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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Burn mode signatures enabled by high dynamic range fusion reaction history

The evolution of the fusion burn of a compressed inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosion gives information about the evolution of the temperature, mass, and volume of the hot spot. Currently, the fusion reaction history has been measured with about a decade of dynamic range, giving information about just the peak of the fusion burn. There are proposals for extending the dynamic range to 1000×, measuring the rising edge of the burn earlier in time. Using fusion hot spot theory and a set of ICF simulations, we identify and categorize different stages of fusion burn and what signatures could be measured. For ice layered implosions, the details, conditions, and dynamics of the fusion burn propagation could be observed. For double shell and OMEGA scale implosions, the evolution of the final compression and rebounding shock before ignition could be observed. Higher dynamic range expands investigation into the logarithmic derivative, α, as a signature of various mechanisms.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Collective optical Thomson scattering in pulsed-power driven high energy density physics experiments (invited)

Optical collective Thomson scattering is used to diagnose magnetized high energy density physics experiments at the Magpie pulsed-power generator at Imperial College London. The system uses an amplified pulse from the 2nd harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (3 J, 8 ns, 532 nm) to probe a wide diversity of hightemperature plasma objects; with densities in the range of 10 17 -10 19 cm -3 and temperatures between 10 eV and a few keV. The scattered light is collected from 100 μm-scale volumes within the plasmas, which are imaged onto optical fiber arrays. Multiple collection systems observe these volumes from different directions, providing simultaneous probing with different scattering K-vectors (and different associated α-parameters, typically in the range 0.5 – 3) allowing independent measurements of separate velocity components of the bulk plasma flow. The fiber arrays are coupled to an imaging spectrometer with a gated ICCD. The spectrometer is configured to view the ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) of the collective Thomson scattered spectrum. Fits to the spectra with the theoretical spectral density function S(K,ω) yield measurements of the local plasma temperatures and velocities. Fitting is constrained by independent measurements of the electron density from laser interferometry, and the corresponding spectra for different scattering vectors. Furthermore, this TS diagnostic has been successfully implemented on a wide range of experiments, revealing temperature and flow velocity transitions across magnetized shocks, inside rotating plasma jets and imploding wire arrays, as well as providing direct measurements of drift velocities inside a magnetic reconnection current sheet.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

An imaging refractometer for density fluctuation measurements in high energy density plasmas

In this work, we report on a recently developed laser-probing diagnostic which allows direct measurements of ray-deflection angles in one axis, whilst retaining imaging capabilities in the other axis. This allows us to measure the spectrum of angular deflections from a laser beam which passes though a turbulent high-energy-density plasma. This spectrum contains information about the density fluctuations within the plasma, which deflect the probing laser over a range of angles. We create synthetic diagnostics using ray-tracing to compare this new diagnostic with standard shadowgraphy and schlieren imaging approaches, which demonstrates the enhanced sensitivity of this new diagnostic over standard techniques. We present experimental data from turbulence behind a reverse shock in a plasma and demonstrate that this technique can measure angular deflections between 0.06 and 34 mrad, corresponding to a dynamic range of over 500.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-pressure phase transition of olivine-type Mg 2 GeO 4 to a metastable forsterite-III type structure and their equations of state

Germanates are often used as structural analogs of planetary silicates. We have explored the high-pressure phase relations in Mg 2 GeO 4 using diamond-anvil cell experiments combined with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and computations based on density functional theory. Upon room temperature compression, forsterite-type Mg 2 GeO 4 remains stable up to 30 GPa. At higher pressures, a phase transition to a forsterite-III type (Cmc2 1 ) structure was observed, which remained stable to the peak pressure of 105 GPa. Using a third-order Birch Murnaghan fit to the experimental data, we obtained V 0 = 305.1(3) Å3, K 0 = 124.6(14) GPa, and $K'_0$ = 3.86 (fixed) for forsterite-type Mg 2 GeO 4 and V 0 = 263.5(15) Å 3 , K 0 = 175(7) GPa, and $K'_0$ = 4.2 (fixed) for the forsterite-III type phase. The forsterite-III type structure was found to be metastable when compared to the stable assemblage of perovskite/post-perovskite + MgO, as observed during laser-heating experiments. Understanding the phase relations and physical properties of metastable phases is crucial for studying the mineralogy of impact sites, understanding metastable wedges in subducting slabs, and interpreting the results of shock compression experiments.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Inferring the temperature profile of the radiative shock in the COAX experiment with shock radiography, Dante, and spectral temperature diagnostics

Predicting and modeling the behavior of experiments with radiation waves propagating through low-density foams require a detailed quantification of the numerous uncertainties present. In regimes where a prominent radiative shock is produced, key dynamical features include the shock position, temperature, and curvature and the spatial distribution and temperature of the corresponding supersonic radiation wave. The COAX experimental platform is designed to constrain numerical models of such a radiative shock propagating through a low-density foam by employing radiography for spatial and shock information, Dante for characterizing the x-ray flux from the indirectly driven target, and a novel spectral diagnostic designed to probe the temperature profile of the wave. In this work, we model COAX with parameterized 2D simulations and a Hohlraum-laser modeling package to study uncertainties in diagnosing the experiment. The inferred temperature profile of the COAX radiation transport experiments has been shown to differ from simulations more than expected from drive uncertainties that have been constrained by simultaneous soft x-ray flux and radiography measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Validation of 266 nm UV Raman thermometry using the alpha-to-beta quartz transition

Ultraviolet Raman scattering is a promising diagnostic for temperature measurements relevant to dynamic compression experiments, where improved signal strength and reduced background are critical. In this work, we experimentally validate Raman thermometry at 266 nm using crystalline quartz heated through the α to β phase transition in a tube furnace. Quartz provides a useful benchmark because of its well-characterized transition temperature near 846 K at ambient pressure. Temperatures inferred from the Stokes to anti-Stokes intensity ratio are compared with thermocouple measurements and with the observed phase transition. Single-shot Raman temperatures track the thermocouple closely, with an empirical single-shot scatter of approximately ±15 K under the present conditions. Temporal averaging reduces shot-to-shot scatter and improves agreement between the Raman temperatures and thermocouple readings to within approximately 8 K, while the transition is identified within 5 K of the accepted value. Measurements are performed using the fourth harmonic of a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm. The shorter excitation wavelength provides enhanced Raman scattering efficiency and reduced visible background relative to conventional visible excitation. Comparison with 532 nm Raman measurements acquired in the same experimental geometry demonstrates substantially improved signal-to-noise ratio for the UV configuration. These results establish 266 nm Raman thermometry as a reliable and accurate temperature diagnostic under controlled heating conditions and provide a quantitative benchmark for future application in dynamic compression and shock physics experiments.

Chemistry - Chemical explosives↗
DOE OSTI2021

Kinetic mix at gas-shell interface in inverted corona fusion targets

Gas-filled, laser-driven “inverted corona” fusion targets have attracted interest as a low-convergence neutron source and platform for studying kinetic physics. At the fill pressures under investigation, ejected particles from the shell can penetrate deeply into the gas before colliding, leading to significant mixing across the gas–shell interface. Here, we use kinetic-ion, fluid-electron hybrid particle-in-cell simulations to explore the nature of that mix. Simulations of the system demonstrate characteristics of a weakly collisional electrostatic shock, whereby a strong electric field accelerates shell ions into the rarefied gas and reflects upstream gas ions. This interpenetration is mediated by collisional processes: At higher initial gas pressure, fewer shell particles pass into the mix region and reach the hotspot. This effect is detectable through neutron yield scaling vs gas pressure. Predictions of neutron yield scaling show excellent agreement with experimental data recorded at the OMEGA laser facility, suggesting that 1D kinetic mechanisms are sufficient to capture the mix process.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ultrafast spectroscopic studies of vibrational energy transfer in energetic materials

Shock-induced detonation is a key property of energetic materials (EM) that remains empirically understood. One proposed mechanism of shock-initiation in EM is “phonon up-pumping” to initiate chemical reactions, where excitation of lattice phonon modes rapidly transfers energy into intramolecular vibrations, ultimately resulting in the breaking of chemical bonds. We are developing novel ultrafast laser spectroscopy techniques to study vibrational energy transfer from phonon modes to intramolecular vibrations (phonon up-pumping), as well as competing energy transfer pathways from intramolecular vibrations to phonon modes (vibrational cooling). Through combinations of plasma- generated supercontinuum infrared, tunable near- and mid-infrared, and terahertz pulses in pump-probe spectroscopy, supplemented with ab inito simulations, we can explore the energy transfer processes on a sub-picosecond time scale to elucidate vibrational energy transfer pathways and lifetimes in EM. In this work, we highlight recent progress, including the spectral and temporal characteristics of the infrared and THz sources as well as preliminary results on select EM.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Laser-driven flyer plate impact: Computational studies guided by experiments

We present a computational approach using a multimaterial, arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian code termed ALE3D to model the nanosecond/micrometer dynamics of the launch of 0.5–4.5 km/s laser-driven metal flyer plates and the impact with stationary targets of Pyrex and fused silica glasses, and Lexan and Plexiglas polymers, producing pressures in the target in the range of 5–20 GPa. The simulations are compared to experimental results where the flyer velocity profile and the velocity profile imparted to the target material were measured with high-speed velocimetry. The experimental flyer launch by a high-intensity pulsed laser is modeled by depositing heat into a thin vaporizable layer under the flyer plate. This model produces a flyer plate that has not been exposed to the laser pulse, allowing us to compare the properties of the real flyer to a simulated ideal flyer. The simulations of target impact are generally in good agreement with the experiment except at the highest impact velocities where the shock release process in the experiment is slower than that in the simulation. The cause of this disagreement is attributed to an inadequate description of the shock viscosity during the nanosecond unloading process.

Stekovic, Svjetlana (ORCID:0000000163878070)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Instability seeding mechanisms due to internal defects in inertial confinement fusion targets

Performance degradation in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions is caused by several effects, one of which is Rayleigh–Taylor instability growth. Defects in ICF targets, such as internal voids and surface roughness, create instability seeds in the shell as shocks propagate through the target. A comprehensive understanding of seeding mechanisms is essential to characterize the impact of target defects on inflight shell integrity and mass injection into the central, lower-density vapor region. An analysis of early-time behavior of both single-mode shell mass modulations and isolated voids is performed by examining the evolution of the acoustic waves launched by these target imperfections. A systematic study of localized perturbation growth as a function of defect placement and size is presented. Furthermore, the use of low-density ablator materials (such as foams) is suggested as a potential mitigation strategy to improve target robustness against the impact of defect-initiated growth.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Improved ion heating in fast ignition by pulse shaping

The fast ignition paradigm for inertial fusion offers increased gain and tolerance of asymmetry by compressing fuel at low entropy and then quickly igniting a small region. Because this hotspot rapidly disassembles, the ions must be heated to ignition temperature as quickly as possible, but most ignitor designs directly heat electrons. A constant-power ignitor pulse, which is generally assumed, is suboptimal for coupling energy from electrons to ions. Using a simple model of a hotspot in isochoric plasma, a novel pulse shape to maximize ion heating is presented in analytical form. Bounds are derived on the maximum ion temperature attainable by electron heating only. Moreover, arranging for faster ion heating allows a smaller hotspot, improving fusion gain. As a result, under representative conditions, the optimized pulse can reduce ignition energy by over 20%.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Examining astrophysical gas cloud collapse using an optical depth-scaled, x-ray-irradiated, carbon-foam sphere

When stellar radiation interacts with a molecular cloud, the cloud's fate depends on the strength of the incident radiation and the radiation's mean-free-path within the cloud [F. Bertoldi, Astrophys. J. 346, 735–755 (1989)]. Under the right conditions, the radiation compresses the cloud and a star formation may occur. Where and when the stellar formation occurs in the cloud's collapse are open questions. Direct observation of the complete star–cloud lifecycle is nearly impossible due to the immense timescales and distances over which the interaction occurs. Laboratory astrophysics offers a way to investigate such a system by scaling the important astrophysical parameters to the laboratory. This work describes laboratory experiments to study the radiation-driven implosion of clouds, using x rays from a laser-irradiated, thin, gold foil as a surrogate star and a carbon-foam sphere as a surrogate cloud. An optically thick system, theoretically corresponding to a star-forming regime, was selected by choice of the foam density. Gold foil and sphere motions were imaged by x-ray radiography. Radiographic images show the formation of an interface between rarefied gold and carbon plasmas, a shock moving into the sphere, and a blunting of the initial sphere's shape. Measurements show that the shock moved linearly around 64 μm/ns into the sphere, and the gold–carbon interface formed by 2 ns at the sphere edge remained stationary. The deformation of the sphere was driven by the incident radiation and not by mechanical pressures applied by gold plasma. The blunting of the sphere was likely due to the geometric reduction of flux near the sphere's poles. Higher x-ray flux near the sphere's equator caused high compression and a faster shock, which flattened the sphere. We will discuss the results and implications of our observations.

VanDervort, R. W. [University of Michigan 1 , Ann ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Forward modeling of Doppler velocity interferometer system for improved shockwave measurements

We report that when near-instantaneous shocks are recorded by using a Doppler velocity interferometer velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR), they typically exceed the detector’s ability to react and “skipped fringes” result, where its visibility briefly reduces. Traditionally, replacing skipped fringes required guesswork in analysis, which increased arrival time errors. Second, the use of long but velocity-sensitive interferometer delays with fast detectors which can resolve the delay has traditionally been avoided because of the fear of confusing the arrival time signal. However, shorter delays produce smaller fringe phase shifts per velocity and, thus, can decrease velocity precision. We realize that while some loss of fringe information occurs at shock events, this is often just a partial loss and the residual fringe information can still hold valuable information. We describe a forward model (FM) of the interferometer action and detector blurring that assists with VISAR fringe analysis at skipping events: (1) more precise shock arrival times, (2) arrival time precision not limited by long delays, and (3) improved ghost subtraction, which improves accuracy over a broad time region. Lastly, we demonstrate the utility of a FM on National Ignition Facility and Laboratory for Laser Energetics Omega shots and discuss data process methods to increase the high time resolution of VISAR systems despite their limitations and complexities.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamic and quasi-static strength of additively repaired aluminum

Additive manufacturing has the potential to repair high value components, saving significant time and resources; however, the level of reliability and performance of additive repairs is still relatively unknown. In this work, the structure–property and performance of laser wire additive manufacturing repairs in 1100 aluminum are investigated. Two types of intentional damage are inflicted on the samples and subsequently repaired with pulsed laser deposition additive manufacturing. Quasi-static (10 –3 s –1 ) and high strain-rate (10 –3 s –1 ) mechanical testing is carried out with in situ diagnostics and post-mortem imaging. The results show that while the quasi-static strength and ductility of samples with a repaired region are lower than a pristine sample, the dynamic strength under shock loading is comparable. This work highlights both the potential utility of additive manufacturing for repair purposes, the significant risk of compromised performance of additive parts under specific conditions, and the need to test at varying strain rates to fully characterize material performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ramp compression of tantalum to multiterapascal pressures: Constraints of the thermal equation of state to 2.3 TPa and 5000 K

We report measurements of the compressibility of ramp compressed tantalum to a final stress of 2.3 TPa corresponding to threefold volumetric compression. Using these data, we extended the experimental constraint on the Ta cold compression curve by an order of magnitude in pressure. Furthermore, by combining the resulting data with previous measurements of shock compression and ambient pressure heating, we construct an experimentally bounded and thermodynamically consistent equation of state model for Ta which has 2% uncertainty in pressure at 1 TPa. We therefore propose Ta as an in situ pressure scale for laser-heated static compression experiments which were recently able to reach terapascal pressures and thousands of degrees Kelvin. Our new equation of state of Ta is experimentally constrained at extreme pressures and temperatures relevant to a wide range of planetary interiors and will allow for more accurate comparison between experimental measurements and theory at extreme conditions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Crossed beam energy transfer in the presence of laser speckle ponderomotive self-focusing and nonlinear sound waves

Crossed beam energy transfer, CBET, is investigated by taking into account the speckle structure of smoothed laser beams that overlap in a plasma with an inhomogeneous flow profile. Using the two-dimensional simulation code Harmony, it is shown how ponderomotive self-focusing of laser speckles in crossing beams can significantly affect the transfer of energy from one beam to the other. The role of plasma flow in speckle self-focusing is investigated and revisited, in particular its consequences in terms of redirection and increasing angular spread of the laser beams due to beam bending and plasma-induced smoothing, respectively. In close-to-sonic flow, the onset of self-focusing in the beam speckle structure occurs at considerably lower beam intensities than expected for the case without flow. CBET and speckle self-focusing can, hence, occur together when two crossed beams with equal frequency resonantly exchange energy via their ponderomotively driven density perturbations flowing with sound speed. From the simulations, it is found that consequences of ponderomotive self-focusing can be expected above an average intensity threshold scaling as $I_L~ 2 × 10^{14} W cm^{-2}(λ_0/1 μm)^{-2}(T_e/ keV)$, with an impact on the spatial and temporal coherence of the transmitted light. The density perturbations due to the ponderomotive force of the crossing beams can locally be enhanced in self-focusing speckles, partly leading to shock-like structures. These structures eventually increase the effect of plasma-induced smoothing and are at the origin of the stronger angular spread.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spatiotemporal evolution of emission and absorption signatures in a laser-produced plasma

Here we report spatiotemporal evolution of emission and absorption signatures of Al species in a nanosecond (ns) laser-produced plasma (LPP). The plasmas were generated from an Inconel target, which contained ~0:4 wt. % Al, using 1064 nm, ≈6 ns full width half maximum pulses from an Nd:YAG laser at an Ar cover gas pressure of ≈34 Torr. The temporal distributions of the Al I (394.4 nm) transition were collected from various spatial points within the plasma employing time-of-flight (TOF) emission and laser absorption spectroscopy, and they provide kinetics of the excited state and ground state population of the selected transition. The emission and absorption signatures showed multiple peaks in their temporal profiles, although they appeared at different spatial locations and times after the plasma onset. The absorption temporal profiles showed an early time signature representing shock wave propagation into the ambient gas. We also used emission and absorption spectral features for measuring various physical properties of the plasma. The absorption spectral profiles are utilized for measuring linewidths, column density, and kinetic temperature, while emission spectra were used to measure excitation temperature. A comparison between excitation and kinetic temperature was made at various spatial points in the plasma. Our results highlight that the TOF measurements provide a resourceful tool for showing the spatiotemporal LPP dynamics with higher spatial and temporal resolution than is possible with spectral measurements but are difficult to interpret without additional information on excitation temperatures and linewidths. The combination of absorption and emission TOF and spectral measurements thus provides a more complete picture of LPP spatiotemporal dynamics than is possible using any one technique alone.

(140.3440) Laser-induced breakdown, (280.4788) Opt↗
DOE OSTI2023

Post-Shot Report for OMEGA Double Cylinders (CylDRT 22B)

The direct-drive double cylinder experimental platform is a high-energy-density (HED) science platform designed to image an imploding cylindrical target. The target consists of a directly-driven outer cylinder and a shock-and-collision driven inner cylinder. The purpose of this platform is to study hydrodynamic instability growth on the inner cylinder, the outer surface of which is classically Rayleigh-Taylor unstable during the acceleration phase. We present results from recent experiments at the OMEGA laser facility. These experiments were designed as a proof-of-principle for the platform, using the same cylinder exterior dimensions and direct-drive beam configuration as previous single cylinder experiments. In these experiments, three sets of targets were fielded: no machined perturbations (smooth), a sinusoidal mode-10 perturbation on the outer surface of the inner cylinder, and a mode-20 perturbation on the outer surface of the inner cylinder. The primary diagnostic was a gated x-ray framing camera which imaged the backlit inner cylinder on-axis for sixteen frames over a time window of 1 ns for each shot. A second side-lit radiograph captured one image per shot, diagnosing axial uniformity. In this report we include an overview of the results from both the backlighter and the sidelighter diagnostics. We discuss at length the experimental analysis process. Finally, we present the results of the smooth target implosion trajectory and compare them to post-shot simulations. We see favorable agreement between simulation and experiment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗