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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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Vacuum ultraviolet excitation of CO 2 clusters and concomitant energy transfer to naphthalene leads to ionization which provides an understanding of excited state chemistry relevant to astrochemistry.
In analyzing charged particle spectra in space due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE), the conversion of particle energy spectra into linear energy transfer (LET) distributions is a convenient guide in assessing biologically significant components of these spectra. The mapping of LET to energy is triple valued and can be defined only on open energy subintervals where the derivative of LET with respect to energy is not zero. Presented here is a well-defined numerical procedure which allows for the generation of LET spectra on the open energy subintervals that are integrable in spite of their singular nature. The efficiency and accuracy of the numerical procedures is demonstrated by providing examples of computed differential and integral LET spectra and their equilibrium components for historically large SPEs and 1977 solar minimum GCR environments. Due to the biological significance of tissue, all simulations are done with tissue as the target material.
We proposed a novel tool—a dose linear energy transfer (LET)-volume histogram (DLVH)—and performed an exploratory study to investigate rectal bleeding in prostate cancer treated with intensity modulated proton therapy.
Energy transfer in reacting flow of pyrolysis products through char layer of nylon-phenolic resin charring ablator
Using an IR-pump/UV-probe method in a flow discharge cell, vibrational energy transfer in OH X 2Pi(i) has been studied. OH is prepared in v = 2 by overtone excitation, and the time evolution of population in v = 2 and 1 monitored by laser-induced fluorescence. Rate constants for vibrational relaxation by the colliders H2O, NH3, CO2, and CH4 were measured. Ratios of rate constants for removal from the two states, k2/k1, range from two to five.
The compression of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets is strongly impacted by cross-beam energy transfer (CBET), a laser-plasma instability that limits ablation pressure by redirecting laser energy outward and that is projected to be mitigated by laser bandwidth. Here, we explore various CBET mitigation constraints to guide the design of future ICF facilities. First, we find that the flat, Gaussian, and Lorentzian spectral shapes have similar CBET mitigation properties, and a flat shape with nine spectral lines is a good surrogate for what can be obtained with other spectral shapes. Then, we conduct a comprehensive study across energy scales and ignition designs. 3D hydrodynamic simulations are used to derive an analytical model for the expected CBET mitigation as a function of laser and plasma parameters. From this model, we study the bandwidth requirements of conventional and shock ignition designs across four different energy scales and find that they require between 0.5 and 3±0.2% relative bandwidth. Further, best mitigation is achieved when the beam radius over critical radius R b /R c is kept low during the drive while the plasma temperature is kept high. In a steady state, we find that the bandwidth required to mitigate 85% of CBET scales as (R b /R c ) 2.15 L n –0.58 I 0.7 , where L n is the density scale length, and I the laser intensity. Finally, we find that the chamber beam port layout does not influence CBET mitigation. In the case of a driver using many monochromatic beamlets, we find that ~10 beamlets per port is required, with diminishing returns above ~20.
Energy transfer in pyrolysis product flow through char layer of nylon phenolic resin ablator
The unintentional mispositioning of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules from the center of laser beam convergence has long been shown in simulations to generate large ℓ = 1 asymmetry and significantly degrade implosion symmetry and fusion yields. Experimental yields on the OMEGA Laser System, however, have shown much less sensitivity to this initial target offset. This paper presents simulations of offset ICF implosions improved by including a physics model of cross-beam energy transfer (CBET), a mechanism of laser energy scattering from one beam to another. Room-temperature OMEGA implosion experiments with prescribed target offsets are simulated with and without CBET, illustrating that CBET mitigates the ℓ = 1 implosion asymmetry from target offset. Here, comparison of simulations to multiple complementary experimental observables indicates the addition of CBET physics in offset simulations is necessary to match experimental results.
The unintentional mispositioning of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules from the center of laser beam convergence has long been shown in simulations to generate large ℓ = 1 asymmetry and significantly degrade implosion symmetry and fusion yields. Experimental yields on the OMEGA Laser System, however, have shown much less sensitivity to this initial target offset. This paper presents simulations of offset ICF implosions improved by including a physics model of cross-beam energy transfer (CBET), a mechanism of laser energy scattering from one beam to another. Room-temperature OMEGA implosion experiments with prescribed target offsets are simulated with and without CBET, illustrating that CBET mitigates the ℓ = 1 implosion asymmetry from target offset. Comparison of simulations to multiple complementary experimental observables indicates the addition of CBET physics in offset simulations is necessary to match experimental results.
Several high-temperature superconducting (HTS) model magnets for particle accelerators were designed and successfully tested at Fermilab. Some worked in a persistent current mode by continuously generating magnetic fields in the iron-dominated magnet gap. This paper investigated a novel HTS dipole magnet concept with a mechanical energy transfer in the magnetic field. To pump the energy in the superconducting HTS dipole magnet, a detachable magnetizer was used. The HTS dipole magnet was built and successfully tested at a liquid nitrogen temperature. We discuss the magnet design, test results, the proposed approach limits, and efficiency.
Low-dimensional 0D/2D hybrid structures have sparked interest in interfacial carrier dynamics, like charge and energy transfer. They offer potential for electronic and optoelectronic devices such as transistors and photodetectors.
Laser-photolysis-laser-induced-fluorescence methods are used to characterize the collisional energy transfer between CN (A 2Pi(i) and (X 2Sigma(+)) states and to measure radiative lifetimes of the (A 2Pi(i)) v-prime = 2-7 vibrational levels. In addition, use of the A 2Pi(i) - X 2Sigma(+) system for the laser-induced-fluorescence determination of (X 2Sig(+)) populations is demonstrated and discussed.
A targeting scheme is presented to build trajectories from a specified Earth parking orbit to a specified low lunar orbit via a low-energy transfer and up to two maneuvers. The total transfer delta V (velocity) is characterized as a function of the Earth parking orbit inclination and the departure date for transfers to each given low lunar orbit. The transfer delta V (velocity) cost is characterized for transfers constructed to low lunar polar orbits with any longitude of ascending node and for transfers that arrive at the Moon at any given time during a month.
Intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) could yield high linear energy transfer (LET) in critical structures and increased biological effect. For head and neck cancers at the skull base this could potentially result in radiation-associated brain image change (RAIC). The purpose of the current study was to investigate voxel-wise dose and LET correlations with RAIC after IMPT.
General analyses implemented in FORTRAN IV for studying the energy transfer in the combined decomposition/char zone of a charring ablator are described.
The state-resolved rotational (R-R, R-T) energy transfer in (N-14)H3 (for NH3-NH3 and NH3-Ar collisions) was studied using an IR double-resonance laser spectroscopic technique. Measurements of both the total rate of depopulation by collisions, and the rates of transfer into specific final rovibrational states (v,J,K) were performed using time-resolved tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. A kinetic master-equation analysis of time-resolved level populatons was carried out, yielding state-to-state rate constants and propensity rules for NH3-NH3 and NH3-Ar collisions.
In direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, target offset from the target chamber center (or center of beam convergence) may lead to significant implosion asymmetry and fusion yield degradation. In addition, cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) has been shown to be a significant source of laser energy scattering and leads to a reduction in implosion velocity and yield. To improve energy coupling and implosion performance, several techniques for CBET mitigation have been proposed. Recent simulations, however, have shown that CBET also substantially mitigates the effect of target offset on implosion asymmetry and yield [Anderson et al., Phys. Plasmas 27, 112713 (2020)]. Furthermore, the inclusion of CBET models in radiation-hydrodynamics codes was shown to greatly improve agreement between simulations and experiments involving substantial target offset distances. This paper explores the intensity dependence of this CBET–offset effect. In addition, it is shown that enhanced sensitivity to target offset can be expected when CBET-mitigation techniques are used in direct-drive implosions. This is shown through simulations of two such CBET-mitigation techniques on the OMEGA laser: (1) decreased beam-to-target radius, and (2) beam-to-beam frequency detuning. For the typical target offset distances (<15 μm) observed in experiments on OMEGA, however, overall yield is still anticipated to be substantially higher when CBET-mitigation techniques are employed.
Magnetospherically attenuated, orbit integrated, surface incident cosmic ray fluxes of galactic origin were determined for the COBE mission. All heavy ions up to Nickel (z=28) were considered in this, evaluation. In order to provide worst case approximations, estimates were based on solar minimum conditions. Transport and material shielding calculations were then performed for these vehicle encountered particles, for a simple spherical 3-D aluminum geometry, and the materially attenuated cosmic ray distributions emerging behind selected shield thicknesses were obtained. Finally, Linear-Energy-Transfer (LET) spectra were evaluated for the energy spectra of each ion specie and these were, in turn, integrated into the sum-total LET distribution contained in this report. The results are presented in tabular and graphical form for eight (8) different shield thicknesses from.01 to 10.0 gm/cm2 of aluminum. They show most conclusively, and not unexpectedly, that material shielding has virtually no 'effect on the final LET spectrum, at least not for aluminum shields. This was predictable. Please note that in the LET graphs, two curves were plotted. Of these, please ignore the one labeled "grazing" and use only the one labeled "normal". Again, it should be remembered that the end results contain contributions from all elements up to Nickel (z=28).