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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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Retrievals of Cloud Fraction and Cloud Albedo from Surface-based Shortwave Radiation Measurements: A Comparison of 16 Year Measurements

Ground-based radiation measurements have been widely conducted to gain information on clouds and the surface radiation budget; here several different techniques for retrieving cloud fraction (Long2006, Min2008 and XL2013) and cloud albedo (Min2008, Liu2011 and XL2013) from ground-based shortwave broadband and spectral radiation measurements are examined, and sixteen years of retrievals collected at the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site are compared. The comparison shows overall good agreement between the retrievals of both cloud fraction and cloud albedo, with noted differences however. The Long2006 and Min2008 cloud fractions are greater on average than the XL2013 values. Compared to Min2008 and Liu2011, the XL2013 retrieval of cloud albedo tends to be greater for thin clouds but smaller for thick clouds, with the differences decreasing with increasing cloud fraction. Further analysis reveals that the approaches that retrieve cloud fraction and cloud albedo separately may suffer from mutual contamination of errors in retrieved cloud fraction and cloud albedo. Potential influences of cloud absorption, land-surface albedo, cloud structure, and measurement instruments are explored.

albedo↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurements of E-mode polarization and temperature-E-MODE correlation in the cosmic microwave background from 100 square degrees of SPTPOL data

We present measurements of E-mode polarization and temperature-E-mode correlation in the cosmic microwave background using data from the first season of observations with SPTpol, the polarization-sensitive receiver currently installed on the South Pole Telescope (SPT). The observations used in this work cover 100 deg{sup 2} of sky with arcminute resolution at 150 GHz. We report the E-mode angular auto-power spectrum (EE) and the temperature-E-mode angular cross-power spectrum (TE) over the multipole range 500 < ℓ ≤ 5000. These power spectra improve on previous measurements in the high-ℓ (small-scale) regime. We fit the combination of the SPTpol power spectra, data from Planck, and previous SPT measurements with a six-parameter ΛCDM cosmological model. We find that the best-fit parameters are consistent with previous results. The improvement in high-ℓ sensitivity over previous measurements leads to a significant improvement in the limit on polarized point-source power: after masking sources brighter than 50 mJy in unpolarized flux at 150 GHz, we find a 95% confidence upper limit on unclustered point-source power in the EE spectrum of D{sub ℓ}=ℓ(ℓ+1)C{sub ℓ}/2π<0.40 μK{sup 2} at ℓ=3000, indicating that future EE measurements will not be limited by power from unclustered point sources in the multipole range ℓ<3600, and possibly much higher in ℓ.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Over three decades, and counting, of near-surface turbulent flux measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility

Processes mediating the coupling of terrestrial, aquatic, biospheric, and atmospheric systems influence weather, climate, and ecosystem dynamics via transfer of energy, momentum, water, and carbon (or other species). These exchange processes are quantified by measurements of near-surface turbulent fluxes. Understanding processes at these interfaces provides insight toward understanding and predicting current and future states within the Earth system. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility has been conducting measurements of near-surface turbulent fluxes since the early 1990s at long-term fixed locations and shorter-term mobile deployments across the Earth. ARM has utilized two established methods for conducting these measurements: energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) and eddy covariance (EC). Primary measurements from the former include sensible and latent heat flux, while the latter also measures fluxes of momentum and carbon (primarily carbon dioxide, with methane fluxes measured at two locations to date). The EBBR systems have been deployed at 22 locations, and, to date, the EC systems have been deployed at over 50 sites, with plans for additional novel site locations in the future. Herein, the history, evolution, and key aspects of these instrument systems are documented, along with information on data quality assurance and post-processing, as well as best use practices. Additionally, three data validation experiments were recently conducted, and their key findings are summarized. Finally, ancillary datasets acquired by ARM, which can contextualize and aid interpretation of the near-surface turbulent flux measurements, are discussed. The datasets described herein include the eddy correlation flux measurement system: 30ECOR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1879993, Sullivan et al., 1997), 30QCECOR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1097546, Gaustad, 2003), ECORSF (https://doi.org/10.5439/1494128, Sullivan et al., 2019a), and associated AmeriFlux and Methane Value-Added Product, AMCMETHANE (https://doi.org/10.5439/1508268, Billesbach, 2011); the energy balance Bowen ratio system: 30EBBR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1023895, Sullivan et al., 1993) and 30BAEBBR (https://doi.org/10.5439/1027268, Gaustad and Xie, 1993); and the carbon dioxide flux measurement system: CO2FLX (https://doi.org/10.5439/1287574, https://doi.org/10.5439/1287575, https://doi.org/10.5439/1287576, Koontz et al., 2015a, b, c; https://doi.org/10.5439/1989774, https://doi.org/10.5439/1989776, https://doi.org/10.5439/1992202, Biraud and Chan, 2002a, b, c). These data can be found by searching the above data stream names at https://adc.arm.gov/discovery/#/results/ (last access: 8 September 2025).

Sullivan, Ryan C. [Argonne National Laboratory (AN↗
DOE OSTI2016

Comparison of High-Frequency Solar Irradiance: Ground Measured vs. Satellite-Derived

High-frequency solar variability is an important to grid integration studies, but ground measurements are scarce. The high resolution irradiance algorithm (HRIA) has the ability to produce 4-sceond resolution global horizontal irradiance (GHI) samples, at locations across North America. However, the HRIA has not been extensively validated. In this work, we evaluate the HRIA against a database of 10 high-frequency ground-based measurements of irradiance. The evaluation focuses on variability-based metrics. This results in a greater understanding of the errors in the HRIA as well as suggestions for improvement to the HRIA.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

A technique for measuring the quality of an elliptically bent pentaerythritol [PET(002)] crystal

We present a technique for determining the X-ray spectral quality from each region of an elliptically curved PET(002) crystal. The investigative technique utilizes the shape of the crystal rocking curve which changes significantly as the radius of curvature changes. This unique quality information enables the spectroscopist to verify where in the spectral range that the spectrometer performance is satisfactory and where there are regions that would show spectral distortion. A collection of rocking curve measurements for elliptically curved PET(002) has been built up in our X-ray laboratory. The multi-lamellar model from the XOP software has been used as a guide and corrections were applied to the model based upon measurements. But, the measurement of R{sub I} at small radius of curvature shows an anomalous behavior; the multi-lamellar model fails to show this behavior. The effect of this anomalous R{sub I} behavior on an X-ray spectrometer calibration is calculated. It is compared to the multi-lamellar model calculation which is completely inadequate for predicting R{sub I} for this range of curvature and spectral energies.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Long-term measurements of ice nucleating particles at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites worldwide

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) play a critical role in cloud microphysics and precipitation formation, yet long-term, spatially extensive observational datasets remain limited. Here, we present one of the most comprehensive publicly available datasets of immersion-mode INP concentrations using a single analytical method, generated through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. INP filter samples have been collected across a broad range of environments – including agricultural plains, Arctic coastlines, high-elevation mountain sites, marine regions, and urban areas – via fixed observatories, mobile facility deployments, and vertically-resolved tethered balloon system operations. We describe the standardized processing and quality assurance pipeline, from filter collection and processing using the Ice Nucleation Spectrometer to final data products archived on the ARM Data Discovery portal. The dataset includes both total INP concentrations and selectively treated samples, allowing for classification of biological, organic, and inorganic INP types. It features a continuous 5-year record of INP measurements from a central U.S. site, with data collection still ongoing. Seasonal and site-specific differences in INP concentrations are illustrated through intercomparisons at −10 and −20 °C, revealing distinct regional sources and atmospheric drivers. We also outline mechanisms for researchers to access existing data, request additional sample analyses, and propose future field campaigns involving ARM INP measurements. This dataset supports a wide range of scientific applications, from observational and mechanistic studies to model development, and provides critical constraints on aerosol-cloud interactions across diverse atmospheric regimes (Creamean et al., 2024, 2020b; https://doi.org/10.5439/1770816).

Creamean, Jessie M. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Co↗
DOE OSTI2016

The structure of liquid water up to 360 MPa from x-ray diffraction measurements using a high Q-range and from molecular simulation

X-ray diffraction measurements of liquid water are reported at pressures up to 360 MPa corresponding to a density of 0.0373 molecules per Å{sup 3}. The measurements were conducted at a spatial resolution corresponding to Q{sub max} = 16 Å{sup −1}. The method of data analysis and measurement in this study follows the earlier benchmark results reported for water under ambient conditions having a density of 0.0333 molecules per Å{sup 3} and Q{sub max} = 20 Å{sup −1} [J. Chem. Phys. 138, 074506 (2013)] and at 70 °C having a density of 0.0327 molecules per Å{sup 3} and Q{sub max} = 20 Å{sup −1} [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)]. The structure of water is very different at these three different T and P state points and thus they provide the basis for evaluating the fidelity of molecular simulation. Measurements show that at 360 MPa, the 4 waters residing in the region between 2.3 and 3 Å are nearly unchanged: the peak position, shape, and coordination number are nearly identical to their values under ambient conditions. However, in the region above 3 Å, large structural changes occur with the collapse of the well-defined 2nd shell and shifting of higher shells to shorter distances. The measured structure is compared to simulated structure using intermolecular potentials described by both first-principles methods (revPBE-D3) and classical potentials (TIP4P/2005, MB-pol, and mW). The DFT-based, revPBE-D3, method and the many-body empirical potential model, MB-pol, provide the best overall representation of the ambient, high-temperature, and high-pressure data. The revPBE-D3, MB-pol, and the TIP4P/2005 models capture the densification mechanism, whereby the non-bonded 5th nearest neighbor molecule, which partially encroaches the 1st shell at ambient pressure, is pushed further into the local tetrahedral arrangement at higher pressures by the more distant molecules filling the void space in the network between the 1st and 2nd shells.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Uncertainty quantification for nuclear density functional theory and information content of new measurements

Statistical tools of uncertainty quantification can be used to assess the information content of measured observables with respect to present-day theoretical models, to estimate model errors and thereby improve predictive capability, to extrapolate beyond the regions reached by experiment, and to provide meaningful input to applications and planned measurements. To showcase new opportunities offered by such tools, we make a rigorous analysis of theoretical statistical uncertainties in nuclear density functional theory using Bayesian inference methods. By considering the recent mass measurements from the Canadian Penning Trap at Argonne National Laboratory, we demonstrate how the Bayesian analysis and a direct least-squares optimization, combined with high-performance computing, can be used to assess the information content of the new data with respect to a model based on the Skyrme energy density functional approach. Employing the posterior probability distribution computed with a Gaussian process emulator, we apply the Bayesian framework to propagate theoretical statistical uncertainties in predictions of nuclear masses, two-neutron dripline, and fission barriers. Overall, we find that the new mass measurements do not impose a constraint that is strong enough to lead to significant changes in the model parameters. In addition, the example discussed in this study sets the stage for quantifying and maximizing the impact of new measurements with respect to current modeling and guiding future experimental efforts, thus enhancing the experiment-theory cycle in the scientific method.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Using Measured Plane-of-Array Data Directly in Photovoltaic Modeling: Methodology and Validation

Measured plane-of-array (POA) irradiance may provide a lower-cost alternative to standard irradiance component data for photovoltaic (PV) system performance modeling without loss of accuracy. Previous work has shown that transposition models typically used by PV models to calculate POA irradiance from horizontal data introduce error into the POA irradiance estimates, and that measured POA data can correlate better to measured performance data. However, popular PV modeling tools historically have not directly used input POA data. This paper introduces a new capability in NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) to directly use POA data in PV modeling, and compares SAM results from both POA irradiance and irradiance components inputs against measured performance data for eight operating PV systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurements of sub-degree B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background from 100 square degrees of SPTPOL data

We present a measurement of the B-mode polarization power spectrum (the BB spectrum) from 100 deg{sup 2} of sky observed with SPTpol, a polarization-sensitive receiver currently installed on the South Pole Telescope. The observations used in this work were taken during 2012 and early 2013 and include data in spectral bands centered at 95 and 150 GHz. We report the BB spectrum in five bins in multipole space, spanning the range 300⩽ℓ⩽2300, and for three spectral combinations: 95 GHz × 95 GHz, 95 GHz × 150 GHz, and 150 GHz × 150 GHz. We subtract small (<0.5σ in units of statistical uncertainty) biases from these spectra and account for the uncertainty in those biases. The resulting power spectra are inconsistent with zero power but consistent with predictions for the BB spectrum arising from the gravitational lensing of E-mode polarization. If we assume no other source of BB power besides lensed B modes, we determine a preference for lensed B modes of 4.9σ. After marginalizing over tensor power and foregrounds, namely, polarized emission from galactic dust and extragalactic sources, this significance is 4.3σ. Fitting for a single parameter, A{sub lens}, that multiplies the predicted lensed B-mode spectrum, and marginalizing over tensor power and foregrounds, we find A{sub lens}=1.08±0.26, indicating that our measured spectra are consistent with the signal expected from gravitational lensing. The data presented here provide the best measurement to date of the B-mode power spectrum on these angular scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A measurement of the cosmic microwave background gravitational lensing potential from 100 square degrees of SPTPOL data

We present a measurement of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) gravitational lensing potential using data from the first two seasons of observations with SPTpol, the polarization-sensitive receiver currently installed on the South Pole Telescope. The observations used in this work cover 100 deg{sup 2} of sky with arcminute resolution at 150 GHz. Using a quadratic estimator, we make maps of the CMB lensing potential from combinations of CMB temperature and polarization maps. We combine these lensing potential maps to form a minimum-variance (MV) map. The lensing potential is measured with a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than one for angular multipoles between 100<L<250. This is the highest signal-to-noise mass map made from the CMB to date and will be powerful in cross-correlation with other tracers of large-scale structure. We calculate the power spectrum of the lensing potential for each estimator, and we report the value of the MV power spectrum between 100<L<2000 as our primary result. We constrain the ratio of the spectrum to a fiducial ΛCDM model to be A{sub MV} = 0.92 ± 0.14 (Stat.) ± 0.08 (Sys.). Restricting ourselves to polarized data only, we find A{sub POL} = 0.92 ± 0.24 (Stat.) ± 0.11 (Sys.). This measurement rejects the hypothesis of no lensing at 5.9σ using polarization data alone, and at 14σ using both temperature and polarization data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Measurement of the branching ratio of B ¯ 0 → D * + τ - ν ¯ τ relative to B ¯ 0 → D * + ℓ - ν ¯ ℓ decays with a semileptonic tagging method

Here, we report a measurement of the ratio R ( D * ) = B ( B ¯ 0 → D * + τ - ν ¯ τ ) / B ( B ¯ 0 → D * + ℓ - ν ¯ ℓ ) , where ℓ denotes an electron or a muon. The results are based on a data sample containing 772 × 1 0 6 B B ¯ pairs recorded at the Υ ( 4 S ) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e + e - collider. We select a sample of B 0 B ¯ 0 pairs by reconstructing both B mesons in semileptonic decays to D * ∓ ℓ ± . We measure R ( D * ) = 0.302 ± 0.030 ( stat ) ± 0.011 ( syst ) , which is within 1.6 σ of the Standard Model theoretical expectation, where the standard deviation σ includes systematic uncertainties. We use this measurement to constrain several scenarios of new physics in a model-independent technique.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Elevated aerosol layers modify the O2–O2 absorption measured by ground-based MAX-DOAS

The oxygen collisional complex (O2-O2, or O4) is a greenhouse gas, and a calibration trace gas used to infer aerosol and cloud properties by Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). Recent reports suggest the need for an O4 correction factor (CFO4) when comparing simulated and measured O4 differential slant column densities (dSCD) by passive DOAS. We investigate the sensitivity of O4 dSCD simulations at ultraviolet (360 nm) and visible (477 nm) wavelengths towards separately measured aerosol extinction profiles. Measurements were conducted by the University of Colorado 2D-MAX-DOAS instrument and NASA’s multispectral High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) during the Two Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) at Cape Cod, MA in July 2012. During two case study days with (1) high aerosol load (17 July, AOD ~ 0.35 at 477 nm), and (2) near molecular scattering conditions (22 July, AOD < 0.10 at 477 nm) the measured and calculated O4 dSCDs agreed within 6.4±0.4% (360 nm) and 4.7±0.6% (477 nm) if the HSRL-2 profiles were used as input to the calculations. However, if in the calculations the aerosol is confined to the surface layer (while keeping AOD constant) we find 0.53<CFO4<0.75, similar to previously reported CFO4. Our results suggest that elevated aerosol layers, unless accounted for, can cause negative bias in the simulated O4 dSCDs that can explain CFO4. The air density and aerosol profile aloft needs to be taken into account when interpreting the O4 from ground-based MAX-DOAS. Opportunities to identify and better characterize these layers are also discussed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Can Topology and Geometry be Measured by an Operator Measurement in Quantum Gravity?

In the context of LLM geometries, we show that superpositions of classical coherent states of trivial topology can give rise to new classical limits where the topology of spacetime has changed. We argue that this phenomenon implies that neither the topology nor the geometry of spacetime can be the result of an operator measurement. We address how to reconcile these statements with the usual semiclassical analysis of low energy effective field theory for gravity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Measurement of the Anomalous Magnetic Moment of the Muon at Fermilab

The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is one of the most precisely measured quantities in experimental particle physics. Its latest measurement at Brookhaven National Laboratory deviates from the Standard Model expectation by approximately 3.5 standard deviations. The goal of the new experiment, E989, now under construction at Fermilab, is a fourfold improvement in precision. Here in this article, we discuss the details of the future measurement and its current status.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Measurements of differential cross sections of top quark pair production in association with jets in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV using the ATLAS detector

Measurements of differential cross sections of top quark pair production in association with jets by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are presented. The measurements are performed as functions of the top quark transverse momentum, the transverse momentum of the top quark-antitop quark system and the out-of-plane transverse momentum using data from pp collisions at s√=13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb -1 . The top quark pair events are selected in the lepton (electron or muon) + jets channel. The measured cross sections, which are compared to several predictions, allow a detailed study of top quark production.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗