Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “GESTS”

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.

The Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST Center)

The following is a technical report of the progress made under Cooperative Agreement NCC5494, the Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST). The period covered by this report is October 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001. GEST is a consortium of scientists and engineers, led by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), to conduct scientific research in Earth and information sciences and related technologies in collaboration with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GEST was established through a cooperative agreement signed May 11, 2000, following a competitive procurement process initiated by GSFC.

Source record↗

Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST)

This document summarizes the activities of the Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST), a consortium of scientists and engineers led by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), during the contract reporting period. Topics covered include: new programs, eligibility and selection criteria, Goddard Coastal Research Graduate Fellowship Program and staffing changes.

Source record↗

GPU-enabled extreme-scale turbulence simulations: Fourier pseudo-spectral algorithms at the exascale using OpenMP offloading

Fourier pseudo-spectral methods for nonlinear partial differential equations are of wide interest in many areas of advanced computational science, including direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional (3-D) turbulence governed by the Navier-Stokes equations in fluid dynamics. This paper presents a new capability for simulating turbulence at a new record resolution up to 35 trillion grid points, on the world's first exascale computer, Frontier, comprising AMD MI250x GPUs with HPE's Slingshot interconnect and operated by the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). Key programming strategies designed to take maximum advantage of the machine architecture involve performing almost all computations on the GPU which has the same memory capacity as the CPU, performing all-to-all communication among sets of parallel processes directly on the GPU, and targeting GPUs efficiently using OpenMP offloading for intensive number-crunching including 1-D Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) performed using AMD ROCm library calls. With 99% of computing power on Frontier being on the GPU, leaving the CPU idle leads to a net performance gain via avoiding the overhead of data movement between host and device except when needed for some I/O purposes. Memory footprint including the size of communication buffers for MPI_ALLTOALL is managed carefully to maximize the largest problem size possible for a given node count. Detailed performance data including separate contributions from different categories of operations to the elapsed wall time per step are reported for five grid resolutions, from 2048 3 on a single node to 32768 3 on 4096 or 8192 nodes out of 9408 on the system. Both 1D and 2D domain decompositions which divide a 3D periodic domain into slabs and pencils respectively are implemented. The present code suite (labeled by the acronym GESTS, GPUs for Extreme Scale Turbulence Simulations) achieves a figure of merit (in grid points per second) exceeding goals set in the Center for Accelerated Application Readiness (CAAR) program for Frontier. The performance attained is highly favorable in both weak scaling and strong scaling, with notable departures only for 2048 3 where communication is entirely intra-node, and for 32768 3 , where a challenge due to small message sizes does arise. Communication performance is addressed further using a lightweight test code that performs all-to-all communication in a manner matching the full turbulence simulation code. Performance at large problem sizes is affected by both small message size due to high node counts as well as dragonfly network topology features on the machine, but is consistent with official expectations of sustained performance on Frontier. Overall, although not perfect, the scalability achieved at the extreme problem size of 32768 3 (and up to 8192 nodes — which corresponds to hardware rated at just under 1 exaflop/sec of theoretical peak computational performance) is arguably better than the scalability observed using prior state-of-the-art algorithms on Frontier's predecessor machine (Summit) at OLCF. New science results for the study of intermittency in turbulence enabled by this code and its extensions are to be reported separately in the near future.

3D fast Fourier transform↗

Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center

A technical report of the progress made at The Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology (GEST) Center is presented. The period covered by this report is April 1,2002 through June 30,2002.

Source record↗

[Activities of Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, Maryland University]

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is recognized as a world leader in the application of remote sensing and modeling aimed at improving knowledge of the Earth system. The Goddard Earth Sciences Directorate plays a central role in NASA's Earth Observing System and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology (GEST) is organized as a cooperative agreement with the GSFC to promote excellence in the Earth sciences, and is a consortium of universities and corporations (University of Maryland Baltimore County, Howard University, Hampton University, Caelum Research Corporation and Northrop Grumman Corporation). The aim of this new program is to attract and introduce promising students in their first or second year of graduate studies to Oceanography and Earth system science career options through hands-on instrumentation research experiences on coastal processes at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Source record↗

Dynamics and Origin of Extra-solar Planetary Systems and Microlensing Detection of Extra-solar Planets

We compare a space-based microlensing search for planets, with a ground based microlensing search originally proposed by D. Tytler (Beichman, et al. 1996). Perturbations of microlensing light curves when the lens star has a planetary companion are sought by one wide angle survey telescope and an array of three or four followup narrow angle telescopes distributed in longitude that follow events with high precision, high time resolution photometry. Alternative ground based programs are considered briefly. With the four 2 meter telescopes distributed in longitude in the southern hemisphere in the Tytler proposal, observational constraints on a ground-based search for planets during microlensing events toward the center of the galaxy are severe. Probably less than 100 events could be monitored per year with high precision, high time resolution photometry with only about 42% coverage on the average regardless of how many events were discovered by the survey telescope. Statistics for the occurrence and properties for Jupiter-mass planets would be meaningful but relatively meager four years after the program was started, and meaningful statistics for Earth-mass planets would be non existent. In contrast, the 14,500 events in a proposed 4 year space based program (GEST = Galactic Exoplanet Survey Telescope) would yield very sound statistics on the occurrence, masses and separations of Jupiter-mass planets, and significant constraints on similar properties for Earth-mass planets. The significance of the Jupiter statistics would be to establish the frequency of planetary systems like our own, where terrestrial planets could exist inside the orbits of the giants.

Peale, S. J.↗

Outcomes of OpenMP Hackathon: OpenMP Application Experiences with the Offloading Model (Part II)

This paper reports on experiences gained and practices adopted when using the latest features of OpenMP to port a variety of HPC applications and mini-apps based on different computational motifs (BerkeleyGW, WDMApp/XGC, GAMESS, GESTS, and GridMini) to accelerator-based, leadership-class, high-performance supercomputer systems at the Department of Energy. As recent enhancements to OpenMP become available in implementations, there is a need to share the results of experimentation with them in order to better understand their behavior in practice, to identify pitfalls, and to learn how they can be effectively deployed in scientific codes. Additionally, we identify best practices from these experiences that we can share with the rest of the OpenMP community.

Chapman, Barbara↗

Outcomes of OpenMP Hackathon: OpenMP Application Experiences with the Offloading Model (Part I)

This paper reports on experiences gained and practices adopted when using the latest features of OpenMP to port a variety of HPC applications and mini-apps based on different computational motifs (BerkeleyGW, WDMApp/XGC, GAMESS, GESTS, and GridMini) to accelerator-based, leadership-class, high-performance supercomputer systems at the Department of Energy. As recent enhancements to OpenMP become available in implementations, there is a need to share the results of experimentation with them in order to better understand their behavior in practice, to identify pitfalls, and to learn how they can be effectively deployed in scientific codes. Additionally, we identify best practices from these experiences that we can share with the rest of the OpenMP community.

Chapman, Barbara↗

OpenMP application experiences: Porting to accelerated nodes

As recent enhancements to the OpenMP specification become available in its implementations, there is a need to share the results of experimentation in order to better understand the OpenMP implementation’s behavior in practice, to identify pitfalls, and to learn how the implementations can be effectively deployed in scientific codes. We report on experiences gained and practices adopted when using OpenMP to port a variety of ECP applications, mini-apps and libraries based on different computational motifs to accelerator-based leadership-class high-performance supercomputer systems at the United States Department of Energy. Additionally, we identify important challenges and open problems related to the deployment of OpenMP. Through our report of experiences, we find that OpenMP implementations are successful on current supercomputing platforms and that OpenMP is a promising programming model to use for applications to be run on emerging and future platforms with accelerated nodes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A red-emitting carborhodamine for monitoring and measuring membrane potential

Biological membrane potentials, or voltages, are a central facet of cellular life. Optical methods to visualize cellular membrane voltages with fluorescent indicators are an attractive complement to traditional electrode-based approaches, since imaging methods can be high throughput, less invasive, and provide more spatial resolution than electrodes. Recently developed fluorescent indicators for voltage largely report changes in membrane voltage by monitoring voltage-dependent fluctuations in fluorescence intensity. However, it would be useful to be able to not only monitor changes but also measure values of membrane potentials. This study discloses a fluorescent indicator which can address both. We describe the synthesis of a sulfonated tetramethyl carborhodamine fluorophore. When this carborhodamine is conjugated with an electron-rich, methoxy (-OMe) containing phenylenevinylene molecular wire, the resulting molecule, CRhOMe, is a voltage-sensitive fluorophore with red/far-red fluorescence. Using CRhOMe, changes in cellular membrane potential can be read out using fluorescence intensity or lifetime. In fluorescence intensity mode, CRhOMe tracks fast-spiking neuronal action potentials (APs) with greater signal-to-noise than state-of-the-art BeRST 1 (another voltage-sensitive fluorophore). CRhOMe can also measure values of membrane potential. The fluorescence lifetime of CRhOMe follows a single exponential decay, substantially improving the quantification of membrane potential values using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The combination of red-shifted excitation and emission, mono-exponential decay, and high voltage sensitivity enable fast FLIM recording of APs in cardiomyocytes. The ability to both monitor and measure membrane potentials with red light using CRhOMe makes it an important approach for studying biological voltages.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Sulphur isotopic compositions of deep-sea hydrothermal vent animals

The S-34/S-32 ratios of tissues from vestimentiferan worms, brachyuran crabs, and giant clams living around deep hydrothermal vents are reported. Clean tissues were dried, ground, suspended in 0.1 M LiCl, shaken twice at 37 C to remove seawater sulfates, dried at 60 C, combusted in O2 in a Parr bomb. Sulfur was recovered as BaSO4, and the isotopic abundances in SO2 generated by thermal decomposition of 5-30-mg samples were determined using an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. The results are expressed as delta S-34 and compared with values measured in seawater sulfates and in normal marine fauna. The values ranged from -4.7 to 4.7 per thousand, comparable to vent sulfide minerals (1.3-4.1 per thousand) and distinct from seawater sulfates (20.1 per thousand) and normal marine fauna (about 13-20 per thousand). These results indicate that vent sulfur rather than seawater sulfur is utilized by these animals, a process probably mediated by chemoautotrophic bacteria which can use inorganic sulfur compounds as energy sources.

Fry, B.↗

Sulfur isotope effects associated with protonation of HS- and volatilization of H2S

The isotope effects associated with: (1) formation of H2S from HS- by protonation in aqueous solution; and (2) volatilization of H2S have been experimentally determined. Both isotopic distributions in closed systems at equilibrium and differential rates of volatilization of isotopic species in open systems were measured at 22 +/- 1 degrees C. It was found that, at equilibrium aqueous H2S is enriched in 34S by 2.0 - 2.7% relative to HS- and that H2S volatilized from solution is depleted in 34S by 0.5% relative to dissolved H2S. A small kinetic isotope effect accompanying volatilization of H2S was observed in the open-system experiments.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Isotope effects associated with the anaerobic oxidation of sulfite and thiosulfate by the photosynthetic bacterium, Chromatium vinosum

The purple photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium vinosum, strain D, catalyzes several oxidations of reduced sulfur compounds under anaerobic conditions in the light: e.g., sulfide --> sulfur --> sulfate, sulfite --> sulfate, and thiosulfate --> sulfur + sulfate. Here it is shown that no sulfur isotope effect is associated with the last of these processes; isotopic compositions of the sulfur and sulfate produced can differ, however, if the sulfane and sulfonate positions within the thiosulfate have different isotopic compositions. In the second process, an observed change from an inverse to a normal isotope effect during oxidation of sulfite may indicate the operation of 2 enzymatic pathways. In contrast to heterotrophic anaerobic reduction of oxidized sulfur compounds, anaerobic oxidations of inorganic sulfur compounds by photosynthetic bacteria are characterized by relatively small isotope effects.

Non-NASA Center↗

A novel directly coupled gradostat

The original bidirectional compound chemostat (gradostat) described by Lovitt and Wimpenny has been simplified by making a more compact apparatus in which chemical gradients are established by diffusion between adjacent culture chambers. The experimental model (diffusion coupled (DC) gradostat) consisted of five chambers whose contents could be agitated by turbines rotating in the horizontal plane on a common shaft. Two biological experiments were designed to reveal the value of the DC gradostat. A methylotroph (Methylophilus methylotrophus) grown in a methanol gradient showed expected changes in cell viability as a function of position in the five vessel array. Cells of two species of photosynthetic bacteria (Rhodobacter capsulata and Rhodopseudomonas marina/agilis) with different salt sensitivities could be mixed and subsequently separated by the DC gradostat operating with a NaCl gradient of 0-3% w/v.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Sulfur isotope effects associated with oxidation of sulfide by O2 in aqueous solution

Normal sulfur isotope effects averaging epsilon = -5.2 +/- 1.4% (s.d.) were consistently observed for the oxidation of sulfide in aqueous solution. Reaction products were sulfate, thiosulfate and sulfite at pH 10.8-11 in distilled water; S0 was formed in two experiments with synthetic seawater at pH 8-9.5. Because the -5.2% normal isotope effect differs significantly from the previously measured +2% inverse effect associated with anaerobic oxidation of sulfide by photosynthetic bacteria, stable sulfur isotopic measurements are potentially useful for distinguishing aerobic vs. anaerobic sulfide oxidation in marine and freshwater sulfureta.

NASA Program Exobiology↗

Carbon isotope fractionation by thermophilic phototrophic sulfur bacteria: evidence for autotrophic growth in natural populations

Purple phototrophic bacteria of the genus Chromatium can grow as either photoautotrophs or photoheterotrophs. To determine the growth mode of the thermophilic Chromatium species, Chromatium tepidum, under in situ conditions, we have examined the carbon isotope fractionation patterns in laboratory cultures of this organism and in mats of C. tepidum which develop in sulfide thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park. Isotopic analysis (13C/12C) of total carbon, carotenoid pigments, and bacteriochlorophyll from photoautotrophically grown cultures of C. tepidum yielded 13C fractionation factors near -20%. Cells of C. tepidum grown on excess acetate, wherein synthesis of the Calvin cycle enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase) was greatly repressed, were isotopically heavier, fractionation factors of ca. -7% being observed. Fractionation factors determined by isotopic analyses of cells and pigment fractions of natural populations of C. tepidum growing in three different sulfide thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park were approximately -20%, indicating that this purple sulfur bacterium grows as a photoautotroph in nature.

Non-NASA Center↗

34S/32S fractionation in sulfur cycles catalyzed by anaerobic bacteria

Stable isotopic distributions in the sulfur cycle were studied with pure and mixed cultures of the anaerobic bacteria, Chlorobium vibrioforme and Desulfovibrio vulgaris. D. vulgaris and C. vibrioforme can catalyze three reactions constituting a complete anaerobic sulfur cycle: reduction of sulfate to sulfide (D. vulgaris), oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur (C. vibrioforme), and oxidation of sulfur to sulfate (C. vibrioforme). In all experiments, the first and last reactions favored concentration of the light 32S isotope in products (isotopic fractionation factor epsilon = -7.2 and -1.7%, respectively), whereas oxidation of sulfide favored concentration of the heavy 34S isotope in products (epsilon = +1.7%). Experimental results and model calculations suggest that elemental sulfur enriched in 34S versus sulfide may be a biogeochemical marker for the presence of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria in modern and ancient environments.

Non-NASA Center↗