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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Slowing of Femtosecond Laser-Generated Nanoparticles in a Background Gas

The slowing of Pt nanoparticles in argon background gas was characterized by Rayleigh scattering imaging using a plume of nanoparticles generated by femtosecond laser through thin film ablation (fs-TTFA) of 20 nanometers-thick Pt films. The ablation was performed at threshold laser energy fluences for complete film removal to provide a well-defined plume consisting almost entirely of nanoparticles traveling with a narrow velocity distribution, providing a unique system to unambiguously characterize the slowing of nanoparticles during interaction with background gases. Nanoparticles of ~200 nm diameter were found to decelerate in background Ar gas with pressures less than 50 Torr in good agreement with a linear drag model in the Epstein regime. Based on this model, the stopping distance of small nanoparticles in the plume was predicted and tested by particle collection in an off-axis geometry, and size distribution analysis by transmission electron microscopy. These results permit a basis to interpret nanoparticle propagation through background gases in laser ablation plumes that contain mixed components.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurements of the energy spectrum of electrons emanating from solid materials irradiated by a picosecond laser

In this work, we present the results of experiments observing the properties of the electron stream generated laterally when a laser irradiates a metal. We find that the directionality of the electrons is dependent upon their energies, with the higher-energy tail of the spectrum (∼1 MeV and higher) being more narrowly focused. This behavior is likely due to the coupling of the electrons to the electric field of the laser. The experiments are performed by using the Titan laser to irradiate a metal wire, creating the electron stream of interest. These electrons propagate to nearby spectator wires of differing metals, causing them to fluoresce at their characteristic K-shell energies. This fluorescence is recorded by a crystal spectrometer. By varying the distances between the wires, we are able to probe the divergence of the electron stream, while by varying the medium through which the electrons propagate (and hence the energy-dependence of electron attenuation), we are able to probe the energy spectrum of the stream.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Extraction of inhomogeneous broadening and nonradiative losses in InAs quantum-dot lasers

We present a method to quantify inhomogeneous broadening and nonradiative losses in quantum dot lasers by comparing the gain and spontaneous emission results of a microscopic laser theory with measurements made on 1.3 μm InAs quantum-dot lasers. Calculated spontaneous-emission spectra are first matched to those measured experimentally to determine the inhomogeneous broadening in the experimental samples. This is possible because treatment of carrier scattering at the level of quantum kinetic equations provides the homogeneously broadened spectra without use of free parameters, such as the dephasing rate. Thus we then extract the nonradiative recombination current associated with the quantum-dot active region from a comparison of measured and calculated gain versus current relations.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Radiation from particles moving in small-scale magnetic fields created in solid-density laser-plasma laboratory experiments

Plasmas created by high-intensity lasers are often subject to the formation of kinetic-streaming instabilities, such as the Weibel instability, which lead to the spontaneous generation of high-amplitude, tangled magnetic fields. These fields typically exist on small spatial scales, i.e., “sub-Larmor scales.” Radiation from charged particles moving through small-scale electromagnetic (EM) turbulence has spectral characteristics distinct from both synchrotron and cyclotron radiation, and it carries valuable information on the statistical properties of the EM field structure and evolution. Consequently, this radiation from laser-produced plasmas may offer insight into the underlying electromagnetic turbulence. Here, we investigate the prospects for, and demonstrate the feasibility of, such direct radiative diagnostics for mildly relativistic, solid-density laser plasmas produced in lab experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Staging of laser-plasma accelerators

We present results of an experiment where two laser-plasma-accelerator stages are coupled at a short distance by a plasma mirror. Stable electron beams from the first stage were used to longitudinally probe the dark-current-free, quasi-linear wakefield excited by the laser of the second stage. Changing the arrival time of the electron beam with respect to the second stage laser pulse allowed reconstruction of the temporal wakefield structure, determination of the plasma density, and inference of the length of the electron beam. The first stage electron beam could be focused by an active plasma lens to a spot size smaller than the transverse wake size at the entrance of the second stage. This permitted electron beam trapping, verified by a 100 MeV energy gain.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of laser intensity on radio frequency emissions from laser induced breakdown of atmospheric air

The studies on the effect of input laser intensity, through the variation of laser focusing geometry, on radio frequency (RF) emissions, over 30–1000 MHz from nanosecond (ns) and picosecond (ps) laser induced breakdown (LIB) of atmospheric air are presented. The RF emissions from the ns and ps LIB were observed to be decreasing and increasing, respectively, when traversed from tight to loose focusing conditions. The angular and radial intensities of the RF emissions from the ns and ps LIB are found to be consistent with sin{sup 2}θ/r{sup 2} dependence of the electric dipole radiation. The normalized RF emissions were observed to vary with incident laser intensity (Iλ{sup 2}), indicating the increase in the induced dipole moment at moderate input laser intensities and the damping of radiation due to higher recombination rate of plasma at higher input laser intensities.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Flash Kα radiography of laser-driven solid sphere compression for fast ignition

Time-resolved compression of a laser-driven solid deuterated plastic sphere with a cone was measured with flash Kα x-ray radiography. A spherically converging shockwave launched by nanosecond GEKKO XII beams was used for compression while a flash of 4.51 keV Ti Kα x-ray backlighter was produced by a high-intensity, picosecond laser LFEX (Laser for Fast ignition EXperiment) near peak compression for radiography. Areal densities of the compressed core were inferred from two-dimensional backlit x-ray images recorded with a narrow-band spherical crystal imager. The maximum areal density in the experiment was estimated to be 87 ± 26 mg/cm{sup 2}. The temporal evolution of the experimental and simulated areal densities with a 2-D radiation-hydrodynamics code is in good agreement.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Measurements of laser generated soft X-ray emission from irradiated gold foils

Soft x-ray emission from laser irradiated gold foils was measured at the Omega-60 laser system using the Dante photodiode array. The foils were heated with 2 kJ, 6 ns laser pulses and foil thicknesses were varied between 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 μm. Initial Dante analysis indicates peak emission temperatures of roughly 100 eV and 80 eV for the 0.5 μm and 1.0 μm thick foils, respectively, with little measurable emission from the 2.0 μm foils.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Optical smoothing of laser imprinting in planar-target experiments on OMEGA EP using multi-FM 1-D smoothing by spectral dispersion

Direct-drive ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) requires single-beam smoothing to minimize imprinting of laser nonuniformities that can negatively affect implosion performance. One-dimensional, multi-FM smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) has been proposed to provide the required smoothing [Marozas et al., Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 55, 294 (2010)]. A prototype multi-FM SSD system has been integrated into the NIF-like beamline of the OMEGA EP Laser System. Experiments have been performed to verify the smoothing performance by measuring Rayleigh–Taylor growth rates in planar targets of laser-imprinted and preimposed surface modulations. Multi-FM 1-D SSD has been observed to reduce imprint levels by ∼50% compared to the nominal OMEGA EP SSD system. The experimental results are in agreement with 2-D DRACO simulations using realistic, time-dependent far-field spot-intensity calculations that emulate the effect of SSD.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

X-ray analysis methods for sources from self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration driven by picosecond lasers

A versatile set of methods for analyzing x-ray energy spectra and photon flux has been developed for laser plasma accelerator experiments driven by picosecond lasers. Forward fit provides extrapolated broad energy spectrum measurements, while Ross pair and differential average transmission analysis provide directly measured data points using a particular diagnostic. Combining these methods allows the measurement of x-ray energy spectra with improved confidence. We apply here the methods to three diagnostics (filter wheel, stacked image plate spectrometer, and step wedge), each sensitive to a different region of x-ray energies (<40 keV, 35–100 keV, and 60–1000 keV, respectively), to characterize the analysis methods using laser-driven bremsstrahlung x-rays. We then apply the methods to measure three x-ray mechanisms, betatron, inverse Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung, driven by a laser plasma accelerator. The analysis results in the measurement of x-ray energy spectra ranging from 10 keV to 1 MeV with peak flux greater than 10 10 photons/keV/Sr. The combined analysis methods provide a robust tool to accurately measure broadband x-ray sources (keV to MeV) driven by laser plasma acceleration with picosecond, kilojoule-class lasers.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Plume dynamics and gas-phase molecular formation in transient laser-produced uranium plasmas

The dynamics of expansion, thermodynamics, and chemical reactions in laser-produced plasmas is of general interest for all laser ablation applications. This study investigates the complex morphology and behavior of reactive species in nanosecond laser-produced uranium plasmas. Comparing plasma morphology in various inert and reactive ambient gases provides information about the role of gas-phase chemistry in plume hydrodynamics. Background gases including nitrogen and argon foster collisional interactions leading to more significant plume confinement and the increase in persistence of uranium species. On the other hand, environments containing reactive gases such as oxygen promote chemical reactions between the plasma and ambient species. By comparing the expansion dynamics of uranium plumes in nitrogen, air, and argon, we discover that chemical reactions modify the hydrodynamics of the plume at later times of its evolution in the air background. Furthermore, we observe that varying the concentration of oxygen in the fill gas promotes different reaction pathways that lead to the formation of uranium oxides. The reaction pathways from atoms to diatomic to polyatomic molecules strongly vary with ambient oxygen concentration. Lower oxygen concentrations enhance the formation of uranium monoxide from atomic uranium, whereas higher oxygen concentrations tend to depopulate both atomic uranium and uranium monoxide concentrations through the formation of more complex uranium oxides.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterizing laser preheat for laser-driven magnetized liner inertial fusion using soft x-ray emission

Laser heating of a gas in a cylindrical liner held in by a thin foil window is a critical process in the MagLIF (magnetized liner inertial fusion) concept. Window burn-through and gas heating for OMEGA scale MagLIF cylinders as a function of time have been determined using spectrally integrated soft x-ray diagnostics. Window laser absorption is classified in terms of the emitted x-rays from the window plasma as a function of laser energy, and shows that laser energy absorbed is weakly dependent on incident intensity. Radiation-hydrodynamic simulations overestimate the amount of laser energy absorbed by the window as evidenced by the increase in x-ray radiation across several photon energy bands compared to experiments. Gas temperatures inferred from soft x-ray emission from the front 1 mm of the liner are shown to evolve in time in a similar manner to simulation predictions. In conclusion, soft x-ray emission from the gas within the region of the liner that is normally imploded is shown to meet the 100 eV requirements set by the initial point design for laser-driven MagLIF.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

The influence of laser power modulation on melt pool dynamics in laser powder bed fusion

While the majority of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing uses a continuous wave (CW) laser heat source, some commercial applications of LPBF additive manufacturing instead involve the modulation of the laser power on tens-of-microsecond timescales as an adjustable process variable. This article reports the use of in situ, high speed x-ray and optical imaging to probe melt pool fluid flow, defect formation, and nearby powder motion during LPBF with both modulated and CW laser heat sources. We observe melt pool dynamics unique to modulated laser melting even at very high duty cycles that are related to fluctuations in vapor depression depth, complex pore formation mechanisms, and changes to denudation physics when compared to CW melting. These behaviors are present in Ti–6Al–4V, 316L stainless steel, and AL1100 alloys but vary slightly as a function of material, indicating a substantial dependence on the viscosity and surface tension of the liquid metal. While high duty cycles produce weld tracks of comparable quality to CW melting, lower duty cycles introduce substantial defect concentrations. At intermediate duty cycles, careful control of modulation parameters can repeatably and precisely yield one pore per laser pulse, suggesting a method for intentionally inserting engineered porosity at specific sites during an LPBF build.

3D printing↗
DOE OSTI2019

Pulsed laser module based on a high-power semiconductor laser for the spectral range 1500 – 1600 nm

A laser source for bleaching passive Q-switches of erbium-ytterbium lasers is developed and studied. The developed and studied compact pulsed module (peak power exceeding 10 W in a pulse with a duration of 1 μs at a wavelength around 1550 nm) is made on the basis of a semiconductor lasers with an ultra-narrow waveguide integrated with a pulsed pump card. To optimise the output laser characteristics, a series resistance was used in the laser pump circuit. The powers of the free-space and fibre-coupled modules at a temperature of 25 °C are 15 and 12 W, respectively, at a pulse shape close to rectangular. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Laser scattering by submicron droplets formed during the electrical explosion of thin metal wires

Abstract This paper presents the results of studying dispersed media formation during the electrical explosion of thin metal wires in vacuum by using low-current generators (~1–10 kA). Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the composition and structure of the corresponding explosion products as well as to the problem of their visualization using simultaneous laser interferometry and shadow imaging at two wavelengths (1.064 µ m and 0.532 µ m). Our findings indicate the important role in the visualization of the explosion products that belongs to multiple scattering by submicron droplets of dense condensed matter, which are mixed with metal vapor. The hypothesis on the existence of submicron droplets in the products of exploding metal wires correlates with the results obtained by soft x-ray radiography combined with a laser probing technique. Taking into account the multiple scattering by submicron droplets, it is possible to significantly clarify the parameters of the explosion products visualized via laser probing techniques as well as to gain a deeper insight into the physics behind the electrical wire explosion.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Relativistic flying laser focus by a laser-produced parabolic plasma mirror

Here, the question of electromagnetic field intensification towards the values typical for strong field quantum electrodynamics is of fundamental importance. One of the most promising intensification schemes is based on the relativistic-flying mirror concept, which shows that the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the mirror will be frequency upshifted by a factor of 4γ 2 (γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror). In laser-plasma interactions, such a mirror travels with relativistic velocities through plasma and typically has a parabolic form, which is advantageous for light intensification. Thus, a relativistic-flying parabolic mirror reflects the counterpropagating radiation in the form of a focused and flying electromagnetic wave with a high frequency. The relativistic-flying motion of the laser focus makes the electric and magnetic field distributions of the focus complicated, and the mathematical expressions describing the field distributions of the focus become of fundamental interest. We present analytical expressions describing the field distribution formed by an ideal flying mirror which has a perfect reflectance over the entire surface and wavelength range. The peak field strength of an incident laser pulse with a center wavelength of λ 0 and an effective beam radius of w e is enhanced by a factor proportional to γ 3 (w e /λ 0 ) in the relativistic limit. Electron-positron pair production is investigated in the context of invariant fields based on the enhanced electromagnetic field. The pair production rate under the relativistic-flying laser focus is modified by the Lorentz γ-factor and the beam radius-wavelength ratio (w e /λ 0 ). We show that the electron-positron pairs can be created by colliding two counterpropagating relativistic-flying laser focuses in vacuum, each of which is formed when a 180 TW laser pulse is reflected by a relativistic-flying parabolic mirror with γ=12.2.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2014

In-Flight Performance of the Mercury Laser Altimeter Laser Transmitter

The Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) is one of the payload instruments on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, which was launched on August 3, 2004. MLA maps Mercury's shape and topographic landforms and other surface characteristics using a diode-pumped solid-state laser transmitter and a silicon avalanche photodiode receiver that measures the round-trip time of individual laser pulses. The laser transmitter has been operating nominally during planetary flyby measurements and in orbit about Mercury since March 2011. In this paper, we review the MLA laser transmitter telemetry data and evaluate the performance of solid-state lasers under extended operation in a space environment.

altimeter↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Independent Reliability Assessment of the Laser Transmitter for the ESA-NASA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Program

As part of the laser development process, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) requested support from the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to independently assess the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the LISA Laser System (LS). The independent assessment included the following tasks: (a) assess the design for weaknesses and suggest improvements to mitigate risks, (b) assess the laser reliability plan for weaknesses and suggest improvements to mitigate risks and improve effectiveness, and (c) assess the current redundancy plan on laser subsystems for weaknesses and suggest improvements to mitigate risks and improve effectiveness. The presentation will focus on the assessment findings and the current development progress of the LISA laser to meet the mission requirements with a delivery of a form, fit, and functional TRL6 laser to the LISA mission by late 2023.

Laser Interferometry↗