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At least 1,729 records · Page 96

Mechanism and dynamics of fatty acid photodecarboxylase

The deposition contains diffraction patterns after hit-finding of time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography measurements on fatty acid photodecarboxylase performed at LCLS XFEL (proposal ID: LT59). Five datasets are available. One dataset without pump laser excitation, labeled as "dark" and four time-resolved datasets with pump laser excitation at four different time-points labeled as "20 ps", "900 ps", "300 ns" and "2 μs". Please check the publication for more information about the datasets.

CXI↗

Satellite-tracking and earth-dynamics research programs

Observations and research progress of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are reported. Satellite tracking networks (ground stations) are discussed and equipment (Baker-Nunn cameras) used to observe the satellites is described. The improvement of the accuracy of a laser ranging system of the ground stations is discussed. Also, research efforts in satellite geodesy (tides, gravity anomalies, plate tectonics) is discussed. The use of data processing for geophysical data is examined, and a data base for the Earth and Ocean Physics Applications Program is proposed. Analytical models of the earth's motion (computerized simulation) are described and the computation (numerical integration and algorithms) of satellite orbits affected by the earth's albedo, using computer techniques, is also considered. Research efforts in the study of the atmosphere are examined (the effect of drag on satellite motion), and models of the atmosphere based on satellite data are described.

Source record↗

The Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS) – Updates and Future Developments

As earth observing services and techniques have flourished, data and products have exponentially grown, like the proliferation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations capable of providing real-time data, Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations shifting to kHz lasers, and Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)’s implementation of VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) telescopes. The CDDIS is continually evolving to fulfill the new storage, quality check, and latency requirements that these changes bring, as well as meet new standards such as the shift toward FAIR and open science. These have shaped how the CDDIS develops new software and resources. Beginning next year, the CDDIS will begin to transition their data and products to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, beginning with DORIS data. This poster will highlight the CDDIS’s recently updated processing system, new data and products available, and future work.

Justine Woo↗

The Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS) – Updates and Future Developments

As earth observing services and techniques have flourished, data and products have exponentially grown, like the proliferation of GNSS stations capable of providing real-time data, SLR stations shifting to kHz lasers, and VLBI’s implementation of VGOS telescopes. The CDDIS is continually evolving to fulfill the new storage, quality check, and latency requirements that these changes bring, as well as meet new standards such as the shift toward FAIR and open science. These have shaped how the CDDIS develops new software and resources. Beginning next year, the CDDIS will begin to transition their data and products to the AWS cloud, beginning with DORIS data. This poster will highlight the CDDIS’s recently updated processing system, new data and products available, and future work.

Justine Woo↗

Correlated spin-wave generation and domain-wall oscillation in a topologically textured magnetic film

Spin waves, or magnons, are essential for next-generation energy-efficient spintronics and magnonics. Yet, visualizing spin-wave dynamics at nanoscale and microwave frequencies remains a formidable challenge due to the lack of spin-sensitive, time-resolved microscopy. Here, in this study, we report a breakthrough in imaging dipole-exchange spin waves in a ferromagnetic film owing to the development of laser-free ultrafast Lorentz electron microscopy, which is equipped with a microwave-mediated electron pulser for high spatiotemporal resolution. Using topological spin textures, we captured the emission, propagation, reflection and interference of spin waves from spin anti-vortices under radio-frequency excitations. Remarkably, we show that spin-wave generation is closely tied to the oscillatory motion of specific magnetic domain walls, providing the missing link between wave emission and wall dynamics near magnetic singularities. This work opens new possibilities in magnonics, offering a nanoscopic view of spin dynamics via transmission electron microscopy and enabling controlled excitation via radio-frequency fields for exploring non-equilibrium states in magnetic and multiferroic systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Towards the optimization of direct laser acceleration

Experimental measurements using the OMEGA EP laser facility demonstrated direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electron beams to (505 ± 75) MeV with (140 ± 30) nC of charge from a low-density plasma target using a 400 J, picosecond duration pulse. Similar trends of electron energy with target density are also observed in self-consistent two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The intensity of the laser pulse is sufficiently large that the electrons are rapidly expelled from along the laser pulse propagation axis to form a channel. The dominant acceleration mechanism is confirmed to be DLA and the effect of quasi-static channel fields on energetic electron dynamics is examined. A strong channel magnetic field, self-generated by the accelerated electrons, is found to play a comparable role to the transverse electric channel field in defining the boundary of electron motion.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

An 8 GeV linac as the Booster replacement in the Fermilab Power Upgrade

Increasing the Main Injector beam power above ~ 1.2 MW requires replacement of the 8 GeV Booster by a higher intensity alternative. In this paper, we consider an 8 GeV linac Booster replacement that produces 8 GeV H$^{-}$ beam for injection into the Recycler Ring or Main Injector. This upgrade will maximize the beam available for neutrino production for the long baseline DUNE experiment to greater than 2.5 MW and enable a next generation frontier experiments. The 8 GeV linac takes ~ 1 GeV beam from the PIP-II Linac and accelerates it to ~ 2 GeV in a650 MHz superconducting RF linac, followed by a ~ 2 to 8 GeV pulsed linac using 1300 MHz cryomodules. The linac components incorporate recent improvements in superconducting RF technology. The linac configuration and beam dynamics requirements are presented. Injection options are discussed, including use of an8 GeV Accumulator Ring. Foil-based injection is the present standard but R&D toward implementing laser-assisted injection could enable a significant improvement. Research needed to implement the Booster replacement is described.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Stochastic modeling of x-ray superfluorescence

An approach to modeling the dynamics of x-ray amplified spontaneous emission and superfluorescence, the phenomenon of collective x-ray emission initiated by intense pulses of x-ray free-electron lasers, is developed based on stochastic partial differential equations. The equations are derived from first principles, and the relevant approximations, derivation steps, and extensions specific to stimulated x-ray emission are presented. The resulting equations take the form of three-dimensional generalized Maxwell-Bloch equations augmented with noise terms for both field and atomic variables. The derived noise terms possess specific correlation properties that enable the correct reconstruction of spontaneous emission. Consequently, the developed theoretical formalism is universally suitable for describing all stages of stimulated x-ray emission: spontaneous emission, amplified spontaneous emission, and superfluorescence. Here, we present numerical examples that illustrate various properties of the emitted field, including spatiotemporal coherence and spectral-angular and polarization characteristics. We anticipate that the proposed theoretical framework will establish a robust foundation for interpreting measurements in stimulated x-ray emission spectroscopy, modeling x-ray laser oscillators, and describing other experiments leveraging x-ray superfluorescence.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Shape fluctuations and optical transition of He 2 * excimer tracers in superfluid He 4

Metastable He$_{2}^{*}$ excimer molecules have been utilized as tracer particles of the normal component in superfluid $^4$He (He II) which can be imaged via laser-induced fluorescence. These excimer molecules form tiny bubbles in He II and can bind to quantized vortices at sufficiently low temperatures, thereby allowing for direct visualization of vortex dynamics in an inviscid superfluid. However, the $a^{3}\Sigma^+_{u}$${\rightarrow}$$c^{3}\Sigma^+_{g}$ optical absorption line, which is responsible for the fluorescence imaging of the He$_{2}^{*}$ molecules, is controlled by fluctuations on the bubble shape, and its exact line profile is not known at low temperatures. In this paper, we present a bubble model for evaluating the surface fluctuation eigenmodes of the excimers in He II. The line profile of the $a^{3}\Sigma^+_{u}{\rightarrow}c^{3}\Sigma^+_{g}$ transition is calculated at different temperatures by considering both the zero-point and thermal fluctuations on the bubble shape. We show that, as the temperature drops from 2~K to 20 mK, the peak absorption strength is enhanced by a factor of about five, accompanying a blueshift of the peak location by about 2 nm. A double-peak line profile due to the rotational levels of the molecular core can be resolved. This bubble model also allows us to evaluate the stiffness of the He$_{2}^{*}$ bubbles and hence their diffusion constant in He II due to scattering off thermal phonons. Our results will aid the design of future experiments on imaging quantized vortices in He II using He$_{2}^{*}$ tracers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nonuniform Flow Dynamics Probed by Nanosecond X-Ray Speckle Visibility Spectroscopy

We report observations of nanosecond nonuniform colloidal dynamics in a free flowing liquid jet using ultrafast x-ray speckle visibility spectroscopy. Utilizing a nanosecond double-bunch mode, the Linac Coherent Light Source free electron laser produced pairs of femtosecond coherent hard x-ray pulses. By exploring anisotropy in the visibility of summed speckle patterns which relates to the correlation functions, we evaluate not only the average particle flow rate in a colloidal nanoparticle jet, but also the nonuniform flow field within. The methodology presented here establishes the foundation for the study of nano- and atomic-scale inhomogeneous fluctuations in complex matter using x-ray free electron laser sources.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Alignment Thresholds of Molecules

Molecules have long been known to align in moderately intense, far off-resonance laser fields with a large variety of applications in physics and optics. Here, we illustrate and describe the physical origin of a previously unexplored phenomenon in the adiabatic alignment dynamics of molecules, which is fundamentally interesting and also has an important practical implication. Specifically, the intensity dependence of the degree of adiabatic alignment exhibits a threshold behavior, below which molecules are isotropically distributed rotationally and above which the alignment rapidly reaches a plateau. Furthermore, we show that both the intensity and the temperature dependencies of the alignment of all linear molecules exhibit universal curves and derive analytical forms to describe these dependencies. Finally, we illustrate that the alignment threshold occurs very generally at a lower intensity than the off-resonance ionization threshold, a numerical observation that is readily illustrated analytically. The threshold behavior is attributed to a tunneling mechanism that rapidly switches off at the threshold intensity, where tunneling between the potential wells corresponding to the two orientations of the aligned molecules becomes impossible. The universal threshold behavior of molecular alignment is a simple phenomenon, but one that was not realized before and can be readily tested experimentally.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Structure and Dynamics of Domains in Ferroelectric Nanostructures – Phase-Field Modeling (Final Technical Report)

Domain pattern formation is one of the most common phenomena in nature and is a topic of immense interest in many fields ranging from materials science and physics to chemistry and biology. This DOE sponsored research project explored the basic science concerning the thermodynamic stability of mesoscale polarization domain patterns and their temporal evolution mechanisms during formation and subsequent switching in ferroelectric nanostructures and heterostructures. The project employed the computational phase-field method in combination of microelasticity and electrostatic theories. The research was carried out in close collaboration with a number of experimental groups who used High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), in situ TEM with Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), or Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) to characterize the domain structures and dynamics of ferroelectric thin films and heterostructures and who grow high-quality ferroelectric and multiferroic thin films using advanced growth techniques such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLLD), and sputtering. The research efforts of the project help establish the phase-field method as the most powerful method for understanding and predicting domain structures in ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures. The findings of the project led to the basic understanding of stability and switching mechanisms of ferroelectric domains under different mechanical boundary conditions and under either homogeneous capacitor configurations or local fields using metallic probes as electrodes and the emergence of charged domain walls during domain switching. The project predicted the spatial length scales, temperature ranges, and electromechanical conditions for different polar states in heterostructures and guided the discovery of both transient and stable novel polarization states containing vortex lattices in oxide superlattices. The project resulted in 134 journal publications and 6 PhD theses with all the PhD graduates currently working in either academia or industry within the United States. The basic understanding on the stability of mesoscale polar states and pattern evolution achieved by the project improved our ability to control and engineer properties of ferroelectric thin films and heterostructures for potential applications in nanoscale electronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Present status and future prospects for NASA's program in geodynamics

An overview of NASA's involvement in developing systems for precise determination of polar motion, earth rotation, and position on the earth's surface is given. The observational methods discussed are laser ranging to the moon and to artificial satellites, and very long baseline microwave interferometry. A plan for a geodynamics program to apply space technology to research in earth dynamics is outlined.

Flinn, E. A.↗

Experimental study of a vortex subjected to imposed strain

An experimental project was undertaken to investigate the character of vortex breakdown with particular regard to the waveguide theories of vortex breakdown. A rectangular wing based on the NACA 0012 airfoil was used to produce a trailing vortex which convected downstream without undergoing breakdown. Dye marked the vortex location. A disturbance was then introduced onto the vortex using a small moving wire to 'cut' the vortex. The development of upstream and downstream propagating disturbance waves was observed and the propagation velocities measured. The downstream traveling wave produced a structure similar in appearance to a vortex breakdown. The upstream wave produced a moving, swirling, turbulent region that was not a vortex breakdown. The waves moving in either direction have the same swirl velocity profiles but quite different axial velocity profiles. The upstream disturbance (turbulence) moved into a flow with an axial velocity profile that had a wake-like defect in the core region. The downstream moving vortex breakdown moved into a flow with a jet-like overshoot in the core region. The fact that no breakdown was observed for the wake-like defect and breakdown was observed for the jet-like overshoot is not consistent with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations. Although there are not a lot of examples, CFD results show breakdown for both types of profiles. The longitudinal and swirl velocity profiles were documented by Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) measurement. Wave velocities, swirl angles, and swirl parameters are reported.

Panton, Ronald L.↗

Geopotential models of the Earth from satellite tracking, altimeter and surface gravity observations: GEM-T3 and GEM-T3S

Improved models of the Earth's gravitational field have been developed from conventional tracking data and from a combination of satellite tracking, satellite altimeter and surface gravimetric data. This combination model represents a significant improvement in the modeling of the gravity field at half-wavelengths of 300 km and longer. Both models are complete to degree and order 50. The Goddard Earth Model-T3 (GEM-T3) provides more accurate computation of satellite orbital effects as well as giving superior geoidal representation from that achieved in any previous GEM. A description of the models, their development and an assessment of their accuracy is presented. The GEM-T3 model used altimeter data from previous satellite missions in estimating the orbits, geoid, and dynamic height fields. Other satellite tracking data are largely the same as was used to develop GEM-T2, but contain certain important improvements in data treatment and expanded laser tracking coverage. Over 1300 arcs of tracking data from 31 different satellites have been used in the solution. Reliable estimates of the model uncertainties via error calibration and optimal data weighting techniques are discussed.

Lerch, F. J.↗

The Space Technology-7 Disturbance Reduction System Precision Control Flight Validation Experiment Control System Design

As originally proposed, the Space Technology-7 Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) project, managed out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was designed to validate technologies required for future missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The two technologies to be demonstrated by DRS were Gravitational Reference Sensors (GRSs) and Colloidal MicroNewton Thrusters (CMNTs). Control algorithms being designed by the Dynamic Control System (DCS) team at the Goddard Space Flight Center would control the spacecraft so that it flew about a freely-floating GRS test mass, keeping it centered within its housing. For programmatic reasons, the GRSs were descoped from DRS. The primary goals of the new mission are to validate the performance of the CMNTs and to demonstrate precise spacecraft position control. DRS will fly as a part of the European Space Agency (ESA) LISA Pathfinder (LPF) spacecraft along with a similar ESA experiment, the LISA Technology Package (LTP). With no GRS, the DCS attitude and drag-free control systems make use of the sensor being developed by ESA as a part of the LTP. The control system is designed to maintain the spacecraft s position with respect to the test mass, to within 10 nm/the square root of Hz over the DRS science frequency band of 1 to 30 mHz.

O'Donnell, James R.↗

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2011

Topics covered include: 1) Collaborative Clustering for Sensor Networks; 2) Teleoperated Marsupial Mobile Sensor Platform Pair for Telepresence Insertion Into Challenging Structures; 3) Automated Verification of Spatial Resolution in Remotely Sensed Imagery; 4) Electrical Connector Mechanical Seating Sensor; 5) In Situ Aerosol Detector; 6) Multi-Parameter Aerosol Scattering Sensor; 7) MOSFET Switching Circuit Protects Shape Memory Alloy Actuators; 8) Optimized FPGA Implementation of Multi-Rate FIR Filters Through Thread Decomposition; 9) Circuit for Communication Over Power Lines; 10) High-Efficiency Ka-Band Waveguide Two-Way Asymmetric Power Combiner; 11) 10-100 Gbps Offload NIC for WAN, NLR, and Grid Computing; 12) Pulsed Laser System to Simulate Effects of Cosmic Rays in Semiconductor Devices; 13) Flight Planning in the Cloud; 14) MPS Editor; 15) Object-Oriented Multi Disciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization Tool; 16) Cryogenic-Compatible Winchester Connector Mount and Retaining System for Composite Tubes; 17) Development of Position-Sensitive Magnetic Calorimeters for X-Ray Astronomy; 18) Planar Rotary Piezoelectric Motor Using Ultrasonic Horns; 19) Self-Rupturing Hermetic Valve; 20) Explosive Bolt Dual-Initiated from One Side; 21) Dampers for Stationary Labyrinth Seals; 22) Two-Arm Flexible Thermal Strap; 23) Carbon Dioxide Removal via Passive Thermal Approaches; 24) Polymer Electrolyte-Based Ambient Temperature Oxygen Microsensors for Environmental Monitoring; 25) Pressure Shell Approach to Integrated Environmental Protection; 26) Image Quality Indicator for Infrared Inspections; 27) Micro-Slit Collimators for X-Ray/Gamma-Ray Imaging; 28) Scatterometer-Calibrated Stability Verification Method; 29) Test Port for Fiber-Optic-Coupled Laser Altimeter; 30) Phase Retrieval System for Assessing Diamond Turning and Optical Surface Defects; 31) Laser Oscillator Incorporating a Wedged Polarization Rotator and a Porro Prism as Cavity Mirror; 32) Generic, Extensible, Configurable Push-Pull Framework for Large-Scale Science Missions; 33) Dynamic Loads Generation for Multi-Point Vibration Excitation Problems; 34) Optimal Control via Self-Generated Stochasticity; 35) Space-Time Localization of Plasma Turbulence Using Multiple Spacecraft Radio Links; 36) Surface Contact Model for Comets and Asteroids; 37) Dust Mitigation Vehicle; 38) Optical Coating Performance for Heat Reflectors of the JWST-ISIM Electronic Component; 39) SpaceCube Demonstration Platform; 40) Aperture Mask for Unambiguous Parity Determination in Long Wavelength Imagers; 41) Spaceflight Ka-Band High-Rate Radiation-Hard Modulator; 42) Enabling Disabled Persons to Gain Access to Digital Media; 43) Cytometer on a Chip; 44) Principles, Techniques, and Applications of Tissue Microfluidics; and 45) Two-Stage Winch for Kites and Tethered Balloons or Blimps.

Source record↗

ARCLITE: the Arctic Lidar Technology Facility at Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland

SRI International is presently developing an Arctic lidar (ARCLITE) facility at the incoherent-scatter radar site in Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland (67.0 degrees N, 209.2 degrees W). The project, funded by NSF through the CEDAR (Coupling Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) initiative, is to perform high-altitude molecular/aerosol backscatter measurements in the Arctic covering the stratosphere/mesosphere region during nighttime and daytime conditions. The lidar system employs an injection seeded, high-energy GCR-5 Spectra Physics Nd:YAG laser for primary operation at 532 nm (550 mJ per pulse at 30 Hz). The receiver system is designed around a 36-inch Cassegrainian telescope of astronomical quality with receiver components and photon-counting electronics for day and night operations. The Rayleigh backscatter measurements will conduct investigations concerning long-term studies of the basic density and temperature structure of the Arctic stratosphere/mesosphere region; effects of stratospheric warming on the structure of the stratosphere/mesosphere region; occurrence and properties of polar stratospheric clouds; occurrence of noctilucent clouds and their properties at high latitudes; and dynamic and thermodynamic coupling between the stratosphere/mesosphere region and the lower thermosphere.

Thayer, J. P.↗