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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 1,693 records · Page 94

Air-gap gating of MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures

The adaptation of “air-gap” dielectric based field-effect transistor technology to controlling the MgZnO/ZnO heterointerface confined two-dimensional electron system (2DES) is reported. We find it possible to tune the charge density of the 2DES via a gate electrode spatially separated from the heterostructure surface by a distance of 5 μm. Under static gating, the observation of the quantum Hall effect suggests that the charge carrier density remains homogeneous, with the 2DES in the 3 mm square sample the sole conductor. The availability of this technology enables the exploration of the charge carrier density degree of freedom in the pristine sample limit.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A versatile setup using femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

We report a versatile setup based on the femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. The setup uses a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire oscillator source and a folded 4f pulse shaper, in which the pulse shaping is carried out through conventional optical elements and does not require a spatial light modulator. Our setup is simple in alignment, and can be easily switched between the collinear single-beam and the noncollinear two-beam configurations. We demonstrate the capability for investigating both transparent and highly scattering samples by detecting transmitted and reflected signals, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF METALLICITY GRADIENTS: PROBING THE MODE OF MASS ASSEMBLY AT z {approx_equal} 2

We present and discuss measurements of the gas-phase metallicity gradient in four gravitationally lensed galaxies at z = 2.0-2.4 based on adaptive optics-assisted imaging spectroscopy with the Keck II telescope. Three galaxies with well-ordered rotation reveal metallicity gradients with lower gas-phase metallicities at larger galactocentric radii. Two of these display gradients much steeper than found locally, while a third has one similar to that seen in local disk galaxies. The fourth galaxy exhibits complex kinematics indicative of an ongoing merger and reveals an 'inverted' gradient with lower metallicity in the central regions. By comparing our sample to similar data in the literature for lower redshift galaxies, we determine that, on average, metallicity gradients must flatten by a factor of 2.6 {+-} 0.9 between z = 2.2 and the present epoch. This factor is in rough agreement with the size growth of massive galaxies, suggesting that inside-out growth can account for the evolution of metallicity gradients. Since the addition of our new data provides the first indication of a coherent picture of this evolution, we develop a simple model of chemical evolution to explain the collective data. We find that metallicity gradients and their evolution can be explained by the inward radial migration of gas together with a radial variation in the mass loading factor governing the ratio of outflowing gas to the local star formation rate. Average mass loading factors of {approx}< 2 are inferred from our model in good agreement with direct measurements of outflowing gas in z {approx_equal} 2 galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Reference-free structural variant detection in microbiomes via long-read co-assembly graphs

Motivation: The study of bacterial genome dynamics is vital for understanding the mechanisms underlying microbial adaptation, growth, and their impact on host phenotype. Structural variants (SVs), genomic alterations of 50 base pairs or more, play a pivotal role in driving evolutionary processes and maintaining genomic heterogeneity within bacterial populations. While SV detection in isolate genomes is relatively straightforward, metagenomes present broader challenges due to the absence of clear reference genomes and the presence of mixed strains. In response, our proposed method rhea, forgoes reference genomes and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) by encompassing all metagenomic samples in a series (time or other metric) into a single co-assembly graph. The log fold change in graph coverage between successive samples is then calculated to call SVs that are thriving or declining. Results: We show rhea to outperform existing methods for SV and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) detection in two simulated mock metagenomes, particularly as the simulated reads diverge from reference genomes and an increase in strain diversity is incorporated. We additionally demonstrate use cases for rhea on series metagenomic data of environmental and fermented food microbiomes to detect specific sequence alterations between successive time and temperature samples, suggesting host advantage. Our approach leverages previous work in assembly graph structural and coverage patterns to provide versatility in studying SVs across diverse and poorly characterized microbial communities for more comprehensive insights into microbial gene flux.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

TU-C-17A-08: Improving IMRT Planning and Reducing Inter-Planner Variability Using the Stochastic Frontier Method: Validation Based On Clinical and Simulated Data

Purpose: Intensity modulated radiation therapy always requires compromises between PTV coverage and organs at risk (OAR) sparing. We previously developed metrics that correlate doses to OAR to specific patients’ morphology using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Here, we aim to examine the validity of this approach using a large set of realistically simulated dosimetric and geometric data. Methods: SFA describes a set of treatment plans as an asymmetric distribution with respect to a frontier defining optimal plans. Eighty head and neck IMRT plans were used to establish a metric predicting the mean dose to parotids as a function of simple geometric parameters. A database of 140 parotids was used as a basis distribution to simulate physically plausible data of geometry and dose. Distributions comprising between 20 and 5000 were simulated and the SFA was applied to obtain new frontiers, which were compared to the original frontier. Results: It was possible to simulate distributions consistent with the original dataset. Below 160 organs, the SFA could not always describe distributions as asymmetric: a few cases showed a Gaussian or half-Gaussian distribution. In order to converge to a stable solution, the number of organs in a distribution must ideally be above 100, but in many cases stable parameters could be achieved with as low as 60 samples of organ data. Mean RMS value of the error of new frontiers was significantly reduced when additional organs are used. Conclusion: The number of organs in a distribution showed to have an impact on the effectiveness of the model. It is always possible to obtain a frontier, but if the number of organs in the distribution is small (< 160), it may not represent de lowest dose achievable. These results will be used to determine number of cases necessary to adapt the model to other organs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Riparian vegetation composition and diversity shows resilience following cessation of livestock grazing in northeastern Oregon, USA

Riparian ecosystem restoration has been accomplished through exclusion of livestock using corridor fencing along hundreds of kilometers of streams in the western United States, for the benefit of riparian-obligate wildlife and endangered fishes. Yet, there are limited scientific studies that have evaluated more than short-term shifts in vegetation composition and diversity at a single location or handful of locations following grazing. We sampled riparian vegetation composition along 11-paired grazed and ungrazed (exclosed) stream reaches in northeastern Oregon. Exclosure ages ranged from 2 to >30 years and grazing treatments varied from light grazing every one out of three years to heavy season-long grazing. Species richness and diversity was higher in the ungrazed reaches (p = 0.002). The abundance of native sedges ( Carex spp.) and broad-leaved forbs were also significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater in ungrazed areas. In contrast, exotic species adapted to grazing such as Poa pratensis and Trifolium repens were more abundant in grazed stream reaches. The prevalence of hydrophytic species significantly increased (p ≤ 0.01) in ungrazed reaches, (based on wetland species indicator scores), indicating that wetland-dominated communities within the ungrazed stream reaches were replacing ones adapted to drier environments. The increased abundance of facultative and wetland-obligate species in ungrazed reaches compared to grazed reaches suggests that livestock grazing exacerbates those climate change effects also leading to warmer and drier conditions. Further, riparian-obligate shrub cover along the streambank was higher in 7 of 8 exclosures that were older than 5 years (p = 0.05). As a restoration approach, the inherent resilience of riparian ecosystems exhibited in ungrazed riparian zones suggest positive feedbacks to other beneficial ecosystem processes such as increased species and habitat diversity, increased carbon sequestration, enhanced allochthonous inputs and greater sediment retention, that would affect the aquatic and terrestrial biota, water quality, and stream morphology.

Kauffman, J. Boone (ORCID:0000000290202815)↗

Simulant Development of Potential 200 West Area Waste Feeds

Preliminary planning for retrieval, qualification, and pretreatment of waste in Hanford’s 200 West Area (200W) has begun as part of the West Area Risk Management project. Experimental studies to technically mature pretreatment process operations will likely be needed because of the uniqueness of 200W waste. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory formulated five simulants to represent 200W-qualified feed based on the preliminary flowsheet provided by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC. The simulant recipes were devised using applicable historical information as a reference point to support the use of the flowsheet waste vectors, which were combined into five distinct groups. These five groups formed the basis for the liquid composition targets that were adapted into recipes using charged-balanced salt species. The liquid phase recipes were batched in 1-L quantities and analyzed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Once confirmed to be stable, the liquid solutions were tested for compatibility with candidate solid components. Specific solid components were recommended based on cross-examining the proposed solid phases in the flowsheet with relevant data from the literature. Mixtures of solid components were added to aliquots of the liquid batches and sub-sampled to measure particle size distribution. The measured distribution was compared to independently created benchmark distributions appropriate for each simulant. This process was iterated until a solid phase composition that resulted in a representative particle size distribution was found. After the final compositions were confirmed, a suite of chemical and physical characterization data was collected. This report describes the simulant basis, formulation methodology, laboratory measurements, and data collected for the recipes recommended to represent 200W waste feeds.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Experiments for improved positioning by means of integrated Doppler satellite observations and the NNSS broadcast ephemeris

A study to improve position determination using broadcast ephemeris in Doppler data reduction is presented. The uncertainty of the broadcast ephemeris was assessed, and sample autocovariances were computed for acceleration, velocity, and position considering the state disturbance as a signal. An experiment was made in which three stations coobserved 12 passes, and the removal of the radial bias resulted in a chord distance which was in better agreement with the ground survey. In the second experiment, the station positions of the first test simulated the range observations, and the autocovariance function of the acceleration signal in the Cartesian coordinate system was used in an adaptive filtering procedure to improve the state of the satellite in one pass.

Arur, M. G.↗

Direct adaptive control of a PUMA 560 industrial robot

The implementation and experimental validation of a new direct adaptive control scheme on a PUMA 560 industrial robot is described. The testbed facility consists of a Unimation PUMA 560 six-jointed robot and controller, and a DEC MicroVAX II computer which hosts the Robot Control C Library software. The control algorithm is implemented on the MicroVAX which acts as a digital controller for the PUMA robot, and the Unimation controller is effectively bypassed and used merely as an I/O device to interface the MicroVAX to the joint motors. The control algorithm for each robot joint consists of an auxiliary signal generated by a constant-gain Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative (PID) controller, and an adaptive position-velocity (PD) feedback controller with adjustable gains. The adaptive independent joint controllers compensate for the inter-joint couplings and achieve accurate trajectory tracking without the need for the complex dynamic model and parameter values of the robot. Extensive experimental results on PUMA joint control are presented to confirm the feasibility of the proposed scheme, in spite of strong interactions between joint motions. Experimental results validate the capabilities of the proposed control scheme. The control scheme is extremely simple and computationally very fast for concurrent processing with high sampling rates.

Seraji, Homayoun↗

Internal ballistics model update for ASRM dome

A previous report (no. 5-32279, contract NAS8-36955, DO 51) describes the measures taken to adapt the NASA Complex Burning Region Model and code so that is was applicable to the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor as envisioned at that time. The code so modified was called the CBRM-A. CBRM-A could calculate the port volume and burning area for the star, transition, and cylindrically perforated regions of the motor. Described here is a subsequent effort to add computation of port volume and burning area for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor head dome. Sample output, input, and overview of the models are included. The software was configured in two forms - a stand alone head dome code and a code integrating the head dome solution with the CBRM-A.

Bowden, Mark H.↗

Framework for an adaptive integrated observation system using a hierarchy of machine learning approaches

Focal Area(s): 1. Data acquisition enabled by machine learning, AI, and advanced methods including experimental/network design/optimization, and hardware-related efforts involving AI. 2. Insight gleaned from complex measurements using AI, big data analytics, and other advanced methods, including explainable AI and physics- or knowledge-guided AI Science Challenge and Rationale: Atmospheric processes are stochastic, occur at scales from the micrometer to many kilometers, and are constantly changing over time. Characterizing these interactions and associated environmental conditions using traditional measurement techniques is difficult and can take years to build statistics on atmospheric phenomena that occurs episodically. Developing new innovative approaches to modify sampling strategies in real-time would enable the routine collection of targeted measurements focused on a specific set of science questions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

An Efficient and Effective Light Gas Gun Design for Millimeter-Scale Hypervelocity Testing

This paper serves to document a design for a light gas gun that was used for 3 decades at NASA’s Langley Research Center. By adapting readily-available equipment and supplies, this apparatus was capable of accelerating projectiles at up to 9 kilometers per second. The lack of a projectile-carrying sabot sacrifices some adaptability in projectile size, but results in a design that can be cleaned and cycled with far less labor input. Overall limitation on the projectile impact energies attainable effectively limit the applications to assessing the relatively thin shields employed for robotic spacecraft (less useful for those used for manned missions). The original gun has been decommissioned, but it is believed that this design has application for robotic spacecraft shield testing in the modern world, allowing cost-effective generation of larger sample sizes than with conventional sabot-based light gas guns.

Scott Hull↗

An Efficient and Effective Light Gas Gun Design for Millimeter-scale Hypervelocity Testing

This paper serves to document a design for a light gas gun that was used for 3 decades at NASA’s Langley Research Center. By adapting readily-available equipment and supplies, this apparatus was capable of accelerating projectiles at up to 9 kilometers per second (when new). The lack of a projectile-carrying sabot sacrifices some adaptability in projectile size, but results in a design that can be cleaned and cycled with far less labor input. Overall limitation on the projectile impact energies attainable effectively limit the applications to assessing the relatively thin shields employed for robotic spacecraft (less useful for those used for manned missions). The original gun has been decommissioned, but it is believed that this design has application for robotic spacecraft shield testing in the modern world, allowing cost-effective generation of larger sample sizes than with conventional sabot-based light gas guns.

Scott Hull↗

Implementation of Dynamic Extensible Adaptive Locally Exchangeable Measures (IDEALEM) v 0.1

Handling large streaming data is essential for various applications such as network traffic analysis, social networks, energy cost trends, and environment modeling. However, it is in general intractable to store, compute, search, and retrieve large streaming data. This software addresses a fundamental issue, which is to reduce the size of large streaming data and still obtain accurate statistical analysis. As an example, when a high-speed network such as 100 Gbps network is monitored, the collected measurement data rapidly grows so that polynomial time algorithms (e.g., Gaussian processes) become intractable. One possible solution to reduce the storage of vast amounts of measured data is to store a random sample, such as one out of 1000 network packets. However, such static sampling methods (linear sampling) have drawbacks: (1) it is not scalable for high-rate streaming data, and (2) there is no guarantee of reflecting the underlying distribution. In this software, we implemented a dynamic sampling algorithm, based on the recent technology from the relational dynamic bayesian online locally exchangeable measures, that reduces the storage of data records in a large scale, and still provides accurate analysis of large streaming data. The software can be used for both online and offline data records.

Sim, Alex↗

Bayesian Treed Multivariate Gaussian Process with Adaptive Design: Application to a Carbon Capture Unit

Computer experiments (numerical simulations) are widely used in scientific research to study and predict the behavior of complex systems, which usually have responses consisting of a set of distinct outputs. The computational cost of the simulations at high resolution are often expensive and become impractical for parametric studies at different input values. To overcome these difficulties we develop a Bayesian treed multivariate Gaussian process (BTMGP) as an extension of the Bayesian treed Gaussian process (BTGP) in order to model and evaluate a multivariate process. A suitable choice of covariance function and the prior distributions facilitates the different Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) movements. We utilize this model to sequentially sample the input space for the most informative values, taking into account model uncertainty and expertise gained. A simulation study demonstrates the use of the proposed method and compares it with alternative approaches. We apply the sequential sampling technique and BTMGP to model the multiphase flow in a full scale regenerator of a carbon capture unit. The application presented in this paper is an important tool for research into carbon dioxide emissions from thermal power plants.

Konomi, Bledar A.↗

Fermionic Partial Tomography via Classical Shadows

Here we propose a tomographic protocol for estimating any k-body reduced density matrix (k-RDM) of an n-mode fermionic state, a ubiquitous step in near-term quantum algorithms for simulating many-body physics, chemistry, and materials. Our approach extends the framework of classical shadows, a randomized approach to learning a collection of quantum-state properties, to the fermionic setting. Our sampling protocol uses randomized measurement settings generated by a discrete group of fermionic Gaussian unitaries, implementable with linear-depth circuits. We prove that estimating all k-RDM elements to additive precision ϵ requires on the order of ($^{n}_{k}$)k 3/2 log(n)/ϵ 2 repeated state preparations, which is optimal up to the logarithmic factor. Furthermore, numerical calculations show that our protocol offers a substantial improvement in constant overheads for k ≥ 2, as compared to prior deterministic strategies. We also adapt our method to particle-number symmetry, wherein the additional circuit depth may be halved at the cost of roughly 2–5 times more repetitions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Spatial Homogeneity of Bacterial Communities Associated with the Surface Mucus Layer of the Reef-Building Coral Acropora palmata

Coral surface mucus layer (SML) microbiota are critical components of the coral holobiont and play important roles in nutrient cycling and defense against pathogens. We sequenced 16S rRNA amplicons to examine the structure of the SML microbiome within and between colonies of the threatened Caribbean reef-building coral Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys. Samples were taken from three spatially distinct colony regions—uppermost (high irradiance), underside (low irradiance), and the colony base—representing microhabitats that vary in irradiance and water flow. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) values of coral SML bacteria communities were greater than surrounding seawater and lower than adjacent sediment. Bacterial diversity and community composition was consistent among the three microhabitats. Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria, and Proteobacteria, respectively were the most abundant phyla represented in the samples. This is the first time spatial variability of the surface mucus layer of A. palmata has been studied. Homogeneity in the microbiome of A. palmata contrasts with SML heterogeneity found in other Caribbean corals. These findings suggest that, during non-stressful conditions, host regulation of SML microbiota may override diverse physiochemical influences induced by the topographical complexity of A. palmata. Documenting the spatial distribution of SML microbes is essential to understanding the functional roles these microorganisms play in coral health and adaptability to environmental perturbations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Pilot-Scale Removal of Fluoride from Legacy Plutonium Materials Using Vacuum Salt Distillation

Between September 2009 and January 2011, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and HB-Line designed, developed, tested, and successfully deployed a system for the distillation of chloride salts. In 2011, SRNL adapted the technology for the removal of fluoride from fluoride-bearing salts. The method involved an in situ reaction between potassium hydroxide (KOH) and the fluoride salt to yield potassium fluoride (KF) and the corresponding oxide. The KF and excess KOH can be distilled below 1000°C using vacuum salt distillation (VSD). The apparatus for vacuum distillation contains a zone heated by a furnace and a zone actively cooled using either recirculated water or compressed air. During a vacuum distillation operation, a sample boat containing the feed material is placed into the apparatus while it is cool, and the system is sealed. The system is evacuated using a vacuum pump. Once a sufficient vacuum is attaned, heating begins. Volatile salts distill from the heated zone to the cooled zone where they condense, leaving behind the non-volatile material in the feed boat. Studies discussed in this report were performed involving the use of non-radioactive simulants in small-scale and pilot-scale systems as well as radioactive testing of a small-scale system with plutonium-bearing materials. Aspects of interest include removable liner design considerations, boat materials, in-line moisture absorption, and salt deposition.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗