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DOE OSTI2025

Environmental DNA as a tool for hydropower impact assessments: current status, special considerations, and future integration

Globally there is an urgent need to find sustainable solutions to balance energy production with the protection of vulnerable species and conservation of biodiversity. This is particularly critical for freshwater ecosystems, habitats, and species that may be impacted by hydropower development and operations needed to meet energy grid demands. Reliable and accurate environmental impact assessments (EIAs) that identify the biological, physical, or social impacts of hydropower are key to ensure biodiversity, ecosystem, and societal sustainability. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to transform hydropower EIAs, management and mitigation planning, and decision-making procedures. Further, the incorporation of eDNA surveys into EIAs during both hydropower planning and continued operations may streamline regulatory processes by improving our understanding of potentially impacted biota and habitats and evaluating environmental impacts mitigation. Here, we: (i) highlight current understanding and use of eDNA in freshwater environments; (ii) examine critical considerations for eDNA integration into hydropower EIAs and biological monitoring; (iii) identify knowledge gaps in eDNA analysis and applications unique to hydropower-regulated systems; and (iv) discuss future opportunities to bolster the incorporation of eDNA into hydropower research including regulatory acceptance and public engagement. While we acknowledge that there are several factors that may complicate the broad adoption of eDNA as a tool for assessing the impacts of hydropower, we anticipate that growing confidence in eDNA through hydropower-specific protocols, calibrations, and validations will overcome these inherent uncertainties.

aquatic biodiversity↗

DOE OSTI2020

Big Data Health Physics

This project, in completion of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Professional Masters of Health Physics program, represents a two part independent study wherein (1) a Statistical Analysis is performed on a new data process implemented at a Los Alamos National Laboratory facility and (2) a Project Management Plan is designed for the successful implementation of this new radiation protection management process.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2025

SCCOUT: Surveying for Categorization and Control of Organism in Unwelcome Territory

Advancements in the fields of science, technology, and medicine have contributed largely to the growth of society over the last century. Thanks to these discoveries, all corners of the planet are connected both digitally and physically. Progress in the field of medicine has led to people living longer, fuller lives and a general increase in global population. Awareness of our world’s changing climate and the effects that has on local and global ecosystems has spurred great efforts to protect the environment. These discoveries along with many others have helped our world grow in a myriad of ways; however, certain efforts in agriculture, natural resource management, and ecosystem management have not scaled to accommodate this growth. Increasing prevalence and ease of dissemination of invasive plants and animals, diseases, and changing ecological conditions pose significant challenges to biodiversity, ecosystem health, and agricultural productivity. Moreover, as the world population grows, there are more people to feed and less viable farmland to produce food for them. Despite the increasing prevalence of these issues, methods for addressing and tracking them have stayed relatively the same for at least the last several decades.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1994

Present state of knowledge of the upper atmosphere1993: An assessment report, part 2

This document is issued in response to the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, Public Law 101-549, which mandates that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other key agencies submit triennial reports to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency. NASA is charged with the responsibility to report on the state of our knowledge of the earth's upper atmosphere, particularly the stratosphere. Part 2 (this document) presents summaries of several scientific assessments of our current understanding of the chemical composition and physical structure of the stratosphere, in particular how the abundance and distribution of ozone is predicted to change in the future. These reviews include: (Section B) 'Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1991'; (Section C) 'Methyl bromide and the Ozone Layer: A Summary of Current Understanding', published in 1992; (Section D) 'Concentrations, Lifetimes, and Trends of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), Halons, and Related Molecules in the Atmosphere'; (Section E) 'The Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft: Interim Assessment Report of the NASA High-Speed Research Program'; (Section F) 'Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Stratospheric Modeling'; and (Section G) a list of the contributors to this report.

Kurylo, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Behavioral consequences of low dose radiation and sex differences in MCAT mouse model

Our study used 1-year old C57BL/6NJ male and female mice (astronaut-relevant age) that underwent exposure to 0.5 gray of gamma radiation and were euthanized 12 weeks after. In this study, we used an MCAT mouse model for mitochondrial ROS quenching, which overexpress human catalase. MCAT mice were shown to live longer and age better. Hence, in this study we determined whether quenching ROS in the mitochondria will mitigate the adverse effects of ionizing radiation exposure on spaceflight-relevant tissues. As part of the analysis, we have completed 5 different behavioral tests which focus on memory, physical stance, stress, anxiety, and other mission relevant behaviors. In the Neuro-score battery, performed after both 1and 8 weeks post IR we saw that all female groups had significantly higher scores compared to males. When comparing the baseline vs 8 weeks of radiation, we saw that all the male groups (including the sham) had lower neuro-score, pointing out to aging effect in addition to IR. In the female groups only the female IR group had lower neuro-score and the MCAT group was protected from this effect. In the Nestlet building test we saw similarly that only females were affected by radiation, having lower scores and this effect was mitigated in the MCAT animals as well. In the Catwalk test we saw that females were faster, had higher swing speed and stride length in all four paws. Males had higher stand, step cycle and max contact area. Aging is associated with slowing of gait speed, swing speed and shortening of stride length which we see in males, this is consistent with physical appearance where males look markedly older. In the Light-Dark Box test we saw that females were more frequently present in the light side and altered zones more frequently, pointing out to a more exploratory and less anxious pattern of behavior. Similarly, to what was detected in the Nest building and Neuro-score test, in the Barnes maze test, during the acquisition phase (learning) we saw that IR affected more the females who did not do better in the maze after 4 days. On the other hand, during the probe phase of the test (spatial memory) the females visited the target hole and the box quadrant more often, but also had more errors vs males, which points out to possible serial escape vs spatial escape strategy. Overall, we see that older females look physically better are faster and perform better almost in all behavioral tests compared to their male counterparts. On the other hand, they are more sensitive to low dose radiation in many cases, in some cases this effect was mitigated in the MCAT model pointing out to the importance of ROS in these stressors. In the near future we will focus on corelating these behavioral tests with molecular findings such as for example brain IHC, plasma and hippocampal cytokines in order to find specific biomarkers for behavioral deficits.

radiation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulation and Modeling Concepts for Secure Airspace Operations

With the expected advent of new entrants including Unmanned Aerial Systems, Commercial Launch Vehicles and Urban Air Mobility aircraft, the future United States National Airspace System will have to evolve to include their operations along with the current commercial, general aviation and military operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration are working together to provide a vision for aviation operations in the future—2045 and beyond. Their National Airspace System Horizons initiative seeks to provide stakeholders a list of operational scenarios and technologies, concepts and strategies needed for supporting that vision. They have identified cybersecurity as one of the seven strategic interest areas for realizing this vision. Consequently, NASA is studying cyber resiliency for secure airspace operations. This paper examines cyber security vulnerabilities of Urban Air Mobility operations. While there are many pathways to attack a cyber physical system such as Urban Air Mobility, their effect is expressed in modification or corruption of data/information used for controlling vehicles and making operational decisions. The paper describes cybersecurity technologies of Encryption, Blockchain, Virtual Information Fabric Infrastructure, Trusted Platform Module and Anomaly Detection for protecting the data, thus, improving the cyber resiliency of the current and future air traffic management system.

Cybersecurity↗

NASA NTRS2021

Simulation and Modeling Concepts for Secure Airspace Operations

This paper examines cyber security vulnerabilities of Urban Air Mobility operations. With the expected advent of new entrants including Unmanned Aerial Systems, Commercial Launch Vehicles and Urban Air Mobility aircraft, the future United States National Airspace System will have to evolve to include their operations along with the current commercial, general aviation and military operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration are working together to provide a vision for aviation operations in the future—2045 and beyond. Their National Airspace System Horizons initiative seeks to provide stakeholders a list of operational scenarios and technologies, concepts and strategies needed for supporting that vision. They have identified cybersecurity as one of the seven strategic interest areas for realizing this vision. Consequently, NASA is studying cyber resiliency for secure airspace operations. While there are many pathways to attack a cyber physical system such as Urban Air Mobility, their effect is expressed in modification or corruption of data/information used for controlling vehicles and making operational decisions. The paper describes cybersecurity technologies of Encryption, Blockchain, Virtual Information Fabric Infrastructure, Trusted Platform Module and Anomaly Detection for protecting the data, and the cyber resiliency of the current and future air traffic management system.

Urban Air Mobility↗

NASA NTRS2021

Simulation and Modeling Concepts for Secure Airspace Operations

Urban Air Mobility↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Transport Vehicle Ocupant Protection Requirements

INTRODUCTION The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing for future Artemis missions that will return humans to the lunar surface. A critical piece of these future missions is the Lunar Transport Vehicle (LTV), a transportation device to be used on the lunar surface. A vehicular method of transportation will allow for longer duration missions with increased capabilities to conduct research and transport soil, geological samples, or other materials of interest. The objective of this project is to provide occupant protection guidance for the design of the LTV. METHODS At the time of writing of occupant protection requirements, much of the LTV design is unknown. However, several general assumptions have been established. It is assumed that the LTV will be an unpressurized crewed rover with the occupant(s) wearing an EVA suit. Additionally, the occupant must be protected using established health limits as governing criteria to protect the occupant from hazardous levels of acceleration, jerk, and vibration. In addition to the health limits, it is expected that the LTV shall provide a comfortable transportation solution to Lunar operations. Several restraint configurations have been considered to allow for seated and standing operation of the vehicle. RESULTS Preliminary recommendations and metrics were put forward by a cross functional working group with members from Johnson Space Center and Ames Research Center. Exposure to acceleration, vibration, and jerk metrics above the proposed limits could create a risk of occupant injury. In addition to satisfying crew health needs, these limits permit the occupant to meet performance objectives including operating the vehicle and reading displays while traversing the Lunar surface. Initial guidance was refined during a Technical Interchange Meeting with external subject matter experts in industry, academia, and United States Air Force. CONCLUSION Operating a crewed vehicle in a lunar environment is a novel problem with few analogs to provide data. Based on terrestrial data from ISO & MIL Standards, occupant protection recommendations have been identified with several assumptions made about reduced gravity and deconditioned occupants. If the design of the vehicle attenuates energetics to levels below those put forward, there is high confidence the occupant will be able to repetitively operate the vehicle without physical harm or operational issues.

K Dolick↗

NASA NTRS2008

Famine Early Warning Systems and Remote Sensing Data

This book describes the interdisciplinary work of USAID's Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) and its influence on how food security crises are identified, documented and the kind of responses that result. The book describes FEWS NET's systems and methods for using satellite remote sensing to identify and describe how biophysical hazards impact the lives and livelihoods of the population where they occur. It presents several illustrative case studies that will demonstrate the integration of both physical and social science disciplines in its work. FEWS NET s operational needs have driven science in biophysical remote sensing applications through its collaboration with the US Geological Survey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and US Department of Agriculture, as well as methodologies in the social science domain through its support of the US Agency for International Development, UNWorld Food Program and numerous international non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children, Oxfam and others. Because FEWS NET is an organization that must provide a global picture of food insecurity to decision makers, the information it relies on are by necessity observable and able to be documented. Thus many aspects of traditional livelihood analysis, for example, cannot be used by FEWS NET as they rely upon relationships, and ways of expressing power and knowledge at the local scale that cannot be easily scaled up to express variations in access to food at a community level. The book focuses on the ways that remote sensing information is transformed into an understanding of the actions that must be taken in order to ensure that lives and livelihoods are protected, including describing the remote sensing observations and models needed to identify hazards and the information gathering requirements and analytical frameworks needed to understand their impact. Its focus is primarily analysis conducted in Africa, but also touches upon FEWS NET s work in Central America, Haiti and Afghanistan. As an organization that seeks to integrate social and physical science methodologies and strategies into its work on a daily basis, it is a fascinating and rich example of interdisciplinary knowledge generation and innovation.

Brown, Molly E.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Wildfire-Power Grid Interactions: Feedback, Impacts, Monitoring, Modeling, and Mitigation Strategies

Wildfires are increasingly interacting with electric power systems through a two-way hazard chain: fires damage grid assets and trigger cascading outages, while grid faults can ignite new fires under hot, dry, and windy conditions. This review synthesizes the state of knowledge across five domains: (i) physical impacts of flames, heat, and smoke on lines, towers, insulators, and substations; (ii) power-infrastructure-initiated ignitions via conductor clash, high-impedance faults, and corona discharge; (iii) widespread blackouts and disproportionate societal impacts; (iv) multi-scale monitoring spanning laboratory tests, in-situ and grid-integrated sensors, and Earth observation; (v) coupled modeling that links fire behavior with grid operations; and (vi) technological and strategic mitigation pathways spanning prevention, response, and recovery. We integrate these domains into a novel 'feedback-aware' socio-technical framework. Through a longitudinal analysis (2005-2025) of global incidents, we identify that while vegetation contact remains the most frequent ignition source, aging infrastructure failure has emerged as a critical driver of catastrophic 'mega-fires'. We further identify persistent gaps, including limited interoperability of high-frequency grid and environmental data, scarce real-time data assimilation, and under-developed equity metrics for outage management. We conclude by outlining a research agenda to (1) deploy interoperable sensing architectures, (2) advance feedback-coupled fire-grid simulations, and (3) evaluate mitigation portfolios through techno-economic and fairness lenses. Recognizing wildfire-grid interactions as coupled socio-technical systems is essential for protecting infrastructure and communities and for ensuring reliable, sustainable electricity in a changing world.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2020

Ligand accommodation causes the anti-centrosymmetric structure of Au 13 Cu 4 clusters with near-infrared emission

Here, we synthesized an [Au 13 Cu 4 (PPh 3 ) 4 (SPy) 8 ] + nanocluster co-capped by phosphine and thiolate ligands. Interestingly, this Au 13 Cu 4 cluster corresponds to an anti-centrosymmetric structure with the four copper atoms coordinated to the mixed ligands on the same side of the Au 13 icosahedron, which is in sharp contrast to the [Au 13 Cu 4 (PPh 2 Py) 4 (SPhtBu) 8 ] + and [Au 13 Cu 2 (PPh 3 ) 6 (SPy) 6 ] + clusters which possess highly symmetric structures with well-separated Cu adatoms. Both [Au 13 Cu 4 (PPh 3 ) 4 (SPy) 8 ] + and [Au 13 Cu 2 (PPh 3 ) 6 (SPy) 6 ] + clusters correspond to 8 valence electron superatoms with large HOMO–LUMO gaps, respectively. The difference in structure is rooted in the nature of the mixed ligands, with the bidentate SPy binding strongly to Cu on both binding sites (–N–Cu and Au-SR-Cu) leading to the co-linking of adjacent Cu atoms, while the bidentate PPh 2 Py binds Cu on one site and Au on the other giving rise to a separation of the Cu atoms even in the presence of relatively higher monomer concentration. Both [Au 13 Cu 4 (PPh 3 ) 4 (SPy) 8 ] + and [Au 13 Cu 2 (PPh 3 ) 6 (SPy) 6 ] + display emissions in the near-IR regions. TD-DFT calculations reproduce the spectroscopic results with specified excited states, shedding light on the geometric and electronic behaviors of the ligand-protected Au 13 M x clusters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Multidimensional visualization of the dynamic evolution of Li metal via in situ/operando methods

The growing demands for high-energy density electrical energy storage devices stimulate the coupling of conversion-type cathodes and lithium (Li) metal anodes. While promising, the use of these “Li-free” cathodes brings new challenges to the Li anode interface, as Li needs to be dissolved first during cell operation. In this study, we have achieved a direct visualization and comprehensive analysis of the dynamic evolution of the Li interface. The critical metrics of the interfacial resistance, Li growth, and solid electrolyte interface (SEI) distribution during the initial dissolution/deposition processes were systematically investigated by employing multidimensional analysis methods. They include three-electrode impedance tests, in situ atomic force microscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy, and cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy. The high-resolution imaging and real-time observations show that a loose, diffuse, and unevenly distributed SEI is formed during the initial dissolution process. This leads to the dramatically fast growth of Li during the subsequent deposition, deviating from Fick’s law, which exacerbates the interfacial impedance. The compactness of the interfacial structure and enrichment of electrolyte species at the surface during the initial deposition play critical roles in the long-term stability of Li anodes, as revealed by operando confocal Raman spectroscopic mapping. In conclusion, our observations relate to ion transfer, morphological and structural evolution, and Li (de)solvation at Li interfaces, revealing the underlying pathways influenced by the initial dissolution process, which promotes a reconsideration of anode investigations and effective protection strategies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Flat-band topology of magic angle graphene on a transition metal dichalcogenide

In this work, we consider twisted bilayer graphene on a transition metal dichalcogenide substrate, where proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling significantly alters the eight flat bands which occur near the magic angle. The resulting band structure features a pair of extremely flat bands across most of the mini-Brillouin zone. Further details depend sensitively on the symmetries of the heterostructure; we find semiconducting band structures when all twofold rotations around the in-plane axis are broken, and semimetallic band structures otherwise. We calculate the Chern numbers of the different isolated bands, and identify the parameter regimes and filling factors where valley Chern insulators and topological insulators are realized. Interestingly, we find that for realistic values of the proximity-induced terms, it is possible to realize a topological insulator protected by time-reversal symmetry by doping two holes or two electrons per superlattice unit cell into the system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

Quench conditioning device. Vibrational quench conditioning

Recently a new type of device, capacitor-based, aiming to eliminate or reduce superconducting magnet training was developed and tested at FNAL. I’ll review its main characteristics and principles of operation, make relevant comparisons and conclusions. Separately, I’ll discuss somewhat similar concepts based on induced vibrations in magnets, but I’ll extend this topic to cover both training reduction and quench protection. Those will be discussed at conceptual level, arguing about feasibility of such an approach and the need for more focused research on the topic, including simulations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Quantitative Risk Assessment for Fuel Cell Electric Bus Hydrogen Storage and Refueling Facility

It is necessary to understand the safety implications and risk mitigation options for fuel cell electric bus fleet deployment, especially for related facilities responsible for operations such as production, storage, compression, and dispensing of hydrogen for use by the buses. In this report, we present a quantitative risk assessment for a potential fuel cell electric bus fleet that was motivated by efforts to improve resilience at the Portland International Airport but can be applicable to a range of hydrogen case studies and use cases. We estimated risk for a facility that produces, stores, compresses, and dispenses hydrogen for the fleet of buses, with a focus on individual risk to people in terms of annual frequency of fatality. We considered the frequency of hydrogen leaks that could result in harmful physical outcomes like jet fires or explosions, and the consequences of those outcomes for people. We created customized fault trees to calculate the frequencies of different sizes of leaks and event sequence diagrams to calculate ignition probabilities for the various leak sizes. We also leveraged the HyRAM+ toolkit to use these inputs to calculate overall risk for the facility, which we separated into one section responsible for producing, storing, and compressing hydrogen, and one section responsible for dispensing the hydrogen to the buses. We found that the dispensing area seemed to have a higher risk than the production/storage/compression area of the facility, largely because of the inclusion of a component with a high leak frequency (the heat exchanger used to cool the hydrogen before entering the vehicle, to prevent overheating and expansion of hydrogen in the onboard tank). For the example production and refueling facility we evaluated and the data we used for the analysis, the leak frequency had a larger impact on the risk differences between the two sections on the facility, compared to the physical outcome consequence, which was slightly different due to the varying fuel conditions, but not substantially different. Actions can be taken to prevent these hazards (e.g., lowering leak frequencies in system components) or to mitigate the consequences if they do occur (e.g., installing barriers to protect people if ignition events occur). The choice of which actions to take depends not only on safety considerations but also on space, time, staffing, feasibility, and financial constraints. Therefore, the quantitative risk assessment approach can help understand relative risk contributions from different components, leak sizes, consequences, and human actions, to prioritize risk reduction strategies and balance these parameters. The outcomes of this report may be useful for a variety of stakeholders working in the hydrogen, transportation, vehicle, and aviation sector, including those responsible for aspects like facility design, operations, and regulations. There is not a single value of risk that determines whether a hypothetical system is “safe” or not. The insights about risk mitigations may be leveraged, and the quantitative risk assessment approach can be applied to other case studies to understand risk priorities and contributions specific to different FCEB and hydrogen facility uses.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS2005

Inspection of the Math Model Tools for On-Orbit Assessment of Impact Damage Report

In Spring of 2005, the NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) was engaged by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) to peer review the suite of analytical tools being developed to support the determination of impact and damage tolerance of the Orbiter Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). The NESC formed an independent review team with the core disciplines of materials, flight sciences, structures, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. The Math Model Tools reviewed included damage prediction and stress analysis, aeroheating analysis, and thermal analysis tools. Some tools are physics-based and other tools are empirically-derived. Each tool was created for a specific use and timeframe, including certification, real-time pre-launch assessments, and real-time on-orbit assessments. The tools are used together in an integrated strategy for assessing the ramifications of impact damage to tile and RCC. The NESC teams conducted a peer review of the engineering data package for each Math Model Tool. This report contains the summary of the team observations and recommendations from these reviews.

Harris, Charles E.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Inspection of the Math Model Tools for On-Orbit Assessment of Impact Damage Report

In Spring of 2005, the NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) was engaged by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) to peer review the suite of analytical tools being developed to support the determination of impact and damage tolerance of the Orbiter Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). The NESC formed an independent review team with the core disciplines of materials, flight sciences, structures, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. The Math Model Tools reviewed included damage prediction and stress analysis, aeroheating analysis, and thermal analysis tools. Some tools are physics-based and other tools are empirically-derived. Each tool was created for a specific use and timeframe, including certification, real-time pre-launch assessments. In addition, the tools are used together in an integrated strategy for assessing the ramifications of impact damage to tile and RCC. The NESC teams conducted a peer review of the engineering data package for each Math Model Tool. This report contains the summary of the team observations and recommendations from these reviews.

Harris, Charles E.↗