Award Data

Aerosol particles affect the radiative balance of the earth directly, by scattering and absorbing solar and terrestrial radiation, and indirectly, by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. It is now recognized that the atmospheric loading of aerosols can exert an influence on the earths radiation budget comparable in magnitude with greenhouse gases. However, the uncertainti ...

Atmospheric nucleation processes produce large numbers of particles. Once formed, these particles grow rapidly and may alter the formation and lifetime of clouds, and thereby influence the earths radiation balance. Rapid growth of newly formed particles has been observed in many locations, but it is not known what chemical constituents contribute to this growth. While mobility-selection mass comb ...

Superconducting radiofrequency accelerators require a critical component that connects the radiofrequency power supply (which is warm) to the accelerator cavity (which is very cold). This coupler component must be insulating on the outside to block heat from going into the cold region. It must also be highly conducting on the inside to minimize radiofrequency power losses. No manufacturer has been ...

Transformative new user facilities are currently in the planning stages at DoE. These facilities will use a LINAC to accelerate electrons upwards of 2.5GeV to produce free-electron lasers (FELs) output. Afterwards roughly a 750kW electron beam has to be stopped. This amount of power has been conventionally stopped using water baths. Dissipating this amount of energy in water introduces a mobile ra ...

Lowmass, ultrastable particle tracking detectors will be critical elements of upgrades to experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) and at potential future electronpositron colliders. Mass assigned to support structures, although critical in function, compromises detection through production of secondary particles that interferes with particle tracking. This SBIR focuses on lowering the mass ...

Implementations of large scale ECH systems such as required for ITER have experienced issues with variability in gyrotron performance due to deficiencies in the mechanical alignment between key gyrotron components. High precision electron gun technology will produce high quality electron beams and increase gyrotron interaction efficiency. Reproducibility between multiple gyrotron sources in a plas ...

Assuring the longterm, safe storage of CO2 requires the development of effective monitoring strategies that have minimal environmental impact. Models show measuring the resistivity contrast between injected CO2 and the host reservoir offers a means to image directly CO2 volume and saturation in situ, with the highest accuracy, while producing no noise or other emissions that impact humans. However ...

Residential and commercial buildings represent a prime opportunity to improve energy efficiency and sustainability worldwide. Currently, lighting and thermal management within buildings account for 20% of the United States yearly energy consumption. The objective of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 project is to develop a low-cost, near-infrared (NIR) selective, plasmonic smart insu ...

Due to their extensive use as industrial solvents and metal degreasers, chlorinated organic solvents including trichloroethylene have become persistent contaminants in groundwater and soil at DOE sites and elsewhere. Acute exposures to trichloroethylene can impair the central nervous system, while long-term exposures can induce hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. Despite advances to ...

The DOE Sunshot initiative aims at reducing the installed cost of solar energy systems by about 75% and predicts that this will drive widespread, large-scale adoption of this renewable energy technology and restore U.S. leadership in the global clean energy race. Conventional solar technologies are also limited in their form factor, weight, flexibility, color- tunability, and transparency, which h ...