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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 163 records · Page 9

Transport, correlations, and chaos in a classical disordered anharmonic chain

Here, we explore transport properties in a disordered nonlinear chain of classical harmonic oscillators, and thereby identify a regime exhibiting behavior analogous to that seen in quantum many-body-localized systems. Through extensive numerical simulations of this system connected at its ends to heat baths at different temperatures, we computed the heat current and the temperature profile in the nonequilibrium steady state as a function of system size $\textit{N}$, disorder strength Δ, and temperature $\textit{T}$. The conductivity $κ_N$, obtained for finite length ($\textit{N}$), saturates to a value $κ_∞$ > 0 in the large $\textit{N}$ limit, for all values of disorder strength Δ and temperature $\textit{T}$ > 0. We show evidence that for any Δ > 0 the conductivity goes to zero faster than any power of $\textit{T}$ in the ($\textit{T}$/Δ) → 0 limit, and find that the form $κ_∞$ ~ $e^{{–B|\text{ln}(CΔ/T)|}^{3}}$ fits our data. This form has earlier been suggested by a theory based on the dynamics of multioscillator chaotic islands. The finite-size effect can be $κ_N < κ_∞$ due to boundary resistance when the bulk conductivity is high (the weak disorder case), or $κ_N > κ_∞$ due to direct bath-to-bath coupling through bulk localized modes when the bulk is weakly conducting (the strong disorder case). We also present results on equilibrium dynamical correlation functions and on the role of chaos on transport properties. Finally, we explore the differences in the growth and propagation of chaos in the weak and strong chaos regimes by studying the classical version of the out-of-time-ordered commutator.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Progress on Producing an ODS Ferritic Alloy by High Deformation Processing of Reactive Powders

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) ferritic alloys, such as 14YWT, are considered as benchmarks for fuel cladding and core structural materials in advanced nuclear energy reactor systems that require high temperature strength and creep properties as well as resistance to radiation damage. Unfortunately, the popular processing method of mechanical alloying (MA) is time-consuming, incurs high manufacturing costs, and typically produces anisotropy in the microstructure and mechanical properties of ODS ferritic alloys. These considerations hinder their acceptance in many high-performance, high-temperature materials for advanced nuclear energy reactors. This work package is pursuing an alternative solid-state processing to MA involving high deformation at high temperatures for producing an ODS ferritic alloy for fuel cladding. This report summarizes the concept for this processing method and the progress toward selecting the reactive and ferritic alloy powders, preparing 316L stainless steel cans for filling with blended powder followed by degassing, and choosing the heat treatments and forging parameters for performing the first two forging experiments. The preliminary results of optical microscopy performed on polished samples that were cut in three orthogonal directions revealed remnant porosity in both samples. The analysis of the porosity using ImageJ revealed a lesser amount of ~2.49% in the HiLoMe-1 sample that was processed with the three heat treatments and forging parameters compared to ~5.70% for the Hi-1 sample that was processed with only the first sintering heat treatment and forging parameter. These initial results will provide insights that can be leveraged to improve the densification of the powders in future forging experiments that will be continued into FY24 for determining the optimum heat treatments and forging parameters coupled with detailed microstructure characterization studies for producing the ODS ferritic alloy.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Cooperative Education

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary national laboratory that conducts research and development in national security, engineering, materials science, computational modeling, and advanced manufacturing. The laboratory develops innovative technologies to address complex scientific and engineering challenges. This project focuses on the development and evaluation of high-performance absorbing structures through computational design, simulation, and engineering analysis. Absorbing structures are used in applications where damage mitigation, structural protection, and material efficiency are critical performance requirements. The increasing demand for lightweight, high-strength, and highly efficient structural systems has created a need for improved design methodologies capable of maximizing absorption while minimizing weight and material usage. The project utilizes advanced engineering software, including 3D CAD software and FEA, to generate and optimize structural concepts. Computational simulations are performed to evaluate structural behavior under loading conditions, while mathematical analyses are conducted using Python-based tools as well as established analytical equations from material and structural mechanics. The project benefits LANL by supporting the development of advanced design methodologies and improving the understanding of material and structural performance. During the internship term, a significant portion of the design development, simulation, and data analysis activities will be completed. Success of the project depends on collaboration among engineering mentors and technical staff members. Work will be conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory using laboratory computing resources and engineering software.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Superconductivity of incoherent electrons in the Yukawa Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model

We study a model of N fermions in a quantum dot, coupled to M bosons by a disorder-induced complex Yukawa coupling [Yukawa Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model], in order to explore the interplay between non-Fermi liquid and superconductivity in a strongly coupled, (quantum-)critical environment. We analyze the phase diagram of the model for an arbitrary complex interaction and arbitrary ratio of N/M, with special focus on the two regimes of non-Fermi-liquid behavior: an SYK-like behavior with a power-law frequency dependence of the fermionic self-energy and an impuritylike behavior with frequency independent self-energy. We show that the crossover between the two can be reached by varying either the strength of the fermion-boson coupling or the ratio M/N. We next argue that in both regimes the system is unstable to superconductivity if the strength of time-reversal-symmetry-breaking disorder is below a certain threshold. We show how the corresponding onset temperatures vary between the two regimes. We argue that the superconducting state is highly unconventional with an infinite set of minima of the condensation energy at T = 0, corresponding to topologically different gap functions. We discuss in detail similarities and differences between this model and the model of dispersion-full fermions tuned to a metallic quantum-critical point, with an effective singular dynamical interaction V(Ω) ∝ 1/|Ω| γ (the γ model).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hybrid Cyber-attack Detection in Photovoltaic Farms

Here, to address the cyber-physical security in PV farms, a hybrid cyber-attack detection is proposed in this manuscript. To secure PV farms, the proposed method integrates model-based and data-driven methods by fusing the detection score at the device and system levels. First, a model-based cyber-attack detection method is developed for each PV inverter. A residual between the estimation of the Kalman filter and measurement is calculated. By leveraging the calculated residual from all inverters, a squared Mahalanobis distance is developed for device detection score generation. At the system level, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to detect cyber-attack using the waveform data at the point of common coupling (PCC) in PV farms. To improve the CNN detection accuracy, a set of well-designed features are extracted from the raw waveform data. Finally, a weighted detection score fusion method is proposed to combine device and system detection scores by using their complementary strength. The feasibility and robustness of the proposed method are validated by testing cases and a comparative experiment.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Anion Association Strength as a Unifying Descriptor for the Reversibility of Divalent Metal Deposition in Nonaqueous Electrolytes

Developing next-generation battery chemistries that move beyond traditional Li-ion systems is critical to enabling transformative advances in electrified transportation and grid-level energy storage. Here, we provide the first evidence for common descriptors for improved reversibility of metal plating/stripping in nonaqueous electrolytes for multivalent ion batteries. Focusing first on the specific role of chloride (Cl – ) in promoting electrochemical reversibility in multivalent systems, rotating disk (RDE) and ring-disk electrode (RRDE) investigations were performed utilizing a variety of divalent cations (Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cu 2+ ) and the bis-(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide (TFSI – ) anion. By introducing varying concentrations of Cl – , a cooperative effect is observed between TFSI – and Cl – that yields the more reversible behavior of mixed electrolytes relative to electrolytes containing only TFSI – . This effect is shown to be general for Mg, Zn, and Cu electrodeposition, and mechanistic understanding of the role of Cl – in improving reversibility of TFSI-based electrolytes is obtained through the combination of R(R)DE experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) evaluation of the redox activity and thermodynamic stability of various TFSI- and Cl-based solution complexes of metal ions. The cooperative anion effect is further generalized to other mixed-anion systems, where systematic variations in anion association strength predicted from DFT (i.e., Cl – > OTf – ≈ TFSI – > BF 4 – > PF 6 – ) yield corresponding trends in redox potentials and improvements of ≥200 mV in the reversibility of metal deposition/dissolution. These results identify anion association strength as a common descriptor for the reversibility of divalent metal anodes and suggest a set of general design principles for developing new electrolytes with improved activity and stability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Antiferromagnetic transitions of Dirac fermions in three dimensions

We use determinant quantum Monte Carlo simulations to study the role of electron-electron interactions on three-dimensional (3D) Dirac fermions based on the π-flux model on a cubic lattice. We show that the Hubbard interaction drives the 3D Dirac semimetal to an antiferromagnetic (AF) insulator only above a finite critical interaction strength and the long-range AF order persists up to a finite temperature. We evaluate the critical interaction strength and temperatures using finite-size scaling of the spin structure factor. The critical behaviors are consistent with the (3+1)-dimensional Gross-Neveu universality class for the quantum critical point and 3D Heisenberg universality class for the thermal phase transitions. We further investigate correlation effects in the birefringent Dirac fermion system. It is found that the critical interaction strength U c is decreased by reducing the velocity of the Dirac cone, quantifying the effect of velocity on the critical interaction strength in 3D Dirac fermion systems. Our findings unambiguously uncover correlation effects in 3D Dirac fermions and may be observed using ultracold atoms in an optical lattice.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Dual-precipitates enhance fatigue resistance in an additively manufactured high-entropy alloy

To accomplish the intense desire of high-strength materials for enhanced energy-efficiency, recent research applies a combined strategy of additive-manufacturing and precipitation-strengthening in high entropy alloys. In a context, Al 0.2 Co 1.5 CrFeNi 1.5 Ti 0.3 nanoprecipitation-strengthened system was developed, demonstrating very convincing strength and toughness. Moreover, additive-manufacturing facilitated additional strength by well-decorated cell-boundaries with blocky L2 1 precipitates and homogeneously distributed L1 2 precipitates. However, fatigue research of this alloy remained unexplored despite being the main precursor for structural applications. In this study low-cycle fatigue behavior of this alloy in both as-built and precipitation-strengthened (aged) conditions has been explored, combined with in-situ neutron diffraction investigation. Findings revealed a substantial cyclic-stress profile and a notable fatigue-life below ±0.50% strain-amplitude, exceeding 10 5 cycles at ±0.30% strain-amplitude. These demonstrate the potential to carry higher payloads with marked engineering-reliability. Residual-stress estimation revealed strain-compatibility between the matrix and L1 2 precipitate, indicating a crack-initiation immune interface. A comparative examination of dislocation character revealed shifting towards pure edge-character in aged alloy indicates precipitates promoted planar-slip during deformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

3D interface size effects on slip transfer in Ti/Nb nanolaminates

Two-phase nanolaminates are well-renowned for achieving extraordinarily high strengths but at the sacrifice of reduced toughness and strain to failure. Recently ”thick” interfaces, or so called 3D interfaces, in Cu/Nb nanolaminates were experimentally shown to improve both of these mechanical properties. Here, in this work, we study the effect of 3D interfaces in the hexagonal close packed (HCP)/body centered cubic (BCC) Ti/Nb nanolaminate system. Nanoindentation hardness testing suggests increased strength with the introduction of a 3D Ti–Nb interface and a positive size effect with increases in 3D interface thickness from 5 nm to 20 nm. To understand this effect from a single dislocation perspective, we present a phase-field dislocation dynamics (PFDD) model for multi-phase HCP/BCC systems. We employ the model to simulate stress-driven transfer of single dislocations across 3D Ti/Nb interfaces of various thicknesses. Our results show that the critical stress for slip transfer increases with the thickness of the interface. This positive size effect is stronger for transfer from basal or prismatic dislocations in the Ti layer to 110$\langle$111$\rangle$ dislocations in the Nb layer than the reverse. For this Ti/Nb system, a critical thickness of 2 nm is identified at which the asymmetry in slip transfer is minimized. This work showcases 3D interfaces as a beneficial microstructure modification to strengthen as well as reduce anisotropy in nanocrystalline materials containing HCP phases.

Dislocations↗

Effect of Grain Boundary Misorientation on Spall Strength in Ta via Shock-Free Simulations with Relatively Few Atoms

A suite of 37 molecular dynamics simulations is conducted at two system sizes to systematically characterize the role of grain boundary (GB) misorientation on spall strength in pure BCC tantalum (Ta). The systems studied consist of bicrystals with a single [110] symmetric tilt grain boundary. Two loading conditions are compared: (i) homogeneous extension under uniaxial strain simulated in this study and (ii) piston/flyer impact of sample, which induces heterogeneous deformation via shockwave propagation along the length of the sample. The piston/flyer impact is taken from the literature and run on the same set of GB misorientation angles using LAMMPS. The major finding here is that both methods result in similar spall strength predictions, but the homogeneous extension method generally requires two to three orders of magnitude fewer atoms and similar reductions in computational costs. Spall strength results systematically overpredict using this method, by about 10% for the dataset three orders of magnitude smaller than piston/flyer simulations, and 5% for the dataset two orders of magnitude smaller. Lastly, the effect of system size and pre-compression magnitude on spall strength is systematically characterized.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Driving force and pathway in polyelectrolyte complex coacervation

There is notable discrepancy between experiments and coarse-grained model studies regarding the thermodynamic driving force in polyelectrolyte complex coacervation: experiments find the free energy change to be dominated by entropy, while simulations using coarse-grained models with implicit solvent usually report a large, even dominant energetic contribution in systems with weak to intermediate electrostatic strength. Here, using coarse-grained, implicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulation combined with thermodynamic analysis, we study the potential of mean force (PMF) in the two key stages on the coacervation pathway for symmetric polyelectrolyte mixtures: polycation–polyanion complexation and polyion pair–pair condensation. We show that the temperature dependence in the dielectric constant of water gives rise to a substantial entropic contribution in the electrostatic interaction. By accounting for this electrostatic entropy, which is due to solvent reorganization, we find that under common conditions (monovalent ions, room temperature) for aqueous systems, both stages are strongly entropy-driven with negligible or even unfavorable energetic contributions, consistent with experimental results. Furthermore, for weak to intermediate electrostatic strengths, this electrostatic entropy, rather than the counterion-release entropy, is the primary entropy contribution. From the calculated PMF, we find that the supernatant phase consists predominantly of polyion pairs with vanishingly small concentration of bare polyelectrolytes, and we provide an estimate of the spinodal of the supernatant phase. Finally, we show that prior to contact, two neutral polyion pairs weakly attract each other by mutually induced polarization, providing the initial driving force for the fusion of the pairs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Minimal two-body quantum absorption refrigerator

Here, we study the phenomenon of absorption refrigeration, where refrigeration is achieved by heating instead of work, in two different setups: a minimal set up based on coupled qubits and two nonlinearly coupled resonators. Considering ZZ interaction between the two qubits, we outline the basic ingredients required to achieve cooling. Using local as well as global master equations, we observe that inclusion of an XX type term in the qubit-qubit coupling is detrimental to cooling. We compare the cooling effect obtained in the qubit case with that of nonlinearly coupled resonators (multilevel system) where the ZZ interaction translates to a Kerr-type nonlinearity. For small to intermediate strengths of nonlinearity, we observe that multilevel quantum systems, for example qutrits, give better cooling effect compared to the qubits. Using Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function formalism, we go beyond first order sequential tunneling processes and study the effect of higher order processes on refrigeration. We find a reduced cooling effect compared to the master equation calculations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Measurement of grain boundary strength of Inconel X-750 superalloy using in-situ micro-tensile testing techniques in FIB/SEM system

Grain boundaries (GBs), known as two-dimensional defects, are omnipresent in polycrystalline metallic alloys and thus influence a wide range of mechanical properties under different environmental conditions like irradiation and corrosion. Therefore, quantifying the strength of individual GBs is critical for understanding the degradation of mechanical properties of materials under different conditions. In this study we developed an efficient approach for the fabrication of micro-tensile specimens with a GB almost perpendicular to the tensile direction, which is expected to advance the development of individual GB tensile testing at micro or nanoscale in a wide scope of materials. Further, an in-situ cantilever micro-tensile testing method was developed and used to quantify the strength of a Σ3 GB in Inconel X-750 with the combination of finite element modeling. The average ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of a non-irradiated Σ3 GB is estimated at around 1.4 GPa, comparable to that of a neutron-irradiated Σ3 GB with a dose of ~1.5 dpa (1.3 GPa). Moreover, the in-situ push-to-pull micro-tensile testing technique developed in this work provides valuable insights into the high-angle GB deformation and fracture behavior. This method generates qualitatively similar ductility behavior before and after neutron irradiation as the bulk material testing. However, the ductility and UTS values obtained from this method are different from bulk measurements due to vastly different specimen dimensions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Optimized CRISPR Interference System for Investigating Pseudomonas alloputida Genes Involved in Rhizosphere Microbiome Assembly

Pseudomonas alloputida KT2440 (formerly P. putida) has become both a well-known chassis organism for synthetic biology and a model organism for rhizosphere colonization. Here, we describe a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system in KT2440 for exploring microbe–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere and for use in industrial systems. Our CRISPRi system features three different promoter systems (XylS/P m , LacI/P lac , and AraC/P BAD ) and a dCas9 codon-optimized for Pseudomonads, all located on a mini-Tn7-based transposon that inserts into a neutral site in the genome. It also includes a suite of pSEVA-derived sgRNA expression vectors, where the expression is driven by synthetic promoters varying in strength. We compare the three promoter systems in terms of how well they can precisely modulate gene expression, and we discuss the impact of environmental factors, such as media choice, on the success of CRISPRi. We demonstrate that CRISPRi is functional in bacteria colonizing the rhizosphere, with repression of essential genes leading to a 10–100-fold reduction in P. alloputida cells per root. Finally, we show that CRISPRi can be used to modulate microbe–microbe interactions. When the gene pvdH is repressed and P. alloputida is unable to produce pyoverdine, it loses its ability to inhibit other microbes in vitro. Furthermore, our design is amendable for future CRISPRi-seq studies and in multispecies microbial communities, with the different promoter systems providing a means to control the level of gene expression in many different environments.

Bacteria↗

High-order partitioned spectral deferred correction solvers for multiphysics problems

We present an arbitrarily high-order, conditionally stable, partitioned spectral deferred correction (SDC) method for solving multiphysics problems using a sequence of pre-existing single-physics solvers. This method extends the work in [1], [2], which used implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta methods (IMEX) to build high-order, partitioned multiphysics solvers. We consider a generic multiphysics problem modeled as a system of coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs), coupled through coupling terms that can depend on the state of each subsystem; therefore the method applies to both a semi-discretized system of partial differential equations (PDEs) or problems naturally modeled as coupled systems of ODEs. The sufficient conditions to build arbitrarily high-order partitioned SDC schemes are derived. Based on these conditions, various of partitioned SDC schemes are designed. The stability of the first-order partitioned SDC scheme is analyzed in detail on a coupled, linear model problem. We show that the scheme is conditionally stable, and under conditions on the coupling strength, the scheme can be unconditionally stable. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed partitioned solvers on several classes of multiphysics problems with moderate coupling strength. They include a stiff linear system of ODEs, advection-diffusion-reaction systems, and fluid-structure interaction problems with both incompressible and compressible flows, where we verify the design order of the SDC schemes and study various stability properties. We also directly compare the accuracy, stability, and cost of the proposed partitioned SDC solver with the partitioned IMEX method in [1], [2] on this suite of test problems. The results suggest that the high-order partitioned SDC solvers are more robust than the partitioned IMEX solvers for the numerical examples considered in this work, while the IMEX methods require fewer implicit solves.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling and chiral spin-texture control in a dipolar 3D multilayered artificial spin-vortex ice

Strongly-interacting nanomagnetic arrays are ideal systems for exploring reconfigurable magnonics. They provide huge microstate spaces and integrated solutions for storage and neuromorphic computing alongside GHz functionality. These systems may be broadly assessed by their range of reliably accessible states and the strength of magnon coupling phenomena and nonlinearities. Increasingly, nanomagnetic systems are expanding into three-dimensional architectures. This has enhanced the range of available magnetic microstates and functional behaviours, but engineering control over 3D states and dynamics remains challenging. Here, we introduce a 3D magnonic metamaterial composed from multilayered artificial spin ice nanoarrays. Comprising two magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic spacer, each nanoisland may assume four macrospin or vortex states per magnetic layer. This creates a system with a rich 16 N microstate space and intense static and dynamic dipolar magnetic coupling. The system exhibits a broad range of emergent phenomena driven by the strong inter-layer dipolar interaction, including ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling with normalised coupling rates of $\frac{Δf}{v}$ = 0.57, GHz mode shifts in zero applied field and chirality-control of magnetic vortex microstates with corresponding magnonic spectra.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

CeMbio - The Caenorhabditis elegans Microbiome Resource

The study of microbiomes by sequencing has revealed a plethora of correlations between microbial community composition and various life-history characteristics of the corresponding host species. However, inferring causation from correlation is often hampered by the sheer compositional complexity of microbiomes, even in simple organisms. Synthetic communities offer an effective approach to infer cause-effect relationships in host-microbiome systems. Yet the available communities suffer from several drawbacks, such as artificial (thus non-natural) choice of microbes, microbe-host mismatch (e.g., human microbes in gnotobiotic mice), or hosts lacking genetic tractability. Here we introduce CeMbio, a simplified natural Caenorhabditis elegans microbiota derived from our previous meta-analysis of the natural microbiome of this nematode. The CeMbio resource is amenable to all strengths of the C. elegans model system, strains included are readily culturable, they all colonize the worm gut individually, and comprise a robust community that distinctly affects nematode life-history. Several tools have additionally been developed for the CeMbio strains, including diagnostic PCR primers, completely sequenced genomes, and metabolic network models. With CeMbio, we provide a versatile resource and toolbox for the in-depth dissection of naturally relevant host-microbiome interactions in C. elegans.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Nonequilibrium DMFT + CPA for correlated disordered systems

We present a solution for the nonequilibrium dynamics of an interacting disordered system. The approach adapts the combination of the equilibrium dynamical mean-field theory and the equilibrium coherent potential approximation methods to the nonequilibrium many-body formalism, using the Kadanoff-Baym-Keldysh complex time contour, for the dynamics of interacting disordered systems away from equilibrium. We use our time domain solution to obtain the equilibrium density of states of the disordered interacting system described by the Anderson-Hubbard model, bypassing the necessity for the cumbersome analytical continuation process. We further apply the nonequilibrium solution to the interaction quench problem for an isolated disordered system. Here, the interaction is abruptly changed from zero (noninteracting system) to another constant (finite) value at which it is subsequently kept. We observe via the time dependence of the potential, kinetic, and total energies the effect of disorder on the relaxation of the system as a function of final interaction strength. Finally, the real-time approach has the potential to shed light on the fundamental role of disorder in the nonequilibrium dynamics of interacting quantum systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗