Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “dimensional changes”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,783 records · Page 99
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Voxel carving–based 3D reconstruction of sorghum identifies genetic determinants of light interception efficiency

Changes in canopy architecture traits have been shown to contribute to yield increases. Optimizing both light interception and light interception efficiency of agricultural crop canopies will be essential to meeting the growing food needs. Canopy architecture is inherently three-dimensional (3D), but many approaches to measuring canopy architecture component traits treat the canopy as a two-dimensional (2D) structure to make large scale measurement, selective breeding, and gene identification logistically feasible. We develop a high throughput voxel carving strategy to reconstruct 3D representations of sorghum from a small number of RGB photos. Our approach builds on the voxel carving algorithm to allow for fully automatic reconstruction of hundreds of plants. It was employed to generate 3D reconstructions of individual plants within a sorghum association population at the late vegetative stage of development. Light interception parameters estimated from these reconstructions enabled the identification of known and previously unreported loci controlling light interception efficiency in sorghum. The approach is generalizable and scalable, and it enables 3D reconstructions from existing plant high throughput phenotyping datasets. We also propose a set of best practices to increase 3D reconstructions’ accuracy.

3D plant reconstruction↗
DOE OSTI2011

Measurements and modeling of radio frequency field structures in a helicon plasma

Measurements of the radio frequency (rf) field structure, plasma density, and electron temperature are presented for a 1 kW argon helicon plasma source. The measured profiles change considerably when the equilibrium magnetic field is reversed. The measured rf fields are identified as fields of radially localized helicon waves, which propagate in the axial direction. The rf field structure is compared to the results of two-dimensional cold plasma full-wave simulations for the measured density profiles. Electron collision frequency is adjusted in the simulations to match the simulated and measured field profiles. The resulting frequency is anomalously high, which is attributed to the excitation of an ion-acoustic instability. The calculated power deposition is insensitive to the collision frequency and accounts for most of the power supplied by the rf-generator.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Improved spectral data unfolding for radiochromic film imaging spectroscopy of laser-accelerated proton beams

An improved method to unfold the space-resolved proton energy distribution function of laser-accelerated proton beams using a layered, radiochromic film (RCF) detector stack has been developed. The method takes into account the reduced RCF response near the Bragg peak due to a high linear energy transfer (LET). This LET dependence of the active RCF layer has been measured, and published data have been re-interpreted to find a nonlinear saturation scaling of the RCF response with stopping power. Accounting for the LET effect increased the integrated particle yield by 25% after data unfolding. An iterative, analytical, space-resolved deconvolution of the RCF response functions from the measured dose was developed that does not rely on fitting. After the particle number unfold, three-dimensional interpolation is performed to determine the spatial proton beam distribution for proton energies in-between the RCF data points. Here, image morphing has been implemented as a novel interpolation method that takes into account the energy-dependent, changing beam topology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Strain-effect transistors: Theoretical study on the effects of external strain on III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors on flexible substrates

This paper presents strain-effect transistors (SETs) based on flexible III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) through theoretical calculations. We show that the electronic band structures of InAlGaN/GaN thin-film heterostructures on flexible substrates can be modified by external bending with a high degree of freedom using polarization properties of the polar semiconductor materials. Transfer characteristics of the HEMT devices, including threshold voltage and transconductance, are controlled by varied external strain. Equilibrium 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is enhanced with applied tensile strain by bending the flexible structure with the concave-side down (bend-down condition). 2DEG density is reduced and eventually depleted with increasing compressive strain in bend-up conditions. The operation mode of different HEMT structures changes from depletion- to enchantment-mode or vice versa depending on the type and magnitude of external strain. The results suggest that the operation modes and transfer characteristics of HEMTs can be engineered with an optimum external bending strain applied in the device structure, which is expected to be beneficial for both radio frequency and switching applications. In addition, we show that drain currents of transistors based on flexible InAlGaN/GaN can be modulated only by external strain without applying electric field in the gate. The channel conductivity modulation that is obtained by only external strain proposes an extended functional device, gate-free SETs, which can be used in electro-mechanical applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vibronic coupling in energy transfer dynamics and two-dimensional electronic–vibrational spectra

We introduce a heterodimer model in which multiple mechanisms of vibronic coupling and their impact on energy transfer can be explicitly studied. We consider vibronic coupling that arises through either Franck-Condon activity in which each site in the heterodimer has a local electron-phonon coupling or Herzberg-Teller activity in which the transition dipole moment coupling the sites has an explicit vibrational mode-dependence. We have computed two-dimensional electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectra for this model while varying the magnitude of these two effects and find that 2DEV spectra contain static and dynamic signatures of both types of vibronic coupling. Franck-Condon activity emerges through a change in the observed excitonic structure, while Herzberg-Teller activity is evident in the appearance of significant side-band transitions that mimic the lower-energy excitonic structure. A comparison of quantum beating patterns obtained from analysis of the simulated 2DEV spectra shows that this technique can report on the mechanism of energy transfer, elucidating a means of experimentally determining the role of specific vibronic coupling mechanisms in such processes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2010

PARTICLE ACCELERATION AT NEAR-PERPENDICULAR SHOCKS: THE ROLE OF FIELD-LINE TOPOLOGY

Particle acceleration at two-dimensional (2D) shocks can significantly differ from our expectations based on one-dimensional shocks. We discuss several features of 2D shocks. First, we present a simple example of diffusive acceleration to demonstrate that (1) 'hot spots' and cold regions can be expected along the shock face, as the field-line configuration changes along the shock face, (2) the flux of accelerated particles (even the average flux) can be expected to increase beyond the shock, and (3) 2D structures may lead to a softening of the spectrum. We also address quasi-perpendicular shocks and discuss what happens when a field line is hit by a curved shock or is detaching from a shock. This mechanism is of interest on both large and small scales. We consider pure field-aligned transport and address both the diffusive (large scale) and scatter-free (small scale) cases, looking from the perspective of one field line. We find that quasi-trapping of particles in front of the shock can lead to rapid and effective acceleration via multiple mirroring on the ever faster moving shock. This mechanism may be of importance at various astrophysical, heliospheric, and coronal mass ejection driven shocks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

Asymmetric (1+1)-dimensional hydrodynamics in high-energy collisions

The possibility that particle production in high-energy collisions is a result of two asymmetric hydrodynamic flows is investigated using the Khalatnikov form of the (1+1)-dimensional approximation of hydrodynamic equations. The general solution is discussed and applied to the physically appealing ''generalized in-out cascade'' where the space-time and energy-momentum rapidities are equal at initial temperature but boost invariance is not imposed. It is demonstrated that the two-bump structure of the entropy density, characteristic of the asymmetric input, changes easily into a single broad maximum compatible with data on particle production in symmetric processes. A possible microscopic QCD interpretation of asymmetric hydrodynamics is proposed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

SU(1,1) Echoes for Breathers in Quantum Gases

Though the celebrated spin echoes have been widely used to reverse quantum dynamics, they are not applicable to systems whose constituents are beyond the control of the su(2) algebra. In this work, we design echoes to reverse quantum dynamics of breathers in three-dimensional unitary fermions and two-dimensional bosons and fermions with contact interactions, which are governed by an underlying su(1, 1) algebra. Geometrically, SU(1, 1) echoes produce closed trajectories on a single or multiple Poincaré disks and thus could recover any initial states without changing the sign of the Hamiltonian. In particular, the initial shape of a breather determines the superposition of trajectories on multiple Poincaré disks and whether the revival time has period multiplication. Our work provides physicists with a recipe to tailor collective excitations of interacting many-body systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ionization of HCCI Neutral and Cations by Strong Laser Fields Simulated With Time Dependent Configuration Interaction

Strong field ionization of neutral iodoacetylene (HCCI) can produce a coherent superposition of the X and A cations. This superposition results in charge migration between the CC π orbital and the iodine π-type lone pair which can be monitored by strong field ionization with short, intense probe pulses. Strong field ionization of the X and A states of HCCI cation was simulated with time-dependent configuration interaction using singly ionized configurations and singly excited, singly ionized configurations (TD-CISD-IP) and an absorbing boundary. Studies with static fields were used to obtain the 3-dimensional angular dependence of instantaneous ionization rates by strong fields and the orbitals involved in producing the cations and dications. The frequency of charge oscillation is determined by the energy separation of the X and A states; this separation can change depending on the direction and strength of the field. Furthermore, fields along the molecular axis can cause extensive mixing between the field-free X and A configurations. For coherent superpositions of the X and A states, the charge oscillations are characterized by two frequencies–the driving frequency of the laser field of the probe pulse and the intrinsic frequency due to the energy separation between the X and A states. For linear and circularly polarized pulses, the ionization rates show marked differences that depend on the polarization direction of the pulse, the carrier envelope phase and initial phase of the superposition. Varying the initial phase of the superposition at the beginning of the probe pulse is analogous to changing the delay between the pump and probe pulses. The charge oscillation in the coherent superposition of the X and A states results in maxima and minima in the ionization yield as a function of the superposition phase

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Measurements of water surface snow lines in classical protoplanetary disks

We present deep Herschel-PACS spectroscopy of far-infrared water lines from a sample of four protoplanetary disks around solar-mass stars, selected to have strong water emission at mid-infrared wavelengths. By combining the new Herschel spectra with archival Spitzer-IRS spectroscopy, we retrieve a parameterized radial surface water vapor distribution from 0.1 to 100 au using two-dimensional dust and line radiative transfer modeling. The surface water distribution is modeled with a step model composed of a constant inner and outer relative water abundance and a critical radius at which the surface water abundance is allowed to change. We find that the four disks have critical radii of ∼3–11 au, at which the surface water abundance decreases by at least 5 orders of magnitude. The measured values for the critical radius are consistently smaller than the location of the surface snow line, as predicted by the observed spectral energy distribution. This suggests that the sharp drop-off of the surface water abundance is not solely due to the local gas-solid balance, but may also be driven by the deactivation of gas-phase chemical pathways to water below 300 K. Assuming a canonical gas-to-dust ratio of 100, as well as coupled gas and dust temperatures T{sub gas} = T{sub dust}, the best-fit inner water abundances become implausibly high (0.01–1.0 H{sub 2}{sup −1}). Conversely, a model in which the gas and dust temperatures are decoupled leads to canonical inner-disk water abundances of ∼10{sup −4} H{sub 2}{sup −1}, while retaining gas-to-dust ratios of 100. That is, the evidence for gas–dust decoupling in disk surfaces is stronger than for enhanced gas-to-dust ratios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transition to Petschek Reconnection in Subrelativistic Pair Plasmas: Implications for Particle Acceleration

While relativistic magnetic reconnection in pair plasmas has emerged in recent years as a candidate for the origin of radiation from extreme astrophysical environments, the corresponding subrelativistic pair-plasma regime has remained less explored, leaving open the question of how relativistic physics affects reconnection. In this paper, we investigate the differences between these regimes by contrasting two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of reconnection in pair plasmas with relativistic magnetization (σ ≫ 1) and subrelativistic magnetization (σ < 1). By utilizing unprecedentedly large domain sizes and outflow boundary conditions, we demonstrate that lowering the magnetization results in a change in the reconnection geometry from a plasmoid chain to a Petschek geometry, where laminar exhausts bounded by slow-mode shocks emanate from a single diffusion region. We attribute this change to the reduced plasmoid production rate in the low-σ case: When the secondary tearing rate is sufficiently low, plasmoids are too few in number to prevent the system from relaxing into a stable Petschek configuration. This geometric change also affects particle energization: We show that while high-σ plasmoid chains generate power-law energy spectra, low-σ Petschek exhausts merely heat incoming plasma and yield negligible nonthermal acceleration. These results have implications for predicting the global current sheet geometry and the resulting energy spectra in a variety of systems.

Plasma astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2011

Interweaving chiral spirals

We elaborate how to construct interweaving chiral spirals in (2+1) dimensions, defined as a superposition of chiral spirals oriented in different directions. We divide a two-dimensional Fermi sea into distinct wedges, characterized by the opening angle 2{Theta} and depth Q {approx_equal} pF, where pF is the Fermi momentum. In each wedge, the energy is lowered by forming a single chiralspiral. The optimal values for {Theta} and Q are chosen by balancing this gain in energy versus the cost of deforming the Fermi surface (which dominates at large {Theta}) and patch-patch interactions (dominant at small {Theta}). Using a non-local four-Fermi interaction model, we estimate the gain and cost in energy by expanding in terms of 1/Nc (where Nc is the number of colors), {Lambda}QCD/Q, and {Theta}. Due to a form factor in our non-local model, at small 1/Nc the mass gap (chiral condensate) is large, and the interaction among quarks and the condensate local in momentum space. Consequently, interactions between different patches are localized near their boundaries, and it is simple to embed many chiral spirals. We identify the dominant and subdominant terms at high density and categorize formulate an expansion in terms of {Lambda}QCD/Q or {Theta}. The kinetic term in the transverse directions is subdominant, so that techniques from (1+1)-dimensional systems can be utilized. To leading order in 1/Nc and {Lambda}QCD/Q, the total gain in energy is with {Theta}{approx}({Lambda}QCD/pF){sup 3/5}. Since {Theta} decreases with increasing pF, there should be phase transitions associated with the change in the wedge number. We also argue the effects of subdominant terms at lower density where the large-Nc approximation is more reliable.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

High-speed volume measurement system and method

Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

High-speed volume measurement system and method

Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2013

The relation between reconnected flux, the parallel electric field, and the reconnection rate in a three-dimensional kinetic simulation of magnetic reconnection

We investigate the distribution of parallel electric fields and their relationship to the location and rate of magnetic reconnection in a large particle-in-cell simulation of 3D turbulent magnetic reconnection with open boundary conditions. The simulation's guide field geometry inhibits the formation of simple topological features such as null points. Therefore, we derive the location of potential changes in magnetic connectivity by finding the field lines that experience a large relative change between their endpoints, i.e., the quasi-separatrix layer. We find a good correspondence between the locus of changes in magnetic connectivity or the quasi-separatrix layer and the map of large gradients in the integrated parallel electric field (or quasi-potential). Furthermore, we investigate the distribution of the parallel electric field along the reconnecting field lines. We find the reconnection rate is controlled by only the low-amplitude, zeroth and first–order trends in the parallel electric field while the contribution from fluctuations of the parallel electric field, such as electron holes, is negligible. The results impact the determination of reconnection sites and reconnection rates in models and in situ spacecraft observations of 3D turbulent reconnection. It is difficult through direct observation to isolate the loci of the reconnection parallel electric field amidst the large amplitude fluctuations. However, we demonstrate that a positive slope of the running sum of the parallel electric field along the field line as a function of field line length indicates where reconnection is occurring along the field line.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Magnetization Reversal of Three-Dimensional Nickel Anti-Sphere Arrays

Three-dimensional antisphere arrays (3DAAs) of Ni have been fabricated here using electrochemical deposition into self-assembled polystyrene sphere templates, which offers the advantage of straightforward scalability. Using the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method, the magnetic reversal mechanism is identified from the characteristic features in the FORC distribution. A left-bending boomerang-like feature is observed in the thinnest sample, which transforms to a ridge oriented along the local coercivity H c axis with increasing sample thickness. This transformation identifies a change in the reversal process from an exchange dominated domain-growth reversal to a localized weakly interacting particle-like reversal. Micromagnetic simulations confirm the decrease in domain growth and increase of pinning behaviors as the thickness of the Ni 3DAAs structure increases, providing strong support to the FORC analysis and interpretation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Density profile of interacting fermions in a one-dimensional optical trap

The density distribution of the one-dimensional Hubbard model in a harmonic trapping potential is investigated in order to study the effect of the confining trap. Strong superimposed oscillations are always present on top of a uniform density cloud, which show universal scaling behavior as a function of increasing interactions. An analytical formula is proposed on the basis of bosonization, which describes the density oscillations for all interaction strengths. The wavelength of the dominant oscillation changes with interaction, which indicates the crossover to a spin-incoherent regime. Using the Bethe ansatz the shape of the uniform fermion cloud is analyzed in detail, which can be described by a universal scaling form.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗