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At least 19 records

The effect of filament peaking on electron beam weld quality

Electron beam welding uses high intensity beams that are generated by an electron emitting cathode under high vacuum conditions. The cathode, typically a ribbon or wire filament of refractory metal, must be heated to sufficiently high temperatures for electron emission to occur and must be carefully controlled to produce the desired beam current while at the same time optimizing filament lifetime. Traditional methods for doing this in commonly used triode gun assemblies consist of first finding the filament knee point in the filament current versus beam current relationship that produces the desired beam current for a given beam voltage. The filament current is then increased by some amount, typically 5–10%, per conventional wisdom to produce a peaked beam. This investigation studies and quantifies the beam and weld quality produced by underkneed and overpeaked filaments using electron beam diagnostics to measure the power density distribution of these beams. Underkneed filaments are shown to have power densities that drop off very quickly below the traditional knee, resulting in poor weld penetration. Kneed filaments do not reach the full beam intensity and also produce shallow welds. Increasing the filament current 10% above the traditional knee was shown to produce a circular Gaussian-like beam with peaked intensity optimized for welding and for filament lifetime. Further increases in the filament current that produce overpeaked beams do not significantly change the beam or weld quality and would only contribute to a reduced filament lifetime.

Electron Beam Welding

Filaments of the Slime Mold Cosmic Web and How They Affect Galaxy Evolution

Abstract We present a novel approach for identifying cosmic web filaments within theDisPerSEstructure identification framework, using cosmic density field estimates from the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM), inspired by the slime mold organism. We apply our method to the IllustrisTNG (TNG100) cosmological simulations and investigate the impact of filaments on galaxies. The MCPM density field is superior to the Delaunay tessellation field estimator in tracing the true underlying matter distribution and allows filaments to be identified with higher fidelity, finding more low-prominence/diffuse filaments. Using our new filament catalogs, we find that ≳90% of galaxies are located within ∼1.5 Mpc of a filamentary spine, with little change in the median star formation activity with distance to the nearest filament. Instead, we uncover a differential effect of the local filament line density, Σ fil (MCPM)—the total MCPM overdensity per unit length along a filament segment—on galaxy formation: most galaxies are quenched and gas-poor near high-line density filaments atz≤ 1. At earlier times, the filamentary environment appears to have no effect on galactic gas supply and quenching. Atz= 0, quenching in log ( M * / M ⊙ ) ≳ 10.5 galaxies is mainly driven by mass, while lower-mass galaxies are significantly affected by the filament line density. Satellites are far more susceptible to filaments than centrals. The local environments of massive halos are not sufficient to account for the effect of filament line density on gas removal and quenching. Our new approach holds great promise for observationally identifying filaments from galaxy surveys such as SDSS and DESI.

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Experiments and gyrokinetic simulations of the nonlinear interaction between spinning magnetized plasma pressure filaments

A set of experiments using controlled, skin depth-sized plasma pressure filaments in close proximity have been carried out in a large linear magnetized plasma device. Two- and three-filament configurations have been used to determine the scale of cross field nonlinear interaction. When the filaments are separated by a distance of approximately five times the size of a single filament or less, a significant transfer of charge and energy occurs, leading to the generation of inter-filament electric fields. This has the effect of rotating the filaments and influencing the merging dynamics. Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations using seeded filaments confirm the presence of unstable drift-Alfvén modes driven by the steep electron temperature gradient. When the filaments are within a few collisionless electron skin depths (separations twice the size of a single filament), the unstable perturbations drive the convective mixing of the density and temperature and rearrange the gradients such that they maximize in the region surrounding the filament bundle.

Sydora, R. D. (ORCID:0000000192543149)

Calcium has a direct effect on thick filament activation in porcine myocardium

Sarcomere activation in striated muscle requires both thin filament–based and thick filament–based activation mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that myosin heads on the thick filaments undergo OFF to ON structural transitions in response to calcium (Ca2+) in permeabilized porcine myocardium in the presence of a small molecule inhibitor that eliminated active force. The changes in X-ray diffraction signatures of OFF to ON transitions were interpreted as Ca2+ acting to activate the thick filaments. Alternatively, Ca2+ binding to troponin could initiate a Ca2+-dependent crosstalk from the thin filament to the thick filament via interfilament connections such as the myosin binding protein-C. Here, we exchanged native troponin in permeabilized porcine myocardium for troponin containing the cTnC D65A mutation, which disallows the activation of troponin through Ca2+ binding to determine if Ca2+-dependent thick filament activation persists in the absence of thin filament activation. After the exchange protocol, over 95% of the Ca2+-activated force was eliminated. Equatorial intensity ratio increased significantly in both WT and D65A exchanged myocardium with increasing Ca2+ concentration. The degree of helical ordering of the myosin heads decreased by the same amount in WT and D65A myocardium when Ca2+ concentration increased. These results are consistent with a direct effect of Ca2+ in activating the thick filament rather than an indirect effect due to Ca2+-mediated crosstalk between the thick and thin filaments.

Physiology

Statistical properties of filaments in the cosmic web

ABSTRACT In the context of the cosmological and constrained Exploring the Local Universe with the reConstructed Initial Density field (ELUCID) simulation, this study explores the statistical characteristics of filaments within the cosmic web, focussing on aspects such as the distribution of filament lengths and their radial density profiles. Using the classification of the cosmic web environment through the Hessian matrix of the density field, our primary focus is on how cosmic structures react to the two variables $R_{\rm s}$ and $\lambda _{\rm th}$. The findings show that the volume fractions of knots, filaments, sheets, and voids are highly influenced by the threshold parameter $\lambda _{\rm th}$, with only a slight influence from the smoothing length $R_{\rm s}$. The central axis of the cylindrical filament is pinpointed using the medial-axis thinning algorithm of the COsmic Web Skeleton (COWS) method. It is observed that median filament lengths tend to increase as the smoothing lengths increase. Analysis of filament length functions at different values of $R_{\rm s}$ indicates a reduction in shorter filaments and an increase in longer filaments as $R_{\rm s}$ increases, peaking around $2.5R_{\rm s}$. The study also shows that the radial density profiles of filaments are markedly affected by the parameters $R_{\rm s}$ and $\lambda _{\rm th}$, showing a valley at approximately $2R_{\rm s}$, with increases in the threshold leading to higher amplitudes of the density profile. Moreover, shorter filaments tend to have denser profiles than their longer counterparts.

Zhang, Youcai (ORCID:0000000319674091)

The macroevolution of filamentation morphology across the Saccharomycotina yeast subphylum

Saccharomycotina is a subphylum of ascomycete fungi with diverse asexual growth morphologies. Filamentous growth can comprise linear and branched budding cells that do not undergo cell separation, termed pseudohyphae, or tubular filaments with septa that perforate allowing movement of organelles, termed true hyphae. We integrated phenotypic, genomic, metabolic, and environmental data on isolation sources from 1051 species to examine the variation and evolutionary history of filamentation across Saccharomycotina and determine whether these data could predict filamentation types. We found that 63.37% of strains can form filaments; 6.56% true hyphae, 42.40% pseudohyphae, and 14.39% both true hyphae and pseudohyphae. The distributions of species that can produce true hyphae or filament were more strongly correlated with the yeast phylogeny than the distribution of species with pseudohyphae. Ancestral state reconstruction suggested that true hyphal and pseudohyphal morphologies evolved several times, that most yeast ancestors likely produced pseudohyphae or lacked filaments, and that the Saccharomycotina last common ancestor likely produced pseudohyphae but not true hyphae. Machine learning models trained on genomic and metabolic features predicted filament morphologies with ∼70% accuracy. Connecting the evolution of morphologies to their genomic, physiological, and ecological characteristics will enrich our understanding of how the diversity of lifestyles evolved in Saccharomycotina.

Saccharomycotina

Coal Enhanced PEEK Filament Production for Additive Manufacturing in Industrial Services

The project (Award DE-FE0032146), led by Baker Hughes in collaboration with the University of Wyoming, aims to develop composite PEEK (Polyether-ether-ketone) materials enhanced using coal-derived graphene-based additives suitable for additive manufacturing (3D printing). Coal char (CC), graphene oxide (GO), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), derived from Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, were successfully integrated into commercial PEEK feedstock. The composite PEEK materials demonstrated tensile and flexural strengths and modulus, Shore hardness, and thermal properties similar to unfilled PEEK. Dielectric strength of 0.5% GO/PEEK is twice that of unfilled PEEK. However, tensile elongation and Izod impact toughness of the composite materials are lower than unfilled PEEK. The 10% CC/PEEK material also shows good recyclability albeit with slightly increased glass transition and cold crystallization temperatures. Filaments of the composite PEEK materials were fabricated using a Filabot system. 3D printing of the composite PEEK initially encountered feeding stoppage caused by the non-uniform diameter of the filament, which was resolved by reducing the nominal diameter from 1.75 to 1.65 mm. The printability of the composite PEEK filaments is limited in geometry and build time, driven by differences in base PEEK feedstock from the commercial PEEK filament at printing conditions. Prototype part printed using the composite filaments shows inconsistent bead width and bead interruption resulting in porosity. Preliminary process and economic evaluation using PRB coal char estimates the cost of GO to be $0.5/lb. Considering the small fraction expected in the composite PEEK, the GO cost is several orders of magnitude lower than the commercial PEEK filament. It is recommended that the printability of composite PEEK filaments to be improved by optimizing the composite PEEK material at the printing conditions and reducing the variations in filament extrusion. Also important is to identify the mechanisms of how coal-derived additives affect the composite PEEK performance and printing characteristics to allow customized material design and processing for target performance.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT

Fractionation of Filamentous Algae from Mixed Biofilms

Filamentous algae, which grow in long, hair-like filaments within biofilms, play a crucial role in wastewater treatment due to their ability to produce significant biomass and their resistance to predation compared to traditional microalgal treatments. These algae can effectively uptake and utilize pollutants, particularly excessive nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite) and phosphorus (phosphate), making filamentous algae valuable for wastewater treatment, as well as bioethanol and biodiesel production due to high lipid productions. However, each algal species possesses different capacities, necessitating a thorough genetic identification and understanding of each community. A major challenge in accurately assessing these communities is the lack of coverage in large sequencing databases which can lead to misrepresentation of the true composition and abundance of organisms and overall sequencing bias. To address this, I evaluated chemical and physical techniques for separating filamentous algae from mixed biofilms to achieve clean genetic sequencing results. I employed pH washing (0.001M HCl, 0.001M HCl, DiH2O, 0.0001M HCl, 0.001M HCl) for chemical treatment, followed by physical separation through centrifugation (5000rpm, 6500rpm) or filtration (2mm, 250um, 75um). The most successful method was deionized water washing, which yielded clear differences across stacked filters; the 2mm filtrate showed high levels of filamentous algae, with microalgae eluting in the 75um filtrate or remaining within agglutinations of algae larger filters. Base washing eluted the highest concentrations of microalgae, with larger filter sizes retaining more filamentous algae, indicating the breakdown of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Our downstream plans include sending the high-throughput next-generation sequencing to confirm the purity and ratios of filamentous and non-filamentous algae, as well as bacteria present, thereby validating the success of our treatments. Potential applications include creating community-based fractions for analysis, refining current sequencing data with clearer isolations, and generating designer biofilms to enhance our understanding of community interactions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Weak-lensing Detection of Intercluster Filaments in Three Nearby Cluster Systems

Abstract Direct detection of intercluster filaments is challenging due to their low surface density, resulting in a weak deflection field. We present weak-lensing detections of intercluster filaments using wide-field Dark Energy Camera observations from the Local Volume Complete Cluster Survey. A matched-filter method was applied to identify filamentary structures in three nearby ( z < 0.1) systems centered on A401, A2029, and A3558. We discover two filaments (>3 σ ) in each system, with the strongest detections (5.2 σ –5.8 σ ) around A401 and A2029. In particular, we report the first robust weak-lensing detections (≳5 σ ) of the intercluster bridges connecting the cluster pairs A401/399, A2029/2033, A2029/SIG, and A3558/3556. Adopting a filament convergence model motivated by numerical simulations, we infer the maximum convergence ( κ 0 ) and characteristic width ( h c ) for all six filaments, yielding κ 0 ∼ 0.016–0.040 and h c ∼ 0.23–0.43 Mpc. The performance of the matched-filter technique is validated using mock shear catalogs and further tested on a null field around A2351. We explore the potential of using the B-mode lensing signal of filaments to suppress cluster-induced shear contamination. We also quantify the biasing effect of closely separated terminal clusters to the filament signal. These results demonstrate the feasibility of directly mapping dark matter filaments with current and future wide-field weak-lensing datasets.

Shinde, Rahul [Brown University] (ORCID:0000000273

High-Resolution Full-Field Structural Microscopy of the Voltage-Induced Filament Formation in VO 2 -Based Neuromorphic Devices

In order to make neuromorphic functions in memristive devices more efficient, information about the structural properties of filament formation at the micro- and mesoscopic scales is necessary. Despite extensive research on VO 2 , a key material due to its filament formation, local operando structural measurements remain challenging and often involve destructive specimen preparation and long rastering times, greatly limiting the scope of experimental studies. Utilizing dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM), a fullfield imaging modality, structural signatures of the filament formation process operando are revealed in VO 2 devices. DFXM experiments illustrate that rutile filaments contain isolated monoclinic clusters, indicating structural nonuniformity interior to the filament. The formation of the rutile phase beneath device electrodes was shown to precede filament development, followed by the formation of filament paths guided by nucleation sites within the device. Finally, a medium-term (<30 min) memory mechanism is observed in VO 2 , mediated by sites within the device gap that tend to switch at significantly lower voltages after electrical cycling, a tendency that persists through a brief thermal reset. High spatial resolution, large field-of-view, structure selectivity, and fast signal acquisition of DFXM provided insight into structural features of the filamentary channel and surrounding regions during voltage cycling.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND

A 3D helical filament surrogate model for 3D tokamak equilibria

A novel approach for efficient representation of three-dimensional (3D) tokamak equilibria is investigated, where a set of helical current filaments occupying the plasma region are employed to resolve deviations from the two-dimensional (2D) axi-symmetric state. A discrete set of 3D filaments, located at rational surfaces for a given toroidal mode number n and following the 2D equilibrium field lines (thus forming closed current loops), are found to provide a surrogate model of 3D equilibria with reasonable accuracy. Specifically, application of the filament model to 3D perturbed equilibria, due to the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) in DIII-D and MAST-U discharges, reveals that (1) a single helical filament per rational surface is sufficient; (2) 21 such helical filaments are capable of representing the n = 2 3D response field in MAST-U with less than 10% relative error as compared to that computed by a full magnetohydrodynamic code; (3) optimizing currents (both amplitude and phase) flowing in 3D filaments with fixed geometry, the highest accuracy fitting is found to depend on the characteristics of the 3D equilibria such as the coil current phasing of the RMP coils in our case studies. Here, whis filament approach is also applicable for generating surrogate models of other type of 3D tokamak equilibria, including those during the initial phase of the plasma disruption.

MARS-F

Three-dimensional modeling of hyphal fusion, branching, and nutrient transport in filamentous fungi

Fungi exhibit behaviors distinct from other microbes. Filamentous fungi grow by extending complex networks of branched filaments collectively referred to as the mycelium. These networks can expand over large distances and traverse low-nutrient areas by translocating nutrients through the filament network. This spatial characteristic makes filamentous fungi crucial for soil ecosystems, supporting stable microbial communities and promoting plant growth. However, simulating these behaviors is complex. The elongated nature of fungal compartments results in different mechanical interactions compared to the commonly modeled spherical bacteria. These detailed hyphal mechanics require specialized consideration and are often excluded from conventional fungal simulation packages. Additionally, the extensive fungal networks in nature demand computationally intensive simulations, necessitating high-performance algorithms. Therefore, realistic fungi simulations require specialized software. Here, we introduce a fungal modeling expansion to the high-performance biological modelling and interface exchange (bmx) software suite. bmx leverages adaptive mesh refinement in AMReX for chemical diffusion and incorporates a full mechanical model for bacterial cells, accelerated by GPUs. By extending bmx to model filamentous particles, we demonstrate the formation of complex filament networks through interactions like hyphal branching and fusion (anastomosis). We show that the networks produced match real-world fungal structures through various metrics. This work supports computational studies of fungal growth dynamics and can be adapted to investigate the growth of other filamentous structures in biology or materials science. The expanded-BMX package is open-sourced and is available online.

Cell mechanics

Impact of ultrafast laser pulse repetition rate on filament acoustic and emission signatures

Femtosecond filaments formed at standoff distances can be used for interrogating various types of matter, making them of potential interest for remote sensing. However, the physical aspects of the filaments generated at standoff distances are influenced by various environmental and laser properties, including the repetition rate of the laser. In this study, we evaluate the role of the predecessor pulse on the properties of filaments by varying the repetition rate of the laser in the range of 10–1000 Hz and using acoustic and emission signatures to diagnose filament properties. Our results show that filaments are brighter at high repetition rates while they are elongated at low repetition rates. The repetition rate has minimal influence on the downstream edge of the filament generation, while the upstream edge becomes elongated. The shadowgram images showed that the turbulence generated by the predecessor pulse may influence the next pulse when the laser is operating at high repetition rates.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Atmospheric clearing of solid-particle debris using femtosecond filaments

Through nonlinear self-focusing, femtosecond pulses can propagate several kilometers beyond diffraction limits, forming an ionization channel in air known as a laser filaments. It has been demonstrated that in the wake of the filament, aerosols can be effectively cleared to improve the transmission of subsequent laser pulses or secondary light sources, pertinent to applications in atmospheric sensing. However, the current understanding of aerosol clearing is founded on interactions with droplets to simulate fogs and clouds and thus does not extend to solid particles or atmospheric debris. Using optical trapping, we isolate both graphite and silica microparticles and directly measure the subsequent displacement caused by the filament using time-resolved shadowgraphy. The shock wave from the filament is demonstrated to propel particles away from the filament, directly contributing to atmospheric debris clearing. Particles exposed to the laser light in either the intense filament core or the surrounding energy reservoir are axially displaced along the beam path. Furthermore, it is found that the optomechanical properties of the particle largely influence the axial displacement induced by laser exposure through mechanisms such as radiation pressure, mass ejection from ablation or optical damage, and particle deagglomeration.

42 ENGINEERING

Impact of Cosmic Filaments on Galaxy Morphological Evolution and Predictions of Early Cosmic Web Structure for Roman

We leverage the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulations to test how the large-scale cosmic web shapes galaxy morphology and to forecast the early cosmic web structure that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal. In the hydrodynamic TNG50 and N-body TNG50-Dark runs, we reconstruct the cosmic web at redshifts z = 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 with the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine density estimator and the DisPerSE structure identification framework. We confirm that dark matter halos start out predominantly prolate (elongated), and their shapes are aligned with their nearest filaments; prolate galaxies retain strong shape alignment with their outer halos to later times. At z ≥ 1, the fraction of prolate (spheroidal) halos increases (decreases) toward lower stellar mass, higher redshift, and lower filament density. At z < 1, more spheroidal (oblate) stellar structures preferentially reside in higher-density (lower-density) filaments. We also find that higher-density filaments favor extended rotationally supported disks, whereas lower-density filaments more often host smaller dispersion-supported systems. Then, generating mock galaxy samples from TNG100 and TNG50, we predict the early cosmic web accessible to Roman. We find that the spectroscopic emission-line depth planned for the High-Latitude Wide-Area Survey (HLWAS) yields a highly incomplete galaxy sample that does not accurately trace the z = 1 cosmic web. A survey ≥2.5× deeper over a few square degrees would enable a proper reconstruction and reveal qualitatively correct filament–galaxy morphology relationships. Nevertheless, the planned HLWAS Deep field should still identify most galaxy overdensities; targeted deeper spectroscopy of these regions would efficiently and adequately map the early filamentary structure.

Hasan, Farhanul [Space Telescope Science Institute

One-dimensional mapping of femtosecond laser filaments using coherent microwave scattering

Here, this paper reports on the use of coherent microwave scattering (CMS) for spatially resolved electron number density measurements of elongated plasma structures induced at mid-IR femtosecond filamentation in air. The presented studies comprise one-dimensional mapping of laser filaments induced via 3.9 µm, 127.3 fs laser pulses at output energies up to 15 mJ. The axial electron number density was measured to be invariant (about 2 × 10 15 c⁢m −3 ) along the entire filament length and for all tested laser pulse energies 5–15 mJ, and the corresponding laser intensity in the middle portion of the filament was estimated to be nearly constant for 5–15 mJ pulse energies (about 30−40 TW/c⁢m 2 ). These findings support that intensity clamping conditions were achieved in the experiments. The proposed approach enables capabilities that are currently unavailable to perform absolute and longitudinally resolved measurements of electron number density in laser filaments and to precisely characterize conditions associated with self-focusing and intensity clamping.

plasma diagnostic techniques

Filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy of solids through highly scattering media

Ultrafast laser pulse filamentation in the air can be used for remote sensing by exciting a characteristic optical emission, which is usually referred to as filamentation-induced breakdown spectroscopy. In environments that impede light propagation, such as fog, haze, or clouds, scattering makes it challenging to propagate laser beams and retrieve generated optical signatures. We demonstrate the effectiveness of laser filamentation for simultaneously clearing the path for intense femtosecond pulse propagation in a highly scattering medium, generation of luminous plasma on a solid target, and counter-propagation of a characteristic spectroscopic signal over a cleared channel along the filament path. In a dense cloud, the counter-propagating signal predominantly transits the cleared on-axis path but is highly affected by the negative thermal lensing of a Gaussian beam. Furthermore, these insights enhance our understanding of laser filamentation in atmospheric sensing and could substantially improve remote detection capabilities in poor visibility conditions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND

Evolution of intermittent filaments in the scrape-off layer of NSTX

Filamentary structures naturally arise from background turbulence in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of plasmas, leading to significant particle and heat transport that can degrade overall plasma confinement. This enhanced transport can contribute to unacceptably high heat loads on plasma-facing components. As such, understanding the physics of SOL plasma filaments is critical for predicting and mitigating their effects in future fusion devices. On the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), plasma filaments—commonly referred to as “blobs”—were investigated using the gas-puff imaging (GPI) diagnostic in the edge and SOL regions. The analysis involved identifying, segmenting, and tracking the characteristic contours of the blobs in each frame of the GPI video sequences. Their evolution was characterized through shape descriptors, velocity, and angular velocity derived from their contour coordinates. The results indicate that as the blob area increases, their shapes become more concave and less circular, suggesting reduced structural stability in larger blobs. This result aligns with previous theoretical results where it was shown that larger blobs are more susceptible to instabilities [Krasheninnikov et al., J. Plasma Phys. 74, 679–717 (2008) and D'Ippolito et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 060501 (2011)]. A positive correlation was observed between radial velocity and radial position, suggesting radially outward acceleration of the filaments, potentially driven by decreasing viscous drag toward the far SOL. Interestingly, blobs in background SOL turbulence exhibited minimal spinning in contrast to filaments originating from edge localized modes, which show substantial rotation during their paths [Lampert et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 102502 (2022)]. Statistical analysis of the solidity and total curvature shape descriptors, along with their temporal evolution, revealed relatively broad, near-Gaussian distributions. This suggests that blob morphology is strongly influenced by stochastic turbulent processes in the surrounding plasma environment. Blob parameters were also compared with bulk plasma and radial profile measurements. Notable trends were found between blob rotation and poloidal velocity with collisionality and line-integrated density. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of blob dynamics and provide valuable insights for refining SOL turbulence models.

Covariance and correlation