Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Beam Simulations”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Dose-Weighted Radiographic Source-Spot Size

The spatial resolution of a flash radiograph is determined by the time-integrated size of the radiation source. Since the radiation pulse includes the beam head and tail, which may be substantially larger than the beam body, the radiation source is larger than the focused flattop of the electron beam pulse. Moreover, the radiation dose rate is weighted by both beam current and electron energy, and it is the radiation dose that forms the radiograph image. Therefore, in order to estimate radiographic resolution from computer simulations of a focused electron beam, one should use a dose weighted moment analysis of the radiation source distribution. This approach is used to show that, in the absence of beam effects other than space-charge and emittance, radiographic resolution for Scorpius exceeds requirements, regardless of reasonable timing options for current and gap-voltage pulses.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Inversion of dynamical Bragg intensities to complex structure factors by iterated projections. For Ultramic. 2020. ("Pico" Festschrift, May 2021)

We discuss a method for recovering complex structure factors from many simultaneously excited Bragg beam intensities is described. The method is applied to simulated transmission electron diffraction data over a wide range of crystal thickness and beam energies. The method is based on iterated projections between structure and scattering matrices, which are related by a matrix unitary transformation, exponential, which we invert. The algorithm removes multiple-scattering perturbations from diffraction data and might be extended to other fields, including X-ray and neutron diffraction and cryo-electron microscopy. Because coherent multiple scattering involves interference between Bragg beams, the method also solves the phase problem. Unlike dynamical inversion from electron microscope images or ptychography data, the method, which starts with Bragg beam intensities, provides complex structure factors unaffected by focusing errors or resolution limitations imposed by lenses. We provide inversions from simulated data with 441 simultaneously excited Bragg beams over a range of thickness and beam energy. We discuss the retrieval of chirality information from enantiomorphs, the efficient incorporation of symmetry information using the irreducible representation of the group of structure matrices, and the effect of HOLZ lines to provide three-dimensional information.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved optical standing-wave beam splitters for dilute Bose–Einstein condensates

Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC)-based atom interferometry exploits low temperatures and long coherence lengths to facilitate high-precision measurements. Progress in atom interferometry promises improvements in navigational devices like gyroscopes and accelerometers, as well as applications in fundamental physics such as accurate determination of physical constants. Previous work demonstrates that beam splitters and mirrors for coherent manipulation of dilute BEC momentum in atom interferometers can be implemented with sequences of non-resonant standing-wave light pulses. While previous work focuses on the optimization of the optical pulses’ amplitude and duration to produce high-order momentum states with high fidelity, we explore how varying the shape of the optical pulses affects optimal beam-splitter performance, as well as the effect of pulse shape on the sensitivity of optimized parameters in achieving high fidelity in high-momentum states. Here, in simulations of two-pulse beam splitters utilizing optimized square, triangle, and sinc-squared pulse shapes applied to dilute BECs, we, in some cases, reduce parameter sensitivity by an order of magnitude while maintaining fidelity.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fully plasma-based electron injector for a linear collider or XFEL

We demonstrate through high-fidelity particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations a simple approach for efficiently generating 20 + GeV electron beams with the necessary charge, energy spread, and emittance for use as an injector in a future linear collider or a next generation XFEL. A high quality injected bunch is generated by self-focusing an unmatched electron driver in a nonlinear plasma wakefield. Over pump depletion distances, the drive beam dynamics and self-loading effects lead to high energy, low-energy spread output beams. For plasma densities of 10 18 c⁢m −3 , PIC simulation results indicate that self-injected beams with 0.52 n⁢C charge can be accelerated to 20 GeV with projected core energy spreads of ≲ 1%, normalized slice emittances of 110n⁢m, peak normalized brightness of ≳ 10 19 A/m 2 /rad 2 , and transfer efficiencies of ≳ 44%.

Particle acceleration in plasmas↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effect of cross-beam energy transfer on target-offset asymmetry in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions

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.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shock formation in flowing plasmas by temporally and spatially smoothed laser beams

The cumulative impact of multiple laser speckles on a supersonic plasma flow across optically smoothed laser beams is investigated. The bending of laser beams caused by ponderomotive laser–plasma coupling, together with flow, leads to plasma a momentum-conserving response that results in a deceleration of the flow. Once the flow velocity decreases to a subsonic level, the action of the laser beams can generate a shock within the plasma. This scenario has been predicted theoretically and confirmed by hydrodynamic simulations. The conditions of shock generation are given in terms of the ponderomotive pressure, speckle size, and the flow velocity. The nonlinear properties of the shocks are analyzed using Rankine–Hugoniot relations. According to linear theory, temporally smoothed beams exhibit a higher threshold for shock generation. Numerical simulations with beams that are smoothed by spectral dispersion compare well with the linear theory results, diverging only in the nonlinear regime. The conditions necessary for shock generation and their effects on the laser–plasma coupling in the inertial confinement fusion experiments are also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling and design of compact, permanent-magnet transport systems for highly divergent, broad energy spread laser-driven proton beams

Laser-driven (LD) ion acceleration has been explored in a newly constructed short focal length laser beamline at the BELLA petawatt facility (interaction point 2, iP2). For applications utilizing such LD ion beams, a beam transport system is required, which for reasons of compactness be ideally contained within 3 m. While they are generated from a micron-scale source, large divergence and energy spread of LD ion beams present a unique challenge to transporting them compared to beams from conventional accelerators. This study gives an overview of proposed compact transport designs using permanent magnets satisfying different requirements depending on the application for the iP2 laser beamline such as radiation biology, material science, and high-energy density science. These designs are optimized for different parameters such as energy spread and peak proton density according to the application’s need. The various designs consist solely of permanent magnet elements, which can provide high magnetic field gradients on a small footprint. While the field strengths are fixed, we have shown that the beam size is able to be tuned effectively by varying the placement of the magnets. The performance of each design was evaluated based on high-order particle tracking simulations of typical LD proton beams. We also examine the ability of certain configurations to tune and select beam energies, critical for specific applications. A more detailed investigation was carried out for a design to deliver 10 MeV LD accelerated ions for radiation biology applications. With these transport system designs, the iP2 laser beamline is ready to house various application experiments.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Time-dependent dynamical Bragg diffraction in deformed crystals by the beam propagation method

Herein, this paper describes how to efficiently solve time-dependent X-ray dynamic diffraction problems in distorted crystals with a fast Fourier transform based beam propagation method. Examples are given of using the technique to simulate the propagation of X-ray beams in deformed crystals in space and time domains relevant to the cavity-based X-ray free-electron lasers and X-ray free-electron laser self-seeding systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiple Coulomb scattering in acrylic of a 221.3 MeV therapeutic proton beam

Measurements of multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS) distributions for 221.3 MeV therapeutic protons are presented using a novel detector system comprised of a thin scintillator, a pellicle mirror, and a digital camera. The MCS distributions were characterized for three acrylic phantoms of varying lengths and for two biological density-equivalent phantoms simulating bone and muscle. Additionally, beam profiles were measured across an energy range of 80.3–221.3 MeV in 20 MeV increments. The observed energy dependence of the photon yields is consistent with the tabulated stopping power values. Finally, the experimental results are benchmarked against Geant4 simulations, demonstrating consistent agreement and validating the capability of the detector system for radiology measurements.

Digital camera↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydrodynamic expansion and near-infrared absorption of x-ray heated aluminum plasmas

We use x-ray pulses from dense argon plasmas at the Z Machine (Sandia National Laboratories) to generate hypersonic aluminum plasmas akin to material ejecta during proposed planetary defense missions, fusion reactor wall excursions, and other high-energy density processes. Near-infrared absorption is used to diagnose the controlled expansion of the plasmas through cylindrical cavities following their generation from x-ray heating of solid aluminum 7075 alloy. The data are compared to multidimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations utilizing the ALEGRA multiphysics code, accounting for the dynamics of radiation scattering, material phase change, plasma expansion, thermal re-irradiation, and interactions with the cavity and with the infrared beams. To allow for accurate simulation, density functional theory is used to apply the Hagen–Rubens relation for the far-infrared and is adjoined with a detailed configuration accounting model using the Propaceos code, producing opacities spanning 10 −1 –10 4 eV photon energy for aluminum 7075 alloy, and in comparison with pure aluminum. The model is found to agree with experimental data in the higher-fluence regime when the Hagen–Rubens relation is applied. The ejected material, which is observed to travel up to 55 km/s, is comprised of a strongly ionized, non-LTE plasma front at ∼10 eV temperature followed by a weakly ionized LTE gas at higher density. The present findings lend some confidence to the broad-range equation of state and infrared opacity models for weakly ionized aluminum plasmas while demonstrating an approach to their future refinement, with potential application to astrophysical plasmas and other extreme processes.

Adiabatic process↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of cross-beam energy transfer on target-offset asymmetry in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions

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.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Three Approaches for Complete Measurement of the Transverse Beam Optics Along the Fermilab Muon Campus Extraction Line

Traditionally, the process of measuring the optical parameters of a beamline has employed the use of one of two standard methods, namely the three-screen method or a quadrupole magnet scan. Both require either an area of zero dispersion to perform the measurements or knowledge of the dispersion function and momentum spread beforehand in order to provide accurate results. There is however a third method that can be used to measure the standard optical parameters, the beam parameters, the dispersion function, and the momentum spread simultaneously. This method, aptly named the six-screen method, is an extension of the more standard three-screen method. Utilizing the simulation environment of G4beamline, we simulated the 8 GeV proton beam in the M4 beamline and measured the optical and beam parameters using the two standard approaches. Those results were then used as a reference to check the viability of employing the less standard six-screen method in the M4 line. If shown to be a viable option, the six-screen method could be used to retrieve the dispersion function and momentum spread of the beam without needing to change the energy of the beam.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cross-beam energy transfer in direct-drive ICF. I. Nonlinear and kinetic effects

Results are presented from a series of simulations examining the susceptibility of the cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) instability to nonlinear processes in the context of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments on the OMEGA laser facility. These form the basis for the second paper of this series [A. G. Seaton, L. Yin, R. Follett, B. J. Albright, and A. Le, “Cross-beam energy transfer in direct-drive ICF. II. Theory and simulation of mitigation through increased laser bandwidth,” Phys. Plasmas 29, 042707 (2022)], where we examine the efficacy of increases in laser bandwidth at suppressing CBET. We choose laser and plasma conditions for the simulations that are favorable to CBET and promote nonlinearity. Through a comparison of outputs from the particle-in-cell code vector particle in cell (VPIC) and the linearized fluid code laser-plasma simulation environment (LPSE), a series of nonlinear effects have been identified in the kinetic simulations that include particle trapping, the two-ion wave decay, and ion-acoustic wave self-focusing. These effects produce time-dependent energy transfer, in contrast to the linearized fluid simulations in which a steady state is reached after an initial transient. Ion trapping is shown to allow for increased energy transfer relative to fluid simulations, with the remaining nonlinear processes acting to reduce the energy transfer. Nonlinear dynamics is contrasted for low- and high-intensity beams as well as between speckled and planar beams. For the parameters under consideration, beam profile has a significant effect on nonlinear dynamics, though the greatest sensitivity is to beam intensity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Strong-field QED limitations on TeV-class plasma wakefield accelerators

We demonstrate that quantum and classical radiation effects can become non-negligible for TeV-class beams propagating through plasma channels typical of staged plasma accelerators. Although the quantum nonlinearity parameter χ e remains small under currently envisioned experimental conditions, the cumulative influence of radiation over long acceleration distances can lead to significant modifications to the beam’s energy spread, emittance, and polarization. Our analytic models, validated by particle-in-cell simulations, highlight that for standard Gaussian beams, the orbit-induced energy spread dominates over quantum stochastic effects but can be mitigated by tailoring the beam profile, for example, through ring-shaped transverse distributions. In regimes where the radiation reaction approaches the accelerating force, the emittance may be cooled, forming distinctive ring-shaped phase-space structures. Finally, we analyze the influence of the radiation effect on spin transport inside the wakefield. These findings underscore the importance of considering both classical and quantum radiation dynamics in the design and optimization of future high-intensity plasma accelerators.

accelerator↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data-driven method to estimate contamination from light ion beam transmutation at colliders

Collisions of relativistic light ions, such as oxygen, neon, and magnesium, have been proposed as a way to examine the system-size dependence of dynamics typically associated with the quark-gluon plasma produced in collisions of heavier ions such as xenon, gold, or lead. Recent efforts at both the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have produced large datasets of proton-oxygen, oxygen-oxygen, and neon-neon collisions, catalyzing intense interest in experimental backgrounds associated with light-ion collisions. In particular, electromagnetic dissociation of light ions while they are circulating in a collider can result in beam contamination that is difficult to simulate precisely. Here we propose a data-driven method for evaluating the potential impact of beam contaminants on physics analyses. The method exploits the time dependence and smaller size of contaminant ion species to define control regions that can be used to quantify potential contamination effects. A simple model is used to illustrate the method and to study its robustness. Furthermore, this method can inform studies of recent LHC and RHIC data and could also be useful for future light-ion programs at the LHC and beyond.

Beam loss↗
DOE OSTI2025

A data-driven method to estimate contamination from light ion beam transmutation at colliders

Collisions of relativistic light ions such as oxygen, neon, and magnesium, have been proposed as a way to examine the system-size dependence of dynamics typically associated with the quark-gluon plasma produced in collisions of heavier ions such as xenon, gold, or lead. Recent efforts at both the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have produced large datasets of proton-oxygen, oxygen-oxygen, and neon-neon collisions, catalyzing intense interest in experimental backgrounds associated with light ion collisions. In particular, electromagnetic dissociation of light ions while they are circulating in a collider can result in beam contamination that is difficult to simulate precisely. Here we propose a data-driven method for evaluating the potential impact of beam contaminants on physics analyses. The method exploits the time-dependence and smaller size of contaminant ion species to define control regions that can be used to quantify potential contamination effects. A simple mode

Accelerator Physics (physics.acc-ph)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measuring recoiling nucleons from the nucleus with the future Electron Ion Collider

Short range correlated nucleon-nucleon (NN) pairs are an important part of the nuclear ground state. They are typically studied by scattering an electron from one nucleon in the pair and detecting its spectator correlated partner (spectator-nucleon tagging). The Electron Ion Collider (EIC)should be able to detect these nucleons, since they are boosted to high momentum in the lab frame by the momentum of the ion beam. To determine the feasibility of these studies with the planned EIC detector configuration, we have simulated quasi-elastic scattering for two electron and ion beam energy configurations: 5 GeV electrons and 41 GeV/A ions, and 10 GeV electrons and 110 GeV/A ions. We show that the knocked-out and recoiling nucleons can be detected over a wide range of initial nucleon momenta. We also show that these measurements can achieve much larger momentum transfers than current fixed target experiments. By detecting both low and high initial-momentum nucleons,the EIC will provide the data that should allow scientists to definitively show if the EMC effect and short-range correlation are connected, and to improve our understanding of color transparency

Hauenstein, F. (ORCID:0000000212652212)↗