Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS”

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 1,621 records · Page 90
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Discovery of Quinazolines That Activate SOS1-Mediated Nucleotide Exchange on RAS

Proteins in the RAS family are important regulators of cellular signaling and, when mutated, can drive cancer pathogenesis. Despite considerable effort over the last 30 years, RAS proteins have proven to be recalcitrant therapeutic targets. One approach for modulating RAS signaling is to target proteins that interact with RAS, such as the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) son of sevenless homologue 1 (SOS1). In this paper, we report hit-to-lead studies on quinazoline-containing compounds that bind to SOS1 and activate nucleotide exchange on RAS. Using structure-based design, we refined the substituents attached to the quinazoline nucleus and built in additional interactions not present in the initial HTS hit. Optimized compounds activate nucleotide exchange at single-digit micromolar concentrations in vitro. In HeLa cells, these quinazolines increase the levels of RAS-GTP and cause signaling changes in the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Revised M06-L functional for improved accuracy on chemical reaction barrier heights, noncovalent interactions, and solid-state physics

Significance Local exchange−correlation functionals, which depend on the local spin densities, their gradients, and the local spin-specific kinetic energy densities, have been widely used for electronic structure calculations in both chemistry and physics, owing to their computational efficiency in plane wave codes and for large molecules and to their relatively high accuracy for transition metals and other inherently multiconfigurational systems. Minnesota 2006 local functional (M06-L) has proven to be one of the most accurate local functionals currently available, but it has room for improvement with regard to numerical stability and overall accuracy. Here we present a revised M06-L functional, named revM06-L, which gives both smoother potential energy curves and improved overall accuracy, especially for chemical reaction barrier heights, noncovalent interactions, and solid-state physics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Lysines in the RNA Polymerase II C-Terminal Domain Contribute to TAF15 Fibril Recruitment

Many cancer-causing chromosomal translocations result in transactivating protein products encoding FET family (FUS, EWSR1, TAF15) low-complexity (LC) domains fused to a DNA binding domain from one of several transcription factors. Recent work demonstrates that higher-order assemblies of FET LC domains bind the carboxy-terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II CTD), suggesting FET oncoproteins may mediate aberrant transcriptional activation by recruiting RNA polymerase II to promoters of target genes. Here we use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and hydrogel fluorescence microscopy localization and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to visualize atomic details of a model of this process, interactions of RNA pol II CTD with high-molecular weight TAF15 LC assemblies. Here we report NMR resonance assignments of the intact degenerate repeat half of human RNA pol II CTD alone and verify its predominant intrinsic disorder by molecular simulation. By measuring NMR spin relaxation and dark-state exchange saturation transfer, we characterize the interaction of RNA pol II CTD with amyloid-like hydrogel fibrils of TAF15 and hnRNP A2 LC domains and observe that heptads far from the acidic C-terminal tail of RNA pol II CTD bind TAF15 fibrils most avidly. Mutation of CTD lysines in heptad position 7 to consensus serines reduced the overall level of TAF15 fibril binding, suggesting that electrostatic interactions contribute to complex formation. Conversely, mutations of position 7 asparagine residues and truncation of the acidic tail had little effect. Thus, weak, multivalent interactions between TAF15 fibrils and heptads throughout RNA pol II CTD collectively mediate complex formation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Uncertainty quantification for neutrino opacities in core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers

We perform an extensive study of the correlations between the neutrino-nucleon inverse mean free paths (IMFPs) and the underlying equation of states (EoSs). Strong interaction uncertainties in the neutrino mean free path are investigated in different density regimes. The nucleon effective mass, the nucleon chemical potentials, and the residual interactions in the medium play an important role in determining neutrino-nucleon interactions in a density-dependent manner. Here we study how the above quantities are constrained by an EoS consistent with (i) nuclear mass measurements, (ii) proton-proton scattering phase shifts, and (iii) neutron star observations. We then study the uncertainties of both the charged current and the neutral current neutrino-nucleon inverse mean free paths due to the variation of these quantities, using the Hartree-Fock+random phase approximation method. Finally, we calculate the Pearson correlation coefficients between (i) the EoS-based quantities and the EoS-based quantities; (ii) the EoS-based quantities and the IMFPs; (iii) the IMFPs and the IMFPs. We find a strong impact of residual interactions on neutrino opacity in the spin and spin-isospin channels, which are not well constrained by current nuclear modelings.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quantum Monte Carlo formalism for dynamical pions and nucleons

In most simulations of nonrelativistic nuclear systems, the wave functions found solving the many-body Schrodinger equations describe the quantum-mechanical amplitudes of the nucleonic degrees of freedom. In those simulations the pionic contributions are encoded in nuclear potentials and electroweak currents, and they determine the low-momentum behavior. In this work we present an alternative quantum Monte Carlo formalism in which both relativistic pions and nonrelativistic nucleons are explicitly included in the quantum-mechanical states of the system. We report the renormalization of the nucleon mass as a function of the momentum cutoff, a Euclidean time density correlation function that deals with the short-time nucleon diffusion, and the pion cloud density and momentum distributions. In the two-nucleon sector we show that the interaction of two static nucleons at large distances reduces to the one-pion exchange potential, and we fit the low-energy constants of the contact interactions to reproduce the binding energy of the deuteron and two neutrons in finite volumes. We show that the method can be readily applied to light-nuclei.

Madeira, Lucas↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tritium β decay in pionless effective field theory

We calculate the β-decay of tritium at next-to-leading order in pionless effective field theory. At this order, a low-energy parameter l 1,A enters the calculation that is also relevant for a high-accuracy prediction of the solar proton-proton fusion rate. We use the tritium half-life to determine this parameter and provide uncertainty estimates. Here, we show proper renormalization of our calculation analyzing the residual cutoff dependence of observables. We find that next-to-leading order corrections contribute about 4% to the triton decay Gamow-Teller strength. We show that these conclusions are insensitive to different arrangements of the effective range expansion.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electro-optic switching in iron oxide nanoparticle embedded paramagnetic chiral liquid crystal via magneto-electric coupling

The variation in optical texture, electro-optic, and dielectric properties of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) embedded ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) with respect to change in temperature and electrical bias conditions are demonstrated in the current investigations. Improvement in spontaneous polarization and response time in nanocomposites has been attributed to magneto-electric (ME) coupling resulting from the strong interaction among the ferromagnetic nanoparticle's exchange field (due to unpaired e{sup −}) and the field of liquid crystal molecular director. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of FLC material gives a broad resonance signal with superimposed components indicating the presence of a source of spin. This paramagnetic behavior of host FLC material had been a major factor in strengthening the guest host interaction by giving an additional possibility of (a) spin-spin interaction and (b) interactions between magnetic-dipole and electric-dipole moments (ME effects) in the composite materials. Furthermore, the phenomenon of dielectric and static memory effect in these composites are also observed which yet again confirms the coupling of magnetic NP's field with FLC's director orientation. We therefore believe that such advanced soft materials holding the optical and electrical properties of conventional LCs with the magnetic and electronic properties of ferromagnetic nanoparticles are going to play a key role in the development of futuristic multifunctional optical devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pairing in bulk nuclear matter beyond BCS

The influence of short-range correlations on the spectral distribution of neutrons is incorporated in the solution of the gap equation for the {sup 3}P{sub 2}−{sup 3}F{sub 2} coupled channel in pure neutron matter. This effect is studied for different realistic interactions including one based on chiral perturbation theory. The gap in this channel vanishes at all relevant densities due to the treatment of these correlations. We also consider the effect of long-range correlations by including polarization terms in addition to the bare interaction which allow the neutrons to exchange density and spin fluctuations governed by the strength of Landau parameters allowed to have reasonable values consistent with the available literature. Preliminary results indicate that reasonable values of these parameters do not generate a gap in the {sup 3}P{sub 2}−{sup 3}F{sub 2} coupled channel either for all three realistic interactions although the pairing interaction becomes slightly more attractive.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Material Studies Related to the Use of NaK Heat Exchangers Coupled to Stirling Heater Heads

NASA has been supporting design studies and technology development that could provide power to an outpost on the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid. Technology development efforts have included fabrication and evaluation of components used in a Stirling engine power conversion system. Destructive material evaluation was performed on a NaK shell heat exchanger that was developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and integrated with a commercial 1 kWe Stirling convertor from Sunpower Incorporated. The NaK Stirling test demonstrated Stirling convertor electrical power generation using a pumped liquid metal heat source under thermal conditions that represent the heat exchanger liquid metal loop in a Fission Power Systems (FPS) reactor. The convertors were operated for a total test time of 66 hr at a maximum temperature of 823 K. After the test was completed and NaK removed, the heat exchanger assembly was sectioned to evaluate any material interactions with the flowing liquid metal. Several dissimilar-metal braze joint options, crucial for the heat exchanger transfer path, were also investigated. A comprehensive investigation was completed and lessons learned for future heat exchanger development efforts are discussed.

Locci, Ivan E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Remote Sensing of Icy Galilean Moon Surface and Atmospheric Composition Using Low Energy (1 eV-4 keV) Neutral Atom Imaging

We describe a low energy neutral atom imager suitable for composition measurements Europa and other icy Galilean moons in the Jovian magnetosphere. This instrument employs conversion surface technology and is sensitive to either neutrals converted to negative ions, neutrals converted to positive ions and the positive ions themselves depending on the power supply. On a mission such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), two back-to-back sensors would be flown with separate power supplies fitted to the neutral atom and iodneutral atom sides. This will allow both remote imaging of 1 eV < E < 4 keV neutrals from icy moon surfaces and atmospheres, and in situ measurements of ions at similar energies in the moon ionospheres and Jovian magnetospheric plasma. The instrument provides composition measurements of the neutrals and ions that enter the spectrometer with a mass resolution dependent on the time-of-flight subsystem and capable of resolving molecules. The lower energy neutrals, up to tens of eV, arise from atoms and molecules sputtered off the moon surfaces and out of the moon atmospheres by impacts of more energetic (keV to MeV) ions from the magnetosphere. Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) models are used to convert measured neutral abundances to compositional distributions of primary and trace species in the sputtered surfaces and atmospheres. The escaping neutrals can also be detected as ions after photo- or plasma-ionization and pickup. Higher energy, keV neutrals come from charge exchange of magnetospheric ions in the moon atmospheres and provide information on atmospheric structure. At the jovicentric orbits of the icy moons the presence of toroidal gas clouds, as detected at Europa's orbit, provide M e r opportunities to analyze both the composition of neutrals and ions originating from the moon surfaces, and the characteristics of magnetospheric ions interacting with neutral cloud material. Charge exchange of low energy ions near the moons, and directional distributions of the resultant neutrals, allow indirect global mapping of magnetic field structures around the moons. Temporal variation of the magnetic structures can be linked to induced magnetic fields associated with subsurface oceans.

Collier, M. R.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Higher-order electric multipole contributions to retarded non-additive three-body dispersion interaction energies between atoms: Equilateral triangle and collinear configurations

The theory of molecular quantum electrodynamics (QED) is used to calculate higher electric multipole contributions to the dispersion energy shift between three atoms or molecules arranged in a straight line or in an equilateral triangle configuration. As in two-body potentials, three-body dispersion interactions are viewed in the QED formalism to arise from exchange of virtual photons between coupled pairs of particles. By employing an interaction Hamiltonian that is quadratic in the electric displacement field means that third-order perturbation theory can be used to yield the energy shift for a particular combination of electric multipole polarizable species, with only six time-ordered diagrams needing to be summed over. Specific potentials evaluated include dipole-dipole-quadrupole (DDQ), dipole-quadrupole-quadrupole (DQQ), and dipole-dipole-octupole (DDO) terms. For the geometries of interest, near-zone limiting forms are found to exhibit an R{sup −11} dependence on separation distance for the DDQ interaction, and an R{sup −13} behaviour for DQQ and DDO shifts, agreeing with an earlier semi-classical computation. Retardation weakens the potential in each case by R{sup −1} in the far-zone. It is found that by decomposing the octupole moment into its irreducible components of weights-1 and -3 that the former contribution to the DDO potential may be taken to be a higher-order correction to the leading triple dipole energy shift.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Assessing the Limitations of Self-Interaction-Corrected Functionals for Describing the Hydrated Electron

Simulating the hydrated electron using density functional theory is challenging due to the prevalence of self-interaction error in standard functionals. Hybrid functionals like PBEh(40) can reasonably describe the chemistry of an excess electron in water and partially mitigate self-interaction error by incorporating exact Hartree–Fock exchange, but they are computationally expensive making them impractical for large-scale and long-time ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Explicit self-interaction correction schemes that are applied on an orbital-by-orbital basis offer a potential alternative when the correction is limited to the singly occupied molecular orbital obtained with a generalized gradient approximation functional. Here, we examine whether the Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction scheme applied to the revPBE functional can provide a computationally efficient and physically sensible alternative to PBEh(40) for the hydrated electron. We find that functionals incorporating a self-interaction correction scheme should be viewed with caution when applied to the hydrated electron and its reactivity. Furthermore, we show that it is critical to consider extensive sampling and diverse chemical environments when validating their performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optically tunable spin-exchange energy at donor:acceptor interfaces in organic solar cells

Spin-exchange energy is a critical parameter in controlling spin-dependent optic, electronic, and magnetic properties in organic materials. This article reports optically tunable spin-exchange energy by studying the line-shape characteristics in magnetic field effect of photocurrent developed from intermolecular charge-transfer states based on donor:acceptor (P3HT:PCBM) system. Specifically, we divide magnetic field effect of photocurrent into hyperfine (at low field < 10 mT) and spin-exchange (at high field > 10 mT) regimes. We observe that increasing photoexcitation intensity can lead to a significant line-shape narrowing in magnetic field effect of photocurrent occurring at the spin-exchange regime. We analyze that the line-shape characteristics is essentially determined by the changing rate of magnetic field-dependent singlet/triplet ratio when a magnetic field perturbs the singlet-triplet transition through spin mixing. Based on our analysis, the line-shape narrowing results indicate that the spin-exchange energy at D:A interfaces can be optically changed by changing photoexcitation intensity through the interactions between intermolecular charge-transfer states. Therefore, our experimental results demonstrate an optical approach to change the spin-exchange energy through the interactions between intermolecular charge-transfer states at donor:acceptor interface in organic materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Computer simulation of methanol exchange dynamics around cations and anions

In this paper, we present the first computer simulation of methanol exchange dynamics between the first and second solvation shells around different cations and anions. After water, methanol is the most frequently used solvent for ions. Methanol has different structural and dynamical properties than water, so its ion solvation process is different. To this end, we performed molecular dynamics simulations using polarizable potential models to describe methanol-methanol and ion-methanol interactions. In particular, we computed methanol exchange rates by employing the transition state theory, the Impey-Madden-McDonald method, the reactive flux approach, and the Grote-Hynes theory. We observed that methanol exchange occurs at a nanosecond time scale for Na+ and at a picosecond time scale for other ions. We also observed a trend in which, for like charges, the exchange rate is slower for smaller ions because they are more strongly bound to methanol. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences. The calculations were carried out using computer resources provided by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

Roy, Santanu↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effects of competing magnetic interactions on the electronic transport properties of CuCrSe{sub 2}

We have synthesized single-phase samples of the CuCrSe{sub 2} phase that exhibits hexagonal-rhombohedral layered crystal structure with space group R3m. Here we present a detailed study of electronic transport and magnetic properties of CuCrSe{sub 2}. We moreover investigate the heat capacity of CuCrSe{sub 2} in comparison to that of CuCrS{sub 2}. The electrical resistivity of CuCrSe{sub 2} shows metallic-like behavior down to 2 K, while the thermoelectric power is large around 100 {mu}V K{sup -1} at 300 K. A weak anomaly in resistivity and a rounded maximum in magnetic susceptibility are observed around 55 K. No sharp transition at 55 K is observed in the heat capacity of CuCrSe{sub 2}, rather a visible maximum is seen. At low temperatures from 2 to 14 K, the magnetic heat capacity follows T{sup 2}-dependence. We tentatively believe this behavior of CuCrSe{sub 2} to be due to competing magnetic interactions between intralayer Cr atoms. The ferromagnetic Cr-Se-Cr indirect exchange among intralayer Cr atoms is enhanced in the selenide compound (that is more metallic than the sulfide compound), and competes with the antiferromagnetic Cr-Cr direct interactions. The interlayer antiferromagnetic exchange through Cu atoms leads to magnetic ordering at low temperature at T{sub N}=55 K. - Graphical abstract: Comparison of magnetic properties of CuCrSe{sub 2} and CuCrS{sub 2} indicates a sharp cusp-like anomaly in magnetic susceptibility at the antiferromagnetic transition of CuCrS{sub 2} while the maximum of CuCrSe{sub 2} is well rounded. Magnetization is reversible after field-cooling (FC) and zero-field-cooling (ZFC) for both compounds. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Layered CuCrSe{sub 2} can be synthesized in both fully and partially cation-ordered forms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Contrary to previously believed insulating nature the cation-ordered phase is metallic. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Magnetic property of CuCrSe{sub 2} is somewhat different from that of CuCrS{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Magnetization and heat capacity data suggest complex short-range ordering for CuCrSe{sub 2}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Asymmetric band gaps in a Rashba film system

The joint effect of exchange and Rashba spin-orbit interactions is examined on the surface and quantum well states of Ag 2 Bi -terminated Ag films grown on ferromagnetic Fe(110). The system displays a particular combination of time-reversal and translational symmetry breaking that strongly influences its electronic structure. Angle-resolved photoemission reveals asymmetric band-gap openings, due to spin-selective hybridization between Rashba-split surface states and exchange-split quantum well states. This results in an unequal number of states along positive and negative reciprocal space directions. We suggest that the peculiar asymmetry of the discovered electronic structure can have significant influence on spin-polarized transport properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inaugural Molten Salt Technologies Workshop Powering the Future

The inaugural “Molten Salt Technologies – Powering the Future” Workshop marked a significant convergence of minds from diverse industries, each harnessing molten-salt technologies in innovative ways. Participants from sectors such as solar, geothermal, and advanced nuclear energy, as well as those involved in cutting-edge applications like thermal transport and rare-earth metals extraction, gathered to discuss their shared technical challenges and opportunities. Industry leaders in metal extraction and recycling, alongside experts in high-temperature sensor technology and advanced material manufacturing, also brought their unique perspectives to the table. This workshop served as a crucial platform for these varied industries to delve into the engineering intricacies that molten salt technologies entail. Common challenges such as understanding the thermophysical properties of salts, tackling corrosion mechanisms in harsh environments, and enhancing material resilience under extreme conditions were at the forefront of discussions. These technical sessions highlighted the critical need for cross-industry collaboration to address issues like salt life-cycle process engineering, impurity mitigation, and the development of durable, high-performance materials. By bringing together academia, industry, and representatives from national laboratories and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the workshop facilitated a rich exchange of knowledge and experiences. This interaction not only fostered new partnerships but also strengthened the network among existing collaborators, setting the stage for joint solutions to the complex problems faced by all sectors using molten salt technologies. The event underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in overcoming common engineering challenges and advancing the application of molten-salt technologies across various industries. The workshop not only provided an essential forum for networking and idea exchange but also highlighted the collective drive towards innovative solutions that could benefit multiple fields.

Department of Energy↗