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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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Plasma waves and continuum radiation in planetary magnetospheres

Voyager data on whistler mode waves and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions are analyzed to understand the interaction of the waves with the dynamics of the electrons. The occurrence and characteristics of Jovian whistler mode chorus and the interactions with the plasma in and near the Io torus are emphasized. Bernstein waves, especially those near the upper hybrid or plasma frequency are discussed to provide insight into an important plasma diagnostic tool and to compare the relevant portions of the electron distribution function at Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The nonthermal continuum radiation common to the magnetospheres of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn is considered. Because of the very low frequency of these radio waves and their close association with upper hybrid resonance emissions, continuum radiation is often associated more closely with the plasma wave spectrum of a planetary magnetosphere than with the planet's radio spectrum.

Kurth, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Survey of the Frequency Dependent Latitudinal Distribution of the Fast Magnetosonic Wave Mode from Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument and Integrated Science Waveform Receiver Plasma Wave Analysis

We present a statistical survey of the latitudinal structure of the fast magnetosonic wave mode detected by the Van Allen Probes spanning the time interval of 21 September 2012 to 1 August 2014. We show that statistically, the latitudinal occurrence of the wave frequency (f) normalized by the local proton cyclotron frequency (f(sub cP)) has a distinct funnel-shaped appearance in latitude about the magnetic equator similar to that found in case studies. By comparing the observed E/B ratios with the model E/B ratio, using the observed plasma density and background magnetic field magnitude as input to the model E/B ratio, we show that this mode is consistent with the extra-ordinary (whistler) mode at wave normal angles (theta(sub k)) near 90 deg. Performing polarization analysis on synthetic waveforms composed from a superposition of extra-ordinary mode plane waves with theta(sub k) randomly chosen between 87 and 90 deg, we show that the uncertainty in the derived wave normal is substantially broadened, with a tail extending down to theta(sub k) of 60 deg, suggesting that another approach is necessary to estimate the true distribution of theta(sub k). We find that the histograms of the synthetically derived ellipticities and theta(sub k) are consistent with the observations of ellipticities and theta(sub k) derived using polarization analysis.We make estimates of the median equatorial theta(sub k) by comparing observed and model ray tracing frequency-dependent probability occurrence with latitude and give preliminary frequency dependent estimates of the equatorial theta(sub k) distribution around noon and 4 R(sub E), with the median of approximately 4 to 7 deg from 90 deg at f/f(sub cP) = 2 and dropping to approximately 0.5 deg from 90 deg at f/f(sub cP) = 30. The occurrence of waves in this mode peaks around noon near the equator at all radial distances, and we find that the overall intensity of these waves increases with AE*, similar to findings of other studies.

Boardsen, Scott A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Plasma waves and continuum radiation in planetary magnetospheres

Observations of whistler and Bernstein waves at the earth, Jupiter, and Saturn are discussed, as well as nonthermal continuum radiation which is common to the magnetospheres of these planets. Whistler mode waves and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions are examined in detail, with the purpose of understanding the interaction of these waves with the dynamics of the plasma electrons. Emphasis is placed on the occurrence and characteristics of the Jovian whistler mode chorus and the interactions with the plasma in and near the Io torus.

Kurth, W. S.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Dusty Pair Plasma-Wave Propagation and Diffusive Transition of Oscillations

The crucial point of the paper is the relation between equilibrium distributions of plasma species and the type of propagation or diffusive transition of plasma response to a disturbance. The paper contains a unified treatment of disturbance propagation (transport) in the linearized Vlasov electron-positron and fullerene pair plasmas containing charged dust impurities, based on the space-time convolution integral equations. Electron-positron-dust/ion (e-p-d/i) plasmas are rather widespread in nature. Space-time responses of multi-component linearized Vlasov plasmas on the basis of multiple integral equations are invoked. An initial-value problem for Vlasov-Poisson/Ampere equations is reduced to the one multiple integral equation and the solution is expressed in terms of forcing function and its space-time convolution with the resolvent kernel. The forcing function is responsible for the initial disturbance and the resolvent is responsible for the equilibrium velocity distributions of plasma species. By use of resolvent equations, time-reversibility, space-reflexivity and the other symmetries are revealed. The symmetries carry on physical properties of Vlasov pair plasmas, e.g., conservation laws. Properly choosing equilibrium distributions for dusty pair plasmas, we can reduce the resolvent equation to: (i) the undamped dispersive wave equations, (ii) and diffusive transport equations of oscillations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Approximate models for the study of exponential changed quantities: Application on the plasma waves growth rate or damping

Many physical phenomena that concern the research these days are basically complicated because of being multi-parametric. Thus, their study and understanding meets with big if not unsolved obstacles. Such complicated and multi-parametric is the plasmatic state as well, where the plasma and the physical quantities that appear along with it have chaotic behavior. Many of those physical quantities change exponentially and at most times they are stabilized by presenting wavy behavior. Mostly in the transitive state rather than the steady state, the exponentially changing quantities (Growth, Damping etc) depend on each other in most cases. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish the cause from the result. The present paper attempts to help this difficult study and understanding by proposing mathematical exponential models that could relate with the study and understanding of the plasmatic wavy instability behavior. Such instabilities are already detected, understood and presented in previous publications of our laboratory. In other words, our new contribution is the study of the already known plasmatic quantities by using mathematical models (modeling and simulation). These methods are both useful and applicable in the chaotic theory. In addition, our ambition is to also conduct a list of models useful for the study of chaotic problems, such as those that appear into the plasma, starting with this paper's examples.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Study of the plasma wave excited by intense femtosecond laser pulses in a dielectric capillary

Laser wakefield in a gas-filled capillary driven by a 1-TW femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulse is studied experimentally by observing driving pulse spectrum modifications, which are caused by the combined action of the optical field ionization and the plasma density oscillations. Good agreement between the results of extensive numerical simulations and the experimental data allows us to estimate the accelerating gradients in the wake, which range from 5 to 10 MV/cm for typical experimental conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Frequency-dependent quantum capacitance and plasma wave in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

Frequency-dependent quantum capacitance C{sub Q} of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is computed and compared to that of graphene. It is found that the frequency dependence of C{sub Q} in TMDs differs drastically from that of graphene which has a divergent point. The plasma resonance forms when the quantum capacitance is negative and has the same magnitude as the electrostatic capacitance. The calculation shows that the plasma in TMDs depends on the band-structure-limited velocity, band gap, and doping density, which can be controlled via gate biases. The plasma frequencies of TMDs are in the rage of terahertz useful for various applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1973

Performance of an ion-cyclotron-wave plasma apparatus operated in the radiofrequency sustained mode

An experimental study has been made of an ion-cyclotron-wave apparatus operated in the RF-sustained mode, that is, a mode in which the Stix RF coil both propagates the waves and maintains the plasma. Problems associated with this method of operation are presented. Some factors that are important to the coupling of RF power are noted. In general, the wave propagation and wave damping data agree with theory. Some irregularities in wave fields are observed. Maximum ion temperature is 870 eV at a density of five times 10 to the 12th power cu cm and RF power of 90 kW. Coupling efficiency is 70 percent.

Swett, C. C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Steepest-descent algorithm for simulating plasma-wave caustics via metaplectic geometrical optics

The design and optimization of radiofrequency-wave systems for fusion applications is often performed using ray-tracing codes, which rely on the geometrical-optics (GO) approximation. However, GO fails at wave cutoffs and caustics. To accurately model the wave behavior in these regions, more advanced and computationally expensive “full-wave” simulations are typically used, but this is not strictly necessary. A new generalized formulation called metaplectic geometrical optics (MGO) has been proposed that reinstates GO near caustics. The MGO framework yields an integral representation of the wavefield that must be evaluated numerically in general. We present an algorithm for computing these integrals using Gauss-Freud quadrature along the steepest-descent contours. Benchmarking is performed on the standard Airy problem, for which the exact solution is known analytically. Furthermore, the numerical MGO solution provided by the new algorithm agrees remarkably well with the exact solution and significantly improves on previously derived analytical approximations of the MGO integral.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Operating features of an ion-cyclotron-wave plasma apparatus running in the RF-sustained mode

An experimental study has been made of an ion-cyclotron-wave apparatus operated in the RF-sustained mode. This is a mode in which the Stix RF coil both propagates the waves and maintains the plasma. Problems associated with this method of operation are presented. Some factors that are important to the coupling of RF power are noted. In general, the wave-propagation and wave-damping data agree with theory. Some irregularities in wave fields are observed. Maximum ion temperature is 870 eV at a density of 5 times 10 to the 12th power per cubic centimeter and RF power of 90 kW. Coupling efficiency is 70 percent.

Swett, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Superposition of nonlinear plasma waves

We report results showing that spatially periodic Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal (BGK) waves, which are exact nonlinear traveling wave solutions of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations for collisionless plasmas, satisfy a nonlinear principle of superposition in the small amplitude limit. The analysis explicates the notion of superimposed BGK waves which, as recent numerical calculations suggest, is crucial in the proper description of the time-asymptotic state of a plasma when a large amplitude electrostatic wave undergoes nonlinear Landau damping.

Buchanan, Mark↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the adiabatic walking of plasma waves in a pulsar magnetosphere

The pulsar radio emission is generated in the near magnetosphere of the neutron star, and it must propagate through the rest of it to emerge into the interstellar medium. An important issue is whether this propagation affects the planes of polarization of the generated radiation. Observationally, there is sufficient evidence that the emerging radiation is polarized parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field line planes that should be associated with the ordinary (O) and extraordinary (X) plasma modes, respectively, excited by some radiative process. This strongly suggests that the excited X and O modes are not affected by the so-called adiabatic walking that causes a slow rotation of polarization vectors. In this paper, we demonstrate that the conditions for adiabatic walking are not fulfilled within the soliton model of pulsar radio emission, in which the coherent curvature radiation occurs at frequencies much lower than the characteristic plasma frequency, The X mode propagates freely and observationally represents the primary polarization mode. The O mode has difficulty escaping from the pulsar plasma; however, it is sporadically observed as a weaker secondary polarization mode. We discuss a possible scenario under which the O mode can also escape from the plasma and reach an observer.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Polarizer design for millimeter-wave plasma diagnostics

Radiation from magnetized plasmas is in general elliptically polarized. In order to convert the elliptical polarization to linear polarization, mirrors with grooved surfaces are currently employed in our collective Thomson scattering diagnostic at ASDEX Upgrade. If these mirrors can be substituted by birefringent windows, the microwave receivers can be designed to be more compact at lower cost. Sapphire windows (a-cut) as well as grooved high density polyethylene windows can serve this purpose. The sapphire window can be designed such that the calculated transmission of the wave energy is better than 99%, and that of the high density polyethylene can be better than 97%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

First Test of Long-Range Collisional Drag via Plasma Wave Damping

This paper presents the first experimental confirmation of a new theory predicting enhanced drag due to long-range collisions in a magnetized plasma. The experiments measure damping of Langmuir waves in a multispecies pure ion plasma, which is dominated by interspecies collisional drag in certain regimes. The measured damping rates in these regimes exceed classical predictions of collisional drag damping by as much as an order of magnitude, but agree with the new theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Increasing energy coupling into plasma waves by tailoring the laser radial focal spot distribution in a laser wakefield accelerator

By controlling the focal spot quality with a deformable mirror, we are able to show that increasing the fraction of pulse energy contained within the central part of the focal spot, while keeping the total energy and central spot size constant, significantly increases the amount of energy transferred to the wakefield: Our measurements show that the laser loses significantly more laser energy and undergoes greater redshifting and that more charge is produced in the accelerated beam. Three dimensional particle in cell simulations performed with accurate representations of the measured focal spot intensity distribution confirm that energy in the wings of the focal spot is effectively wasted. Even though self-focusing occurs, energy in the wings of the focal spot distribution is not coupled into the wakefield, emphasising the vital importance of high quality focal spot profiles in experiments.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗