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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 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Quantification of human contribution to soil moisture-based terrestrial aridity

Abstract Current knowledge of the spatiotemporal patterns of changes in soil moisture-based terrestrial aridity has considerable uncertainty. Using Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSI) calculated from multi-source merged data sets, we find widespread drying in the global midlatitudes, and wetting in the northern subtropics and in spring between 45°N–65°N, during 1971–2016. Formal detection and attribution analysis shows that human forcings, especially greenhouse gases, contribute significantly to the changes in 0–10 cm SSI during August–November, and 0–100 cm during September–April. We further develop and apply an emergent constraint method on the future SSI’s signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and trends under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-8.5. The results show continued significant presence of human forcings and more rapid drying in 0–10 cm than 0–100 cm. Our findings highlight the predominant human contributions to spatiotemporally heterogenous terrestrial aridification, providing a basis for drought and flood risk management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Estimating statistical isotropy violation in CMB due to non-circular beam and complex scan in minutes

Mild, unavoidable deviations from circular-symmetry of instrumental beams along with scan strategy can give rise to measurable Statistical Isotropy (SI) violation in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments. If not accounted properly, this spurious signal can complicate the extraction of other SI violation signals (if any) in the data. However, estimation of this effect through exact numerical simulation is computationally intensive and time consuming. A generalized analytical formalism not only provides a quick way of estimating this signal, but also gives a detailed understanding connecting the leading beam anisotropy components to a measurable BipoSH characterisation of SI violation. In this paper, we provide an approximate generic analytical method for estimating the SI violation generated due to a non-circular (NC) beam and arbitrary scan strategy, in terms of the Bipolar Spherical Harmonic (BipoSH) spectra. Our analytical method can predict almost all the features introduced by a NC beam in a complex scan and thus reduces the need for extensive numerical simulation worth tens of thousands of CPU hours into minutes long calculations. As an illustrative example, we use WMAP beams and scanning strategy to demonstrate the easability, usability and efficiency of our method. We test all our analytical results against that from exact numerical simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cosmic shear power spectra in practice

Cosmic shear is one of the most powerful probes of Dark Energy, targeted by several current and future galaxy surveys. Lensing shear, however, is only sampled at the positions of galaxies with measured shapes in the catalog, making its associated sky window function one of the most complicated amongst all projected cosmological probes of inhomogeneities, as well as giving rise to inhomogeneous noise. Partly for this reason, cosmic shear analyses have been mostly carried out in real-space, making use of correlation functions, as opposed to Fourier-space power spectra. Since the use of power spectra can yield complementary information and has numerical advantages over real-space pipelines, it is important to develop a complete formalism describing the standard unbiased power spectrum estimators as well as their associated uncertainties. Building on previous work, this paper contains a study of the main complications associated with estimating and interpreting shear power spectra, and presents fast and accurate methods to estimate two key quantities needed for their practical usage: the noise bias and the Gaussian covariance matrix, fully accounting for survey geometry, with some of these results also applicable to other cosmological probes. Here, we demonstrate the performance of these methods by applying them to the latest public data releases of the Hyper Suprime-Cam and the Dark Energy Survey collaborations, quantifying the presence of systematics in our measurements and the validity of the covariance matrix estimate. We make the resulting power spectra, covariance matrices, null tests and all associated data necessary for a full cosmological analysis publicly available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-F-19A-10: Recalculation and Reporting Clinical HDR 192-Ir Head and Neck Dose Distributions Using Model Based Dose Calculation

Purpose: To retrospectively re-calculate dose distributions for selected head and neck cancer patients, earlier treated with HDR 192Ir brachytherapy, using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and compare results to distributions from the planning system derived using TG43 formalism. To study differences between dose to medium (as obtained with the MC code) and dose to water in medium as obtained through (1) ratios of stopping powers and (2) ratios of mass energy absorption coefficients between water and medium. Methods: The MC code Algebra was used to calculate dose distributions according to earlier actual treatment plans using anonymized plan data and CT images in DICOM format. Ratios of stopping power and mass energy absorption coefficients for water with various media obtained from 192-Ir spectra were used in toggling between dose to water and dose to media. Results: Differences between initial planned TG43 dose distributions and the doses to media calculated by MC are insignificant in the target volume. Differences are moderate (within 4–5 % at distances of 3–4 cm) but increase with distance and are most notable in bone and at the patient surface. Differences between dose to water and dose to medium are within 1-2% when using mass energy absorption coefficients to toggle between the two quantities but increase to above 10% for bone using stopping power ratios. Conclusion: MC predicts target doses for head and neck cancer patients in close agreement with TG43. MC yields improved dose estimations outside the target where a larger fraction of dose is from scattered photons. It is important with awareness and a clear reporting of absorbed dose values in using model based algorithms. Differences in bone media can exceed 10% depending on how dose to water in medium is defined.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-555: Accurate Stereotactic Cone TMRs Converted from PDDs Scanned with Ray Trace

Purpose: To investigate whether the accuracy of TMRs for stereotactic cones converted from PDDs scanned with Ray Trace can be improved, when compared against the TMRs converted from the traditional PDDs. Methods: Ray Trace measurement in Sun Nuclear 3D Scanner is for accurate scan of small field PDDs. The system detects the center of field at two depths, for example, at 3 and 20 cm in our study, and then performs scan along the line passing the two centers. With both Ray Trace and the traditional method, PDDs for conical cones of 4, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, and 17.5 mm diameter (jaws set to 5×5 cm) were obtained for 6X FFF and 10X FFF energies on a Varian Edge linac, using Edge detectors. The formalism of converting PDD to TMR given in Khan’s book (4th Edition, p.161) was applied. Sp values at dmax were obtained by measuring cone Scp and Sc. Continuous direct measurement of TMR by filling/draining water to/from the tank and spot measurement by moving the tank and detector were also performed with the same equipment, using 100 cm SDD. Results: For 6XFFF energy and all the cones, TMRs converted from Ray Trace were very close to the continuous and spot measurement, while TMRs converted from traditional PDDs had larger deviation. Along the central axis beyond dmax, 1.7% of TMR data points calculated from Ray Trace had more 3% deviation from measurement, with maximal deviation of 5.2%. Whereas, 34% of TMR points calculated from traditional PDDs had more than 3% deviation, with maximum of 5.7%. In this initial study, Ray Trace scans for 10XFFF beam were noisy, further measurement is warranted. Conclusion: The Ray Trace could improve the accuracy of PDDs measurement and the calculated TMRs for stereotactic cones, which was within 3% of the measured TMRs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Condensation of Pseudomagnons in a Two-Dimensional Anisotropic S = 1 Pseudospin System

Abstract—A 2D anisotropic system of S = 1 centers of the charge triplet type in systems with variable valence or “semi-hard-core” boson systems with a limitation for the occupation of lattice sites n = 0, 1, 2 is studied in the framework of the pseudospin formalism. Assuming that the ground state is a quantum paramagnet, the pseudo-spin wave spectrum and also the conditions of the condensation of pseudomagnons with a phase transition to a superconducting state have been found using the Schwinger boson method.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1978

Extending reliability: Transformational tailoring of abstract mathematical software

Methods for automatically constructing concrete executable programs from an abstract prototype program by applying transformations based on theorems of matrix algebra and on algebraic properties of programming languages are described. These methods provide a user with highly efficient programs tailored to his environment while maintaining the advantages of high reliability and low cost associated with routines from the best mathematical software libraries. Also, the transformations which produce such programs represent a formal codification of rules for writing linear algebra programs.

Boyle, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Focusing anisotropy of solar cosmic rays

Analysis of 50-MeV particle data from ICE and 1-GeV data from eight high-latitude neutron monitors of the February 16, 1984 solar cosmic ray event indicates that an exponential with scattering mean free path of greater than 2 AU and with index in the 1.3-1.7 range provides a better description of particle anisotropies than the first-order form, confirming the prediction from cosmic ray transport theories which incorporate the effect of adiabatic focusing into the usual pitch angle scattering formalism. The time profile of the event is largely a reflection of coronal transport processes, with good fits provided by a coronal diffusion coefficient of about 10 to the 18th sq cm/s and with velocity-dependent escape. The simple method of predicting the interplanetary scattering parameters has application where particle injection is nearly continuous, but where previously accelerated particles have filled the heliosphere with a large omnidirectional background.

Bieber, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Flight test validation of a frequency-based system identification method on an F-15 aircraft

A frequency-based performance identification approach was evaluated using flight data from the NASA F-15 Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control aircraft. The approach used frequency separation to identify the effectiveness of multiple controls simultaneously as an alternative to independent control identification methods. Fourier transformations converted measured control and response data into frequency domain representations. Performance gradients were formed using multiterm frequency matching of control and response frequency domain models. An objective function was generated using these performance gradients. This function was formally optimized to produce a coordinated control trim set. This algorithm was applied to longitudinal acceleration and evaluated using two control effectors: nozzle throat area and inlet first ramp. Three criteria were investigated to validate the approach: simultaneous gradient identification, gradient frequency dependency, and repeatability. This report describes the flight test results. These data demonstrate that the approach can accurately identify performance gradients during simultaneous control excitation independent of excitation frequency.

Schkolnik, Gerard S.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Calculated X-ray Intensities Using Monte Carlo Algorithms: A Comparison to Experimental EPMA Data

Monte Carlo (MC) modeling has been used extensively to simulate electron scattering and x-ray emission from complex geometries. Here are presented comparisons between MC results and experimental electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurements as well as phi(rhoz) correction algorithms. Experimental EPMA measurements made on NIST SRM 481 (AgAu) and 482 (CuAu) alloys, at a range of accelerating potential and instrument take-off angles, represent a formal microanalysis data set that has been widely used to develop phi(rhoz) correction algorithms. X-ray intensity data produced by MC simulations represents an independent test of both experimental and phi(rhoz) correction algorithms. The alpha-factor method has previously been used to evaluate systematic errors in the analysis of semiconductor and silicate minerals, and is used here to compare the accuracy of experimental and MC-calculated x-ray data. X-ray intensities calculated by MC are used to generate a-factors using the certificated compositions in the CuAu binary relative to pure Cu and Au standards. MC simulations are obtained using the NIST, WinCasino, and WinXray algorithms; derived x-ray intensities have a built-in atomic number correction, and are further corrected for absorption and characteristic fluorescence using the PAP phi(rhoz) correction algorithm. The Penelope code additionally simulates both characteristic and continuum x-ray fluorescence and thus requires no further correction for use in calculating alpha-factors.

Carpenter, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Forum on Workforce Development

APPEL Mission: To support NASA's mission by promoting individual, team, and organizational excellence in program/project management and engineering through the application of learning strategies, methods, models, and tools. Goals: a) Provide a common frame of reference for NASA s technical workforce. b) Provide and enhance critical job skills. c) Support engineering, program and project teams. d) Promote organizational learning across the agency. e) Supplement formal educational programs.

Hoffman, Edward↗
NASA NTRS2021

Trend Detection of Atmospheric Time Series: Incorporating Appropriate Uncertainty Estimates and Handling Extreme Events

This paper is aimed at atmospheric scientists without formal training in statistical theory. Its goal is to, 1) provide a critical review of the rationale for trend analysis of the time series typically encountered in the field of atmospheric chemistry; 2) describe a range of trend-detection methods; and 3) demonstrate effective means of conveying the results to a general audience. Trend detections in atmospheric chemical composition data are often challenged by a variety of sources of uncertainty, which often behave differently to other environmental phenomena such as temperature, precipitation rate, or stream flow, and may require specific methods depending on the science questions to be addressed. Some sources of uncertainty can be explicitly included in the model specification, such as autocorrelation and seasonality, but some inherent uncertainties are difficult to quantify, such as data heterogeneity and measurement uncertainty due to the combined effect of short- and long-term natural variability, instrumental stability, and aggregation of data from sparse sampling frequency. Failure to account for these uncertainties might result in an inappropriate inference of the trends and their estimation errors. On the other hand, the variation in extreme events might be interesting for different scientific questions, for example, the frequency of extremely high surface ozone events and their relevance to human health. In this study we aim to, 1) review trend detection methods for addressing different levels of data complexity in different chemical species; 2) demonstrate that the incorporation of scientifically interpretable covariates can outperform pure numerical curve fitting techniques in terms of uncertainty reduction and improved predictability; 3) illustrate the study of trends based on extreme quantiles that can provide insight beyond standard mean or median based trend estimates; and 4) present an advanced method of quantifying regional trends based on the inter-site correlations of multi-site data. All demonstrations are based on time series of observed trace gases relevant to atmospheric chemistry, but the methods can be applied to other environmental data sets.

Trace gas↗
DOE OSTI2014

Twisted 3D N=4 supersymmetric YM on deformed A{sub 3}{sup *} lattice

We study a class of twisted 3D N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory on particular 3-dimensional lattice L{sub 3D} formally denoted as L{sub 3D}{sup su{sub 3}×u{sub 1}} and given by non-trivial fibration L{sub 1D}{sup u{sub 1}}×L{sub 2D}{sup su{sub 3}} with base L{sub 2D}{sup su{sub 3}}=A{sub 2}{sup *}, the weight lattice of SU(3). We first, develop the twisted 3D N=4 SYM in continuum by using superspace method where the scalar supercharge Q is manifestly exhibited. Then, we show how to engineer the 3D lattice L{sub 3D}{sup su{sub 3}×u{sub 1}} that host this theory. After that we build the lattice action S{sub latt} invariant under the following three points: (i) U(N) gauge invariance, (ii) BRST symmetry, (iii) the S{sub 3} point group symmetry of L{sub 3D}{sup su{sub 3}×u{sub 1}}. Other features such as reduction to twisted 2D supersymmetry with 8 supercharges living on L{sub 2D}≡L{sub 2D}{sup su{sub 2}×u{sub 1}}, the extension to twisted maximal 5D SYM with 16 supercharges on lattice L{sub 5D}≡L{sub 5D}{sup su{sub 4}×u{sub 1}} as well as the relation with known results are also given.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
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↗
NASA NTRS1990

Knowledge-based system verification and validation

The objective of this task is to develop and evaluate a methodology for verification and validation (V&V) of knowledge-based systems (KBS) for space station applications with high reliability requirements. The approach consists of three interrelated tasks. The first task is to evaluate the effectiveness of various validation methods for space station applications. The second task is to recommend requirements for KBS V&V for Space Station Freedom (SSF). The third task is to recommend modifications to the SSF to support the development of KBS using effectiveness software engineering and validation techniques. To accomplish the first task, three complementary techniques will be evaluated: (1) Sensitivity Analysis (Worchester Polytechnic Institute); (2) Formal Verification of Safety Properties (SRI International); and (3) Consistency and Completeness Checking (Lockheed AI Center). During FY89 and FY90, each contractor will independently demonstrate the user of his technique on the fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration (FDIR) KBS or the manned maneuvering unit (MMU), a rule-based system implemented in LISP. During FY91, the application of each of the techniques to other knowledge representations and KBS architectures will be addressed. After evaluation of the results of the first task and examination of Space Station Freedom V&V requirements for conventional software, a comprehensive KBS V&V methodology will be developed and documented. Development of highly reliable KBS's cannot be accomplished without effective software engineering methods. Using the results of current in-house research to develop and assess software engineering methods for KBS's as well as assessment of techniques being developed elsewhere, an effective software engineering methodology for space station KBS's will be developed, and modification of the SSF to support these tools and methods will be addressed.

Johnson, Sally C.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Calculation of positron binding energies using the generalized any particle propagator theory

We recently extended the electron propagator theory to any type of quantum species based in the framework of the Any-Particle Molecular Orbital (APMO) approach [J. Romero, E. Posada, R. Flores-Moreno, and A. Reyes, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 074105 (2012)]. The generalized any particle molecular orbital propagator theory (APMO/PT) was implemented in its quasiparticle second order version in the LOWDIN code and was applied to calculate nuclear quantum effects in electron binding energies and proton binding energies in molecular systems [M. Díaz-Tinoco, J. Romero, J. V. Ortiz, A. Reyes, and R. Flores-Moreno, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 194108 (2013)]. In this work, we present the derivation of third order quasiparticle APMO/PT methods and we apply them to calculate positron binding energies (PBEs) of atoms and molecules. We calculated the PBEs of anions and some diatomic molecules using the second order, third order, and renormalized third order quasiparticle APMO/PT approaches and compared our results with those previously calculated employing configuration interaction (CI), explicitly correlated and quantum Montecarlo methodologies. We found that renormalized APMO/PT methods can achieve accuracies of ∼0.35 eV for anionic systems, compared to Full-CI results, and provide a quantitative description of positron binding to anionic and highly polar species. Third order APMO/PT approaches display considerable potential to study positron binding to large molecules because of the fifth power scaling with respect to the number of basis sets. In this regard, we present additional PBE calculations of some small polar organic molecules, amino acids and DNA nucleobases. We complement our numerical assessment with formal and numerical analyses of the treatment of electron-positron correlation within the quasiparticle propagator approach.

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

SU-E-T-237: Monte Carlo Dosimetric Characterization of the Mobetron Mobile Linac

Purpose: The aim of this work is to characterize dosimetrically a clinical intraoperative electron beam accelerator, Mobetron (IntraOp Medical, Inc.) in clinical use in our Hospital. Once this first step is completed our purpose is to evaluate shielding requirements for such a device by preparing adequate phase space files. Methods: It is known that electron beam simulation parameters required for state-of-the-art Monte Carlo codes to obtain a good match with measured data, like the mean energy or the FWHM, may not be code-independent due to the different set of process simulated and formalisms involved. Then, to cross-check our results against any issue in the simulation we have compared experimental data (PDD and profiles for electrons in the range 4 to 12 MeV) with simulations performed independently using both Penelope2011 and Geant4 codes. To do so, the geometry and materials of the head of the accelerator have been fully characterized following information provided by the manufacturer. Results: Both simulations agree with experimental data within experimental uncertainties (±1 mm displacement), although small variations (less than 10%) in the mean energy and FWHM are required to match measured values depending on the code used. Conclusion: Independent Monte Carlo simulations were used to obtain an excellent match to measured electron dose distributions. This opens the road to use such data for evaluating shielding requirements which is the main objective of this project.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Overcoming significant challenges in extracting off-stoichiometric thermodynamics using the compound energy formalism through complementary use of experimental and first principles data: A case study of Ba 1-x Sr x FeO 3-δ

The compound energy formalism (CEF) is a powerful framework to describe the thermodynamics of metal oxides as a function of off-stoichiometry, temperature, and composition. The thermodynamic properties are crucial materials design attributes in metal oxide-based oxygen-exchange chemical processes. Despite the richness of information an accurate CEF model provides, a method to determine a unique and accurate fit for oxygen exchange materials remains elusive. This contribution details a method for fitting the CEF model that overcomes the current fitting challenges through three innovations: 1) the combination of density functional theory calculations with experimental data decorrelates excess terms and delineates the enthalpic/entropic contributions to the Gibbs free energy; 2) a systematic determination of the important CEF model terms, removing thermodynamic predetermining human intervention; 3) a self-consistent solution of the starting oxygen offstoichiometry (δ 0 ) of thermogravimetric measurements. Thus, our method enables the reliable extraction of off-stoichiometric metal oxide thermodynamic properties and facilitates rapid materials compositional screening, and reliable process design of systems dependent on off-stoichiometric redox-active metal oxides. We apply this method to a Ba x Sr 1-x FeO 3-δ test case. We find by systematically examining the performance of the CEF model fit with and without each innovation that all three innovations are necessary for an accurate fit. We determined that reduction enthalpy is higher and more sensitive to off-stoichiometry when the Sr fraction is large (139.5 and 185.3 kJ/mol O 2 for SrFeO 3 at δ = 0 and δ = 0.5, respectively vs. nearly constant 83 kJ/mol O 2 for BaFeO 3 ). However, the reduction entropy is mostly insensitive to Sr fraction, but highly dependent on δ suggesting larger contributions in the non-configurational entropy parameters.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗