hexahydrate as fuel and oxidizer (F/O = 0.8, 1.11, 1.7) by simple solution combustion method. Powder samples were characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer, Scanning electron microscope (SEM). DC electrical conductivity measurements at room temperature and in the temperature range of 313-673K were carried out for the prepared thick films and it was found to increase with increase of temperature which confirms the semiconducting nature of the samples. Activation energies were calculated and it was found that, F/O molar ratio 1.7 has low E{sub AL} (Low temperature activation energy) and high E{sub AH} (High temperature activation energy) compared to other samples.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗