Electricity and water systems in the Western US (WUS) are closely connected, with hydropower comprising 20% of total annual WUS generation, and electricity related to water comprising about 7% of total WUS electricity use. Because of these interdependencies, the threat of climate change to WUS resources will likely have compounding electricity impacts on the Western Interconnect grid. This study describes a WUS-wide water system model with a particular emphasis on estimating climate impacts on hydropower generation and water-related electricity use, which can be linked with a grid expansion model to support climate-resilient electricity planning. The water system model combines climatically-driven physical hydrology and management of both water supply and demand allocation, and is applied to an ensemble of 15 climate scenarios out to 2050. Model results show decreasing streamflow in key basins of the WUS under most scenarios. Annual water-related electricity use increases up to 4%, and by up to 6% during the summer months, driven by growing agricultural demands met increasingly through a shift toward energy-intensive groundwater to replace declining surface water. Total annual hydropower generation changes by +5% to −20% by mid-century but declines in most scenarios, with decreases in summer generation by up to nearly −30%. Water-related electricity use increases tend to coincide with hydropower generation declines, annually and seasonally, demonstrating the importance of concurrently evaluating the climate signal on both water-for-energy and energy-for-water to inform planning for grid reliability and decarbonization goals.

The cross-shell excited states of Si34 have been investigated via β decays of the 4- ground state and the 1+ isomeric state of Al34. Since the valence protons and valence neutrons occupy different major shells in the ground state as well as the intruder 1+ isomeric state of Al34, intruder levels of Si34 are populated via allowed β decays. Spin assignments to such intruder levels of Si34 were established through γ-γ angular correlation analysis for the negative-parity states with dominant configurations (νd3/2)-1⊗ - (νf7/2)1 as well as the positive-parity states with dominant configurations (νsd)-2⊗ - (νf7/2p3/2)2. The configurations of such intruder states play crucial roles in our understanding of the N=20 shell gap evolution. A configuration interaction model derived from the FSU Hamiltonian was utilized in order to interpret the intruder states in Si34. Shell model interaction derived from a more fundamental theory with the valence space in medium similarity renormalization group method was also employed to interpret the structure of Si34.

Background: Detailed spectroscopy of neutron-rich, heavy, deformed nuclei is of broad interest for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. Nuclei in the r-process path and following freeze-out region impact the resulting r-process abundance distribution, and the structure of nuclei midshell in both proton and neutron number helps to understand the evolution of subshell gaps and large deformation in these nuclei. Purpose: We aim to improve the understanding of the nuclear structure of Gd160, specifically the Kπ=4+ bands, as well as study the β decay of Eu160 into Gd160. Methods: High-statistics decay spectroscopy of Gd160 resulting from the β-decay of Eu160 was collected using the GRIFFIN spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. Results: Two new excited states and ten new transitions were observed in Gd160. The β-decaying half-lives of the low- and high-spin isomers in Eu160 were determined, and the low-spin state's half-life was measured to be t1/2=26.0(8) s, ≈16% shorter than previous measurements. Lifetimes of the two Kπ=4+ bandheads in Gd160 were measured for the first time, as well as γ-γ angular correlations and mixing ratios of intense transitions out of those bandheads. Conclusions: Lifetimes and mixing ratios suggest that the hexadecapole phonon model of the Kπ=4+ bandheads in Gd160 is preferred over a simple two-state strong mixing scenario, although further theoretical calculations are needed to fully understand these states. Additionally, the 1999.0-keV state in Gd160 heavily populated in β decay is shown to have positive parity, which raises questions regarding the structure of the high-spin β-decaying state in Eu160.

The excited states of N=44 ^{74}Zn were investigated via γ-ray spectroscopy following ^{74}Cu β decay. By exploiting γ-γ angular correlation analysis, the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, 0_{2}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states in ^{74}Zn were firmly established. The γ-ray branching and E2/M1 mixing ratios for transitions deexciting the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative B(E2) values. In particular, the 2_{3}^{+}→0_{2}^{+} and 2_{3}^{+}→4_{1}^{+} transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the N=40 gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize ^{74}Zn in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited K=0 band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the N=40 "island of inversion" appears to manifest above Z=26, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.

This paper presents the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), a novel intensive therapy mechanical ventilator designed for rapid, large-scale, low-cost production for the COVID-19 pandemic. Free of moving mechanical parts and requiring only a source of compressed oxygen and medical air to operate, the MVM is designed to support the long-term invasive ventilation often required for COVID-19 patients and operates in pressure-regulated ventilation modes, which minimize the risk of furthering lung trauma. The MVM was extensively tested against ISO standards in the laboratory using a breathing simulator, with good agreement between input and measured breathing parameters and performing correctly in response to fault conditions and stability tests. The MVM has obtained Emergency Use Authorization by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Canada Medical Device Authorization for Importation or Sale, under Interim Order for Use in Relation to COVID-19. Following these certifications, mass production is ongoing and distribution is under way in several countries. The MVM was designed, tested, prepared for certification, and mass produced in the space of a few months by a unique collaboration of respiratory healthcare professionals and experimental physicists, working with industrial partners, and is an excellent ventilator candidate for this pandemic anywhere in the world.