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Results for “effective diffusivity coefficient”

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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Response of an interactive two-dimensional model to ozone changes - An estimate of the radiative dynamical feedback effect

The response of the interactive two-dimensional stratospheric model described by Schneider et al. (1989) to an increased chemical removal of ozone and the sensitivity of the calculated assessments to the choice of eddy diffusion coefficients are investigated using a simplified ozone chemistry model. It was found that the radiative dynamical feedback in the model leads to ozone losses at high altitudes to be about one third smaller than predicted by a model with fixed temperature and circulation. The radiative feedback has a smaller effect on ozone (losses decrease by about one sixth) in the lower stratosphere. Predicted ozone losses increase with decreasing dissipation and eddy diffusion in the lower stratosphere.

Schneider, Hans R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Local magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and the wave-driven dynamo in accretion disks

We consider the consequences of magnetic buoyancy and the magnetic shearing instability (MSI) on the strength and organization of the magnetic field in a thin accretion disk. We discuss a model in which the wave-driven dynamo growth rate is balanced by the dissipative effects of the MSI. As in earlier work, the net helicity is due to small advective motions driven by nonlinear interactions between internal waves. Assuming a simple model of the internal wave spectrum generated from the primary m = 1 internal waves, we find that the magnetic energy density saturates at about (H/r) exp 4/3 times the local pressure (where H is the disk thickness and r is its radius). On very small scales the shearing instability will produce an isotropic fluctuating field. For a stationary disk this is equivalent to a dimensionless 'viscosity' of about (H/r) exp 4/3. The vertical and radial diffusion coefficients will be comparable to each other. Magnetic buoyancy will be largely suppressed by the turbulence due to the MSI. We present a rough estimate of its effects and find that it removes magnetic flux from the disk at a rate comparable to that caused by turbulent diffusion.

Vishniac, Ethan T.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays. 3: Implications of the Compton-Getting coefficient

Spectra of modulated galactic cosmic rays are expressed in terms of the Compton-Getting coefficient C. This parameter can reveal the energy range over which the force field approximation is valid, and the range where convection effects dominate those of diffusion. A value of C near zero over an extended low energy range implies that the radial gradient at low energies can not be large. This small gradient may imply that the diffusion coefficient increases beyond 1 AU less rapidly than proportionally to heliocentric radial distance, and/or there is essentially no scattering for a sizeable distance from the Sun to earth. The behavior of C with rigidity (or energy) is discussed in terms of the omnidirectional distribution function f sub zero. Contours of constant f sub zero in the heliocentric distance vs rigidity plane are useful for illustrating the mean rigidity loss experienced by cosmic rays in the interplanetary medium.

Fisk, L. A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Defect-mediated diffusion of implanted Mg in GaN: Suppressing dopant redistribution by sequential thermal and microwave annealing

The diffusion behavior of Mg in Mg/N co-implanted GaN is investigated in response to a set of annealing conditions and methodologies, namely, 1000 °C/30 min thermal anneal, by high-temperature pulsed gyrotron microwave annealing at 1420 or 1500 °C, or by thermal and microwave annealing, sequentially. After 1000 °C annealing, the diffusion of Mg in GaN is found to be negligible, as measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Annealing by gyrotron microwave annealing alone induces the diffusion of Mg at a rate on the order of 10 −12 cm 2 /s. However, the use of a thermal anneal before microwave gyrotron annealing reduces this rate by an order of magnitude to 10 −13 cm 2 /s. We find that a model that considers Mg diffusion from an inhomogeneous medium that contains a defect-rich implanted region near-surface to a relatively pristine region below the implant range better explains the observed diffusion behavior than a conventional model that assumes a homogeneous medium. By analyzing the diffusion behavior using the Boltzmann–Matano method, we present a discussion of reduction in [V Ga ] by thermal annealing at 1000 °C, leading to a suppressed diffusion coefficient during subsequent high-temperature annealing relative to diffusion after 1420/1500 °C annealing alone. This effect holds potential for improvement in the precision of selectively doped regions for future applications based on the (Al)GaN material system. An improved field profile control in real devices can increase the breakdown and current-handling capabilities in power electronic applications.

Meyers, V.↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the inference of properties of Saturn's Ring E from energetic charged particle observations

The paper demonstrates that information about Saturn's Ring E particle size is potentially obtainable from observations of Saturnian trapped radiation. It is shown that observations of the radial dependence of the intensities, energy spectra, electron-to-proton intensity ratio, and pitch angle distributions of energetic charged particles trapped outside of Ring A can potentially provide information (1) on the existence of Ring E, (2) on the effective size of the particulate matter therein, and (3) on the magnitude of the radial diffusion coefficient for energetic particles. A parametric study of these possibilities is specialized to the characteristics of the University of Iowa detectors on Pioneer 11 which was scheduled to make a close encounter with Saturn in 1979.

Thomsen, M. F.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Runaway electron deconfinement in SPARC and DIII-D by a passive 3D coil

The operation of a 3D coil—passively driven by the current quench (CQ) loop voltage—for the deconfinement of runaway electrons (REs) is modeled for disruption scenarios in the SPARC and DIII-D tokamaks. Nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling is carried out with the NIMROD code including time-dependent magnetic field boundary conditions to simulate the effect of the coil. Further modeling in some cases uses the ASCOT5 code to calculate advection and diffusion coefficients for REs based on the NIMROD-calculated fields, and the DREAM code to compute the runaway evolution in the presence of these transport coefficients. Compared with similar modeling in Tinguely et al (2021 Nucl. Fusion 61 124003), considerably more conservative assumptions are made with the ASCOT5 results, zeroing low levels of transport, particularly in regions in which closed flux surfaces have reformed. Of three coil geometries considered in SPARC, only the n = 1 coil is found to have sufficient resonant components to suppress the runaway current growth. Without the new conservative transport assumptions, full suppression of the RE current is maintained when the thermal quench MHD is included in the simulation or when the RE current is limited to 250kA, but when transport in closed flux regions is fully suppressed, these scenarios allow RE beams on the order of 1–2 MA to appear. Additional modeling is performed to consider the effects of the close ideal wall. In DIII-D, the CQ is modeled for both limited and diverted equilibrium shapes. In the limited shape, the onset of stochasticity is found to be insensitive to the coil current amplitude and governed largely by the evolution of the safety-factor profile. In both devices, prediction of the q-profile evolution is seen to be critical to predicting the later time effects of the coil.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1986

Medium-energy electrons and heavy ions in Jupiter's magnetosphere - Effects of lower hybrid wave-particle interactions

A theory of medium-energy (about keV) electrons and heavy ions in Jupiter's magnetosphere is presented. Lower hybrid waves are generated by the combined effects of a ring instability of neutral wind pickup ions and the modified two-stream instability associated with transport of cool Iogenic plasma. The quasi-linear energy diffusion coefficient for lower hybrid wave-particle interactions is evaluated, and several solutions to the diffusion equation are given. Calculations based on measured wave properties show that the noise substantially modifies the particle distribution functions. The effects are to accelerate superthermal ions and electrons to keV energies and to thermalize the pickup ions on time scales comparable to the particle residence time. The S(2+)/S(+) ratio at medium energies is a measure of the relative contribution from Iogenic thermal plasma and neutral wind ions, and this important quantity should be determined from future measurements. The theory also predicts a preferential acceleration of heavy ions with an accleration time that scales inversely with the root of the ion mass. Electrons accelerated by the process contribute to further reionization of the neutral wind by electron impact, thus providing a possible confirmation of Alfven's critical velocity effect in the Jovian magnetosphere.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A diffusion–deformation model with damage for polymer undergoing rapid decompression failure

Green hydrogen is emerging as one of the most promising alternatives to replace fossil fuels. While hydrogen gas has a good energy density by weight, its poor energy density by volume requires it to be stored under high pressure for commercial use. The hydrogen infrastructure developed to handle this high pressure hydrogen contains multiple components made of polymers as sealing agents. Although polymers do not react chemically with hydrogen gas, they undergo a mechanical failure when high pressure hydrogen gas is suddenly depressurized. This phenomenon known as 'rapid decompression failure' occurs due to the diffusion of hydrogen through polymer and getting trapped inside pre-existing cavities or voids. Here, in this paper, a continuum mechanics-based coupled diffusion-deformation-damage model was developed to predict the hydrogen distribution, stress distribution, and damage propagation inside the polymer while it undergoes rapid decompression failure. The polymer was modeled as a hyperelastic material because it represents the nonlinear material response observed in uniaxial tensile tests perfectly. The effects of hydrogen diffusivity, pre-existing cavity size, cavity location, applied hydrogen pressure, and depressurization rate on damage initiation were studied. It was found that the coefficient of diffusion plays an important role in damage initiation and damage was mostly concentrated in the inside areas rather than near the surface. Experiments were conducted with EPDM polymer which agreed well with the predicted trends using the given model. The effect of adding carbon black and silica filler particles and plasticizer to the pure EPDM polymer was also studied. It was found that damage during RDF decreases with the addition of fillers, but increases with the addition of the plasticizer. Finally, the damage evolution in the presence of two cavities was also studied, and was found that the interaction of stress fields around the cavities alters the damage occurring during RDF.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

The impact of nanoparticle softness on its tracer diffusion coefficient in all polymer nanocomposites

The diffusion of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix is an area of current interest. However, a complete understanding is still limited as it is often difficult to quantify the much slower motion of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix. To combat this problem, we have developed a protocol to measure the diffusion coefficient of soft nanoparticles in a linear polymer matrix. Recently developed synthetic control over soft nanoparticle structures combined with this protocol provides a pathway to separately elucidate the effects of the molecular weight and nanoparticle softness on its diffusive behavior. These results indicate that the nanoparticle softness and deformability dictate its motion. Increasing the cross-linking density of the nanoparticle for all molecular weights increases its hardness and suppresses its motion in the linear matrix. Additionally, the nanoparticle molecular weight dependence deviates from the exponential dependence for star polymers suggesting that these nanoparticles benefit from the cooperative motion of the matrix to open pathways for the nanoparticle. Finally, comparison of these experimentally determined values to the Stokes–Einstein theory demonstrates that the nanoparticles diffuse much slower than a hard sphere. This is interpreted to indicate that there exist additional interactions between the nanoparticle and polymer matrix that are not captured by Stokes–Einstein, including threading or entanglement of the linear chain with the nanoparticle.

Rostom, Sahar↗
DOE OSTI2023

Study of Tritium Diffusivity in Pure and Sn-Defective Zr: A First-Principles Density Functional Theory Approach

Zirconium alloys (e.g., zircaloy-4) are used as tritium ( 3 H) getter materials in tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) owing to their ability to capture 3 H and chemically convert them into metal hydrides. Understanding of 3 H diffusion mechanisms in zircaloy is crucial for the optimal design of material performance in nuclear technology. Here, for this work, we perform first-principles density functional theory calculations to study the 3 H diffusion mechanism in pure and impure Zr with a low concentration of tin (Sn) atoms to determine the impact of the presence of Sn on the movement of 3 H atoms through the material. First, we calculated the diffusion barriers for 3 H in pure Zr by taking different migration pathways. We then introduced a low concentration of Sn impurity and systematically explored the impurity effect on the diffusion barriers for 3 H. Using our calculated diffusion energy barriers, we further obtained the diffusion coefficients and analyzed the results by comparing them with the experimental and previously calculated values. A diffusion coefficient of the order of 10 –8 m 2 /s is predicted. We also found that the presence of a Sn impurity could reduce the diffusivity up to 4 orders of magnitude. In conclusion, our results could serve as guidelines for further experimental investigations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1971

Dynamic upper atmospheric force model on stabilized vehicles for a high-precision trajectory computer program

The upper atmosphere model draws heavily on the behavior of the earth's upper atmosphere which exhibits cyclic as well as irregular variations in density profile, temperature, pressure, and composition in unison with solar activities as deduced from the more recent land-based and satellite observations. The lift and drag model is designed specifically for inertially stabilized vehicles of the Mariner class, with possible extension to gravity gradient stabilized vehicles of the GEOS class. The model considers operation in the free molecular flow regimes with large Knudsen numbers. The vehicle is considered a composite structure with basic components having well-defined shapes, each with its own surface characteristics in terms of temperature, reflectivity, and accommodation of free stream molecules. The model takes into account both the calculation of precise aerodynamic force coefficients in terms of expansion of modified Bessel functions in speed ratios and angle of attack, and approximate force coefficients when the speed ratios approach infinity. Other considerations include specular and diffused reflectivity, shielding, and shadow effects.

Khatib, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A quantitative assessment of the role of the post-shock turbulent region in the formation of Forbush decreases

We present results of a survey of the relation between Forbush decreases, magnetic clouds, and interplanetary shocks during the period August 1978 to November 1982. We have used data from the ISEE-3 study of bidirectional ions associated with magnetic structures or clouds of Marsden et al. (1987), and ground-based observations of Forbush decreases from several neutron monitors. We use the two-step model of a Forbush decrease. We assume that the first step is due to the passage of the postshock turbulent region, and that the second is due to the passage of the magnetic cloud or structure which usually follows the postshock turbulent region. To determine the effectiveness of the postshock turbulent region in causing a Forbush decrease, we have evaluated the radial diffusion coefficient of the postshock turbulent region for the eight largest events during the above period using observations of the magnetic field. We have made a quantitative assessment of the relative importance of the postshock turbulent region in the formation of the Forbush decrease, concluding that the postshock turbulent region alone is not sufficient to cause a Forbush decrease.

Sanderson, T. R.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Effect of EMIC Wave Normal Angle Distribution on Relativistic Electron Scattering in Outer RB

We present the equatorial and bounce average pitch angle diffusion coefficients for scattering of relativistic electrons by the H+ mode of EMIC waves. Both the model (prescribed) and self consistent distributions over the wave normal angle are considered. The main results of our calculation can be summarized as follows: First, in comparison with field aligned waves, the intermediate and highly oblique waves reduce the pitch angle range subject to diffusion, and strongly suppress the scattering rate for low energy electrons (E less than 2 MeV). Second, for electron energies greater than 5 MeV, the |n| = 1 resonances operate only in a narrow region at large pitch-angles, and despite their greatest contribution in case of field aligned waves, cannot cause electron diffusion into the loss cone. For those energies, oblique waves at |n| greater than 1 resonances are more effective, extending the range of pitch angle diffusion down to the loss cone boundary, and increasing diffusion at small pitch angles by orders of magnitude.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A perturbation approach to cosmic ray transients in interplanetary space

A perturbation approach is used to model the linear response of the cosmic ray distribution as a function of perturbations in the solar wind transport parameters. The analytical technique permits examination of the effects of the different solar wind parameters, i.e., velocity, drift velocity and the diffusion tensor, which are additive. Cosmic ray changes in the solar wind are neglected. Variations in the diffusion coefficient and the convection-diffusion equation are applied to describing Forbush decreases and the 11-yr solar cycle variations. The treatment is limited to energies above 100 MeV, yet is considered valid enough to have identified a hysteresis effect in the 11-yr variation, wherein high-energy particles lead low-energy particles to a magnitude that increases with increasing heliocentric distance within the inner heliosphere. The calculations also indicate that the Forbush decreases are a cumulative effect of precipitous precursors accompanied by slow recoveries from travelling solar wind perturbations.

Chih, P. P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Self diffusion of alkaline-Earth in Ca-Mg-aluminosilicate melts: Experimental improvements on the determination of the self-diffusion coefficients

Experimental studies of self-diffusion isotopes in silicate melts often have quite large uncertainties when comparing one study to another. We designed an experiment in order to improve the precision of the results by simultaneously studying several elements (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) during the same experiment thereby greatly reducing the relative experimental uncertainties. Results show that the uncertainties on the diffusion coefficients can be reduced to 10 percent, allowing a more reliable comparison of differences of self-diffusion coefficients of the elements. This type of experiment permits us to study precisely and simultaneously several elements with no restriction on any element. We also designed an experiment to investigate the possible effects of multicomponent diffusion during Mg self-diffusion experiments by comparing cases where the concentrations of the elements and the isotopic compositions are different. The results suggest that there are differences between the effective means of transport. This approach should allow us to investigate the importance of multicomponent diffusion in silicate melts.

Paillat, O.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Pioneer 11 observations of trapped particle absorption by Amalthea

The discovery of a microsignatury of trapped radiation in the Amalthea orbit as detected by Pioneer 11 in a flyby of Juptier in 1974 is reported and its implications for the radial diffusion coefficient in Jupiter's inner magnetosphere are discussed. A low energy telescope registered the absorption of low-energy protons as a function of the magnetic L shell durig inbound and outbound trajectories. Drift velocities of the 1 MeV particles were calculated. No correspondingly heightened effects were observed from high-energy electrons or heavier nuclei. Further analysis of the 0.5-8.7 MeV protons showed data to be consistent erosion of the particle drift shadows by a diffusion process. A limit was calculated for the highest diffusion coefficient value for the 1 MeV protons at the Amalthea orbit. The results indicate that the diffusion is driven by fluctuating electric or magnetic fields.

Mckibben, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Effect of zone size on the convergence of exact solutions for diffusion in single phase systems with planar, cylindrical or spherical geometry

Exact solutions for diffusion in single phase binary alloy systems with constant diffusion coefficient and zero-flux boundary condition have been evaluated to establish the optimum zone size of applicability. Planar, cylindrical and spherical interface geometry, and finite, singly infinite, and doubly infinite systems are treated. Two solutions are presented for each geometry, one well suited to short diffusion times, and one to long times. The effect of zone-size on the convergence of these solutions is discussed. A generalized form of the diffusion solution for doubly infinite systems is proposed.

Unnam, J.↗