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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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DOE OSTI2025

Aging matrix visualizes complexity of battery aging across hundreds of cycling protocols

To reliably deploy lithium-ion batteries, a fundamental understanding of cycling aging behavior is critical. Battery aging consists of complex and highly coupled phenomena, making it challenging to develop a holistic interpretation. In this work, we generate a diverse battery cycling dataset with a broad range of degradation trajectories, consisting of 359 high energy density commercial Li(Ni,Co,Al)O 2 /graphite + SiO x cylindrical 21 700 cells cycled across 207 unique cycling protocols. We consolidate aging via 16 mechanistic state-of-health (SOH) metrics, including cell-level performance metrics, electrode-specific capacities/state-of-charges (SOCs), and aging trajectory metrics. We develop a framework using interpretable machine learning and explainable features to generate an aging matrix that visually deconvolutes the complex battery degradation behavior. This generalizable data-driven mechanistic framework simplifies the complex interplay between cycling conditions, degradation modes, and SOH, acting as a hypothesis-generation tool to aid battery users in identifying key degradation regimes for further study and experimentation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Catalytic Resonance Theory: The Catalytic Mechanics of Programmable Ratchets

Catalytic reaction networks of multiple elementary steps operating under dynamic conditions via a programmed input oscillation are difficult to interpret and optimize due to reaction system complexity. To understand these dynamic systems, individual elementary catalytic reactions oscillating between catalyst states were evaluated to identify their three fundamental characteristics that define their ability to promote reactions away from equilibrium. First, elementary catalytic reactions exhibit directionality to promote reactions forward or backward from equilibrium as determined by a ratchet directionality metric comprised of the input oscillation duty cycle and the reaction rate constants. Second, catalytic ratchets are defined by the catalyst state of strong or weak binding that permit reactants to proceed through the transition state. Third, elementary catalytic ratchets exhibit a cutoff frequency which defines the transition in applied frequency for which the catalytic ratchet functions to promote chemistry away from equilibrium. All three ratchet characteristics are calculated from chemical reaction parameters including rate constants derived from linear scaling parameters, reaction conditions, and catalyst state. The characteristics of the reaction network’s constituent elementary catalytic reactions provided an interpretation of complex reaction networks and a method of predicting the behavior of dynamic surface chemistry on oscillating catalysts.

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

Using Flory–Huggins-informed human-in-the-loop Bayesian optimization to map the phase diagram of polymer blends

Mapping the phase diagram of polymer blends is an essential step in controlling the structure–property relationship of polymer-based materials. However, traditional grid-based approaches are inefficient and rely on subjective judgements for terminating the experimental campaign. Artificial intelligence-guided experimentation offers a compelling alternative, especially when data-driven decision-making is interfaced with established polymer thermodynamics to improve efficiency and interpretability. Here, we introduce a physics-informed Bayesian optimization approach to guide the mapping of the phase diagram of a model blend containing poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile). Physical information is derived from a Flory–Huggins representation of the spinodal curve, which is integrated into the Bayesian optimization process as a structured prior mean that acts as a soft constraint. Implemented as a human-in-the-loop workflow, the approach leverages optical imaging of film cloudiness with iterative Gaussian process surrogate modeling and a parameter selection decision policy to identify the composition-temperature conditions for sequential iterations. Convergence of kernel and Flory–Huggins-based hyperparameters provided a stopping criterion, ensuring an objective and interpretable termination of the experimental campaign. The framework recovered the known lower critical solution temperature (∼160 °C), while increasing material efficiency through targeted sampling. This work establishes a proof-of-concept for the application of Bayesian optimization workflows to study polymer blend miscibility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Machine learning inversion of interatomic force constants from single-crystal inelastic neutron scattering

Atomic vibrations govern many macroscopic properties of materials, but experiments to comprehensively probe them remain challenging. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) is a powerful technique to map phonon dispersions in crystals, especially when leveraging modern time-of-flight (ToF) spectrometers with large detectors. However, efficiently and robustly extracting interatomic force constants (FCs) parameterizing phonon dynamics from experimental spectra remains a bottleneck due to the complexity and high dimensionality of ToF INS datasets. Here, we present a machine learning approach for the direct inversion of FCs from single-crystal INS measurements. The framework leverages synthetic training data generated using universal machine-learned force fields and an efficient physics-based forward model. We benchmark two neural architectures–one emphasizing structured latent representation learning and the other direct, supervised spectral regression–across simulated datasets for two materials under idealized and noisy conditions. The latent-representation model is subsequently applied to experimental single-crystal INS data on germanium. The model is shown to reproduce FCs derived from both first-principles simulations and from iterative optimization, and furthermore achieves reliable inference even from sparse, single-orientation measurements representing short data acquisitions. Analysis of the learned latent space reveals semantically continuous and physically interpretable encodings that support strong cross-domain generalization. By bridging theoretical and experimental domains, we establish a path toward rapid inversion of experimental spectra and data-driven interpretation of temperature-dependent lattice dynamics.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Planck intermediate results: XVII. Emission of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium from the far-infrared to microwave frequencies

The dust-Hi correlation is used to characterize the emission properties of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) from far infrared wavelengths to microwave frequencies. The field of this encompasses the part of the southern sky best suited to study the cosmic infrared and microwave backgrounds. We cross-correlate sky maps from Planck , the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ), and the diffuse infrared background experiment ( DIRBE ), at 17 frequencies from 23 to 3000 GHz, with the Parkes survey of the 21 cm line emission of neutral atomic hydrogen, over a contiguous area of 7500 deg 2 centred on the southern Galactic pole. We present a general methodology to study the dust-Hi correlation over the sky, including simulations to quantify uncertainties. Our analysis yields four specific results. (1) We map the temperature, submillimetre emissivity, and opacity of the dust per H-atom. The dust temperature is observed to be anti-correlated with the dust emissivity and opacity. We interpret this result as evidence of dust evolution within the diffuse ISM. The mean dust opacity is measured to be (7.1 ± 0.6) × 10 -27 cm 2 H -1 × (v/353 GHz) 1.53 ± 0.03 for 100 ≤ v ≤ 353 GHz. This is a reference value to estimate hydrogen column densities from dust emission at submillimetre and millimetre wavelengths. (2) We map the spectral index β mm of dust emission at millimetre wavelengths (defined here as v ≤ 353 GHz), and find it to be remarkably constant at β mm = 1.51 ± 0.13. We compare it with the far infrared spectral index β FIR derived from greybody fits at higher frequencies, and find a systematic difference, β mm -β FIR = -0.15, which suggests that the dust spectral energy distribution (SED) flattens at v ≤ 353 GHz. (3) We present spectral fits of the microwave emission correlated with Hi from 23 to 353 GHz, which separate dust and anomalous microwave emission (AME). We show that the flattening of the dust SED can be accounted for with an additional component with a blackbody spectrum. This additional component, which accounts for (26 ± 6)% of the dust emission at 100GHz, could represent magnetic dipole emission. Alternatively, it could account for an increasing contribution of carbon dust, or a flattening of the emissivity of amorphous silicates, at millimetre wavelengths. These interpretations make different predictions for the dust polarization SED. (4) We analyse the residuals of the dust-Hi correlation. We identify a Galactic contribution to these residuals, which we model with variations of the dust emissivity on angular scales smaller than that of our correlation analysis. This model of the residuals is used to quantify uncertainties of the CIB power spectrum in a companion Planck paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

First broadband characterization and redshift determination of the VHE blazar MAGIC J2001+439

We aim to characterize the broadband emission from 2FGL J2001.1+4352, which has been associated with the unknown-redshift blazar MG4 J200112+4352. Based on its gamma-ray spectral properties, it was identified as a potential very high energy (VHE; E> 100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter. We investigate whether this object is aVHE emitter, characterize its gamma-ray spectrum, and study the broadband emission within the one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scenario, which is commonly used to describe the emission in blazars. Moreover, we also intend to determine the redshift of this object, which is a crucial parameter for its scientific interpretation. Here, the source was observed with MAGIC first in 2009 and later in 2010 within a multi-instrument observation campaign. The MAGIC observations yielded 14.8 h of good quality stereoscopic data. Besides MAGIC, the campaign involved, observations with Fermi -LAT, Swift -XRT/UVOT, the optical telescopes KVA, Goddard Robotic Telescope, Galaxy View observatory, Crimean Astrophysical observatory, St. Petersburg observatory, and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. The object was monitored at radio, optical and gamma-ray energies during the years 2010 and 2011. We characterize the radio to VHE spectral energy distribution and quantify the multiband variability and correlations over short (few days) and long (many months) timescales. We also organized deep imaging optical observations with the Nordic Optical Telescope in 2013 to determine the source redshift. As a result, the source, named MAGIC J2001+439, is detected for the first time at VHE with MAGIC at a statistical significance of 6.3σ (E > 70 GeV) during a 1.3 h long observation on 2010 July 16. The multi-instrument observations show variability in all energy bands with the highest amplitude of variability in the X-ray and VHE bands. Besides the variability on few-day timescales, the long-term monitoring of MAGIC J2001+439 shows that, the gamma-ray, optical, and radio emissions gradually decreased on few-month timescales from 2010 through 2011, indicating that at least some of the radio, optical and gamma-ray emission is produced in a single region by the same population of particles. We also determine for the first time the redshift of this BL Lac object through the measurement of its host galaxy during low blazar activity. Using the observational evidence that the luminosities of BL Lac host galaxies are confined to a relatively narrow range, we obtain z = 0.18 ± 0.04. In addition, we use the Fermi -LAT and MAGIC gamma-ray spectra to provide an independent redshift estimation, z = 0.17 ± 0.10. Finally, using the former (more accurate) redshift value, we adequately describe the broadband emission with a one-zone SSC model for different activity states and interpret the few-day timescale variability as produced by changes in the high-energy component of the electron energy distribution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Short timescale photometric and polarimetric behavior of two BL Lacertae type objects

Context. Blazars are astrophysical sources whose emission is dominated by non-thermal processes, typically interpreted as synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. Although the general picture is rather robust and consistent with observations, many aspects are still unexplored. Aims. Polarimetric monitoring can offer a wealth of information about the physical processes in blazars. Models with largely different physical ingredients can often provide almost indistinguishable predictions for the total flux, but usually are characterized by markedly different polarization properties. We explore, with a pilot study, the possibility to derive structural information about the emitting regions of blazars by means of a joint analysis of rapid variability of the total and polarized flux at optical wavelengths. Methods. Short timescale (from tens of seconds to a couple of minutes) optical linear polarimetry and photometry for two blazars, BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, was carried out with the PAOLO polarimeter at the 3.6 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Several hours of almost continuous observations were obtained for both sources. Results. Our intense monitoring allowed us to draw strongly different scenarios for BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, with the former characterized by intense variability on time-scales from hours to a few minutes and the latter practically constant in total flux. Essentially the same behavior is observed for the polarized flux and the position angle. The variability time-scales turned out to be as short as a few minutes, although involving only a few percent variation of the flux. The polarization variability time-scale is generally consistent with the total flux variability. Total and polarized flux appear to be essentially uncorrelated. However, even during our relatively short monitoring, different regimes can be singled out. Conclusions. No simple scenario is able to satisfactorily model the very rich phenomenology exhibited in our data. As a result, detailed numerical simulations show that the emitting region should be characterized by some symmetry, and the inclusion of turbulence for the magnetic field may constitute the missing ingredient for a more complete interpretation of the data.

1424+240↗
DOE OSTI2016

Planck intermediate results: XXXVII. Evidence of unbound gas from the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

By looking at the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (kSZ) in Planck nominal mission data, we present in this paper a significant detection of baryons participating in large-scale bulk flows around central galaxies (CGs) at redshift z ≈ 0.1. We estimate the pairwise momentum of the kSZ temperature fluctuations at the positions of the Central Galaxy Catalogue (CGC) samples extracted from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR7) data. For the foreground-cleaned SEVEM, SMICA, NILC, and COMMANDER maps, we find 1.8–2.5σ detections of the kSZ signal, which are consistent with the kSZ evidence found in individualPlanck raw frequency maps, although lower than found in the WMAP-9yr W-band (3.3σ). We further reconstruct the peculiar velocity field from the CG density field, and compute for the first time the cross-correlation function between kSZ temperature fluctuations and estimates of CG radial peculiar velocities. This correlation function yields a 3.0–3.7σ detection of the peculiar motion of extended gas on Mpc scales in flows correlated up to distances of 80–100 h -1 Mpc. Both the pairwise momentum estimates and the kSZ temperature-velocity field correlation find evidence for kSZ signatures out to apertures of 8 arcmin and beyond, corresponding to a physical radius of >1 Mpc, more than twice the mean virial radius of halos. This is consistent with the predictions from hydrodynamical simulations that most of the baryons are outside the virialized halos. We fit a simple model, in which the temperature-velocity cross-correlation is proportional to the signal seen in a semi-analytic model built upon N-body simulations, and interpret the proportionality constant as an effective optical depth to Thomson scattering. Finally, we find τ T = (1.4 ± 0.5) × 10 -4 ; the simplest interpretation of this measurement is that much of the gas is in a diffuse phase, which contributes little signal to X-ray or thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low-density laboratory spectra near the He ii λ 304 line

Aims. Our aim is to interpret the EUV spectra of the solar corona, one hopes for laboratory data of specific chemical elements obtained under coronal conditions. Methods. EUV spectra of He, C, N, O, F, Ne, S, Ar, Fe, and Ni in a 40 Å wide wavelength interval near λ304 were excited in an electron beam ion trap. Results. We observe some two hundred lines about half of which are not yet identified and included in spectral models. Conclusions. Lastly, our data provide a check on the atomic data bases underlying the spectral models that are used to interpret solar corona data. However, a multitude of mostly weak additional lines taken together represent a flux that is comparable to that of various primary lines.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Low-density laboratory spectra near the λ 335 channel of the SDO/AIA instrument

For a more complete interpretation of the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectra of the solar corona, it is beneficial to acquire laboratory data of specific chemical elements obtained under coronal conditions. The EUV spectra of He, C, N, O, F, Ne, S, Ar, Fe, and Ni in a 30 Å wide wavelength interval near 335 have been excited in an electron beam ion trap. Results. We observe just under 200 lines, almost half of which are not yet identified and included in spectral models. Furthermore, our data serve as a check on atomic databases that are used to interpret solar corona data such as collected by the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft or the EUNIS instrument on sounding rockets. Furthermore, our findings largely corroborate the databases. However, the accumulated flux of a multitude of mostly weak additional lines is comparable to that of various primary lines.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cosmic rays in molecular clouds probed by H 2 rovibrational lines

Context. Low-energy cosmic rays (<1 TeV) play a fundamental role in the chemical and dynamical evolution of molecular clouds, as they control the ionisation, dissociation, and excitation of H 2 . Their characterisation is therefore important both for the interpretation of observations and for the development of theoretical models. However, the methods used so far for estimating the cosmic-ray ionisation rate in molecular clouds have several limitations due to uncertainties in the adopted chemical networks. Aims. Here, we refine and extend a previously proposed method to estimate the cosmic-ray ionisation rate in molecular clouds by observing rovibrational transitions of H 2 at near-infrared wavelengths, which are mainly excited by secondary cosmic-ray electrons. Methods. Combining models of interstellar cosmic-ray propagation and attenuation in molecular clouds with the rigorous calculation of the expected secondary electron spectrum and updated electron-H 2 excitation cross sections, we derive the intensity of the four H 2 rovibrational transitions observable in cold dense gas: (1—0)O(2), (1—0)Q(2), (1—0)S(0), and (1—0)O(4). Results. The proposed method allows the estimation of the cosmic-ray ionisation rate for a given observed line intensity and H 2 column density. We are also able to deduce the shape of the low-energy cosmic-ray proton spectrum impinging upon the molecular cloud. In addition, we present a look-up plot and a web-based application that can be used to constrain the low-energy spectral slope of the interstellar cosmic-ray proton spectrum. We finally comment on the capability of the James Webb Space Telescope to detect these near-infrared H 2 lines, which will make it possible to derive, for the first time, spatial variation in the cosmic-ray ionisation rate in dense gas. Besides the implications for the interpretation of the chemical-dynamic evolution of a molecular cloud, it will finally be possible to test competing models of cosmic-ray propagation and attenuation in the interstellar medium, as well as compare cosmic-ray spectra in different Galactic regions

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Revisiting stellar properties of star-forming galaxies with stellar and nebular spectral modelling

Spectral synthesis is a powerful tool for interpreting the physical properties of galaxies by decomposing their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) into the main luminosity contributors (e.g. stellar populations of distinct age and metallicity or ionised gas). However, the impact nebular emission has on the inferred properties of star-forming (SF) galaxies has been largely overlooked over the years, with unknown ramifications to the current understanding of galaxy evolution. The objective of this work is to estimate the relations between stellar properties (e.g. total mass, mean age, and mean metallicity) of SF galaxies by simultaneously fitting the stellar and nebular continua and comparing them to the results derived through the more common purely stellar spectral synthesis approach. The main galaxy sample from SDSS DR7 was analysed with two distinct population synthesis codes: FADO, which estimates self-consistently both the stellar and nebular contributions to the SED, and the original version of STARLIGHT, as representative of purely stellar population synthesis codes. Differences between codes regarding average mass, mean age and mean metallicity values can go as high as ~0.06 dex for the overall population of galaxies and ~0.12 dex for SF galaxies (galaxies with EW(Hα) > 3 Å), with the most prominent difference between both codes in the two populations being in the light-weighted mean stellar age. FADO presents a broader range of mean stellar ages and metallicities for SF galaxies than STARLIGHT, with the latter code preferring metallicity solutions around the solar value (Z ⊙ = 0.02). A closer look into the average light- and mass-weighted star formation histories of intensively SF galaxies (EW(Hα) > 75 Å) reveals that the light contributions of simple stellar populations (SSPs) younger than ≤10 7 (10 9 ) years in STARLIGHT are higher by ~5.41% (9.11%) compared to FADO. Moreover, FADO presents higher light contributions from SSPs with metallicity ≤ Z ⊙ /200 (Z ⊙ /50) of around 8.05% (13.51%) when compared with STARLIGHT. This suggests that STARLIGHT is underestimating the average light-weighted age of intensively SF galaxies by up to ~0.17 dex and overestimating the light-weighted metallicity by up to ~0.13 dex compared to FADO (or vice versa). The comparison between the average stellar properties of passive, SF and intensively SF galaxy samples also reveals that differences between codes increase with increasing EW(Hα) and decreasing total stellar mass. Moreover, comparing SF results from FADO in a purely stellar mode with the previous results qualitatively suggests that differences between codes are primarily due to mathematical and statistical differences and secondarily due to the impact of the nebular continuum modelling approach (or lack thereof). However, it is challenging to adequately quantify the relative role of each factor since they are likely interconnected. This work finds indirect evidence that a purely stellar population synthesis approach negatively impacts the inferred stellar properties (e.g. mean age and mean metallicity) of galaxies with relatively high star formation rates (e.g. dwarf spirals, ‘green peas’, and starburst galaxies). In turn, this can bias interpretations of fundamental relations such as the mass-age or mass-metallicity, which are factors worth bearing in mind in light of future high-resolution spectroscopic surveys at higher redshifts (e.g. MOONS and 4MOST-4HS).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

photoD with Rubin ’s Data Preview 1: First stellar photometric distances and faint blue star deficits

Aims. We investigate the utility of Rubin’s Data Preview 1 (DP1) for estimating stellar number density profiles across the Milky Way halo. Methods. We used stellar broad-band near-UV to near-IR ugrizy photometry released in Rubin’s DP1 to estimate distance and metallicity for blue main sequence stars brighter than r = 24 in three ~1.1 sq. deg. fields at southern Galactic latitudes. Results. Compared to TRILEGAL simulations of the Galaxy’s stellar content, we found a likely deficit of blue main sequence turn-off stars with 22 < r < 24. We interpreted this discrepancy as a signature of a steeper halo number density profile at galactocentric distances 10–50 kpc than the canonical ~1/r 3 profile assumed in TRILEGAL simulations. Conclusions. This interpretation is consistent with earlier suggestions based on observations of more luminous, but much less numerous, evolved stellar populations, along with a few pencil beam surveys of blue main sequence stars in the northern sky. These results bode well for the future Galactic halo exploration with Rubin’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Galaxy: fundamental parameters↗
DOE OSTI2023

A decay database of coincident γ–γ and γ–X -ray branching ratios for in-field spectroscopy applications

Current fieldable spectroscopy techniques often use single detector systems heavily impacted by interferences from intense background radiation fields. These effects result in low-confidence measurements that can lead to misinterpretation of the collected spectrum. To help improve interpretation of the fission products and short-lived radionuclides produced in a composite sample, a coincidence-database is being developed in support of a robust portable and X-ray coincidence detector system concurrently under development at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for in-field deployment. Hitherto, no database exists containing coincident γ–γ and γ–X-ray branching-ratio intensities on an absolute scale that will greatly enhance isotopic identification for in-field applications. As part of this project, software has been developed to parse all radioactive-decay data sets from the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) archive to enable translation into a more useful JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) formats that more readily supports query-based data manipulation. The coincident database described in this work is the first of its kind and contains coincidence γ–γ and γ–X-ray intensities and their corresponding uncertainties, together with auxiliary metadata associated with each decay data set. The new JSON format provides a convenient and portable means of data storage that can be imported into analysis frameworks with relatively low overhead allowing for meaningful comparison with measured data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Cosmic rays and hadronic interactions

The cosmic ray spectrum extends to particles with energy E{approx} 10{sup 20} eV, that corresponds (assuming that the primary particle is a proton) to a nucleon-nucleon c.m. energy {radical}(s) Asymptotically-Equal-To 430TeV, 50 times higher than the current LHC energy. These very high energy particles can be studied via the observation of the showers they generate in the atmosphere. The interpretation of the data requires therefore the modeling of hadronic interactions in an energy range beyond what can be studied in accelerator experiments. The theoretical problem of estimating the relevant properties of hadronic interactions in this energy range is therefore of central importance for the interpretation of the cosmic ray data. Viceversa, it is in principle possible to obtain information about hadronic interactions from the cosmic ray observations, but this program has to confront the fact that the (freely available) cosmic ray beam has an unknown energy spectrum and an unknown mass composition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The magnetic recoil spectrometer for measurements of the absolute neutron spectrum at OMEGA and the NIF

The neutron spectrum produced by deuterium-tritium (DT) inertial confinement fusion implosions contains a wealth of information about implosion performance including the DT yield, iontemperature, and areal-density. The Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) has been used at both the OMEGA laser facility and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure the absolute neutron spectrum from 3 to 30 MeV at OMEGA and 3 to 36 MeV at the NIF. These measurements have been used to diagnose the performance of cryogenic target implosions to unprecedented accuracy. Interpretation of MRS data requires a detailed understanding of the MRS response and background. This paper describes ab initio characterization of the system involving Monte Carlo simulations of the MRS response in addition to the commission experiments for in situ calibration of the systems on OMEGA and the NIF.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Heavy reflector experiments in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor: Stainless steel, carbon steel and nickel

New experiments devoted to the measurements of physical parameters of a light water core surrounded by a heavy reflector were performed in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor facility. These experiments comprise three sets of heavy reflector (SS-304, Carbon Steel, and Nickel) in a form of laminates around 3 mm thick. Each set was introduced individually in the west face of the core of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. The aim here is to provide high quality experimental data for the interpretation and validation of the SS-304 heavy reflector calculation methods. The experiments of Carbon Steel, which is composed mainly of iron, and Nickel were performed to provide a consistent and an interpretative check for the SS-304 reflector experiment. The experimental results comprise critical control bank positions, temperatures and reactivities as a function of the number of the plates. Particularly to the case of Nickel, the experimental data are unique of its kind. The theoretical analysis was performed by MCNP-5 with the nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.0. It was shown that this nuclear data library has a very good performance up to thirteen plates and overestimates the reactivity for higher number of plates independently of the type of the reflector.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of ion orbit loss on the structure in the H-mode tokamak edge pedestal profiles of rotation velocity, radial electric field, density, and temperature

An investigation of the effect of ion orbit loss of thermal ions and the compensating return ion current directly on the radial ion flux flowing in the plasma, and thereby indirectly on the toroidal and poloidal rotation velocity profiles, the radial electric field, density, and temperature profiles, and the interpretation of diffusive and non-diffusive transport coefficients in the plasma edge, is described. Illustrative calculations for a high-confinement H-mode DIII-D [J. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] plasma are presented and compared with experimental results. Taking into account, ion orbit loss of thermal ions and the compensating return ion current is found to have a significant effect on the structure of the radial profiles of these quantities in the edge plasma, indicating the necessity of taking ion orbit loss effects into account in interpreting or predicting these quantities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗