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At least 469 records · Page 26

Analysing the effects of heating and gas puffing in Proto-MPEX helicon and auxiliary heated plasmas

The Material Plasma Exposure Experiment (MPEX) is being constructed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to investigate critical fusion reactor issues, such as plasma–material interactions (PMIs) under reactor-relevant conditions and time scales. The linear device Proto-MPEX was used as a test bed to address anticipated research and development issues associated with heating scenarios and establish the physics basis for MPEX. The SOLPS-ITER code suite has been applied to understand plasma and neutral transport in Proto-MPEX and to increase confidence in predictive simulations for MPEX. Coupling between COMSOL and SOLPS is performed to implement a 2D electron heating profile of the helicon source. The simulations show reasonable agreement with the experimental data for plasma with helicon and auxiliary electron cyclotron heating (ECH). Both Bohm and constant diffusion (D$_\perp$: 0.5 m 2 s –1 and $\chi_\perp$: 1 m 2 s –1 ) simulations show similar levels of agreement with respect to the sparse experimental data available, assuming a few per cent impurity concentration. ECH significantly increases the target electron temperature, however, the target electron density is reduced compared to helicon-only heated plasmas due to an increase in flow velocity and radial losses. The simulations show that further increasing the ECH power results in an increase in the target electron density due to increased recycling flux and ionization. The results indicate that ECH significantly enhances the target heat flux, with ECH power of 50 kW increasing the target heat flux from 0.4 to 17 MW m –2 . It is found that a small amount of gas puffing (GP) near the target plate can further increase the target heat fluxes at the higher ECH power cases, but the target heat flux is reduced at higher GP conditions due to a significant reduction in electron temperature via radiation. ECH and GP scenarios can generate a higher target flux, facilitating improved PMI studies with more reactor-relevant plasma conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

First Observation of the β3αp Decay of 13 O via β-Delayed Charged-Particle Spectroscopy

The β-delayed proton decay of 13 O has previously been studied, but the direct observation of β-delayed 3⁢α⁢p decay has not been reported. Rare 3⁢α⁢p events from the decay of excited states in 13 N* provide a sensitive probe of cluster configurations in 13 N*. To measure the low-energy products following β-delayed 3⁢αp decay, the Texas Active Target (TexAT) time projection chamber was employed using the one-at-a-time β-delayed charged-particle spectroscopy technique at the Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University. A total of 1.9 × 10 5 13 O implantations were made inside the TexAT time projection chamber. Furthermore, a total of 149 3⁢αp events were observed, yielding a β-delayed 3⁢αp branching ratio of 0.078(6)%. Four previously unknown α-decaying excited states were observed in 13 N at 11.3, 12.4, 13.1, and 13.7 MeV decaying via the 3⁢α + p channel.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A Comparison of ARTEMIS Observations and Particle-in-cell Modeling of the Lunar Photoelectron Sheath in the Terrestrial Magnetotail

As an airless body in space with no global magnetic field, the Moon is exposed to both solar ultraviolet radiation and ambient plasmas. Photoemission from solar UV radiation and collection of ambient plasma are typically opposing charging currents and simple charging current balance predicts that the lunar dayside surface should charge positively; however, the two ARTEMIS probes have observed energydependent loss cones and high-energy, surface-originating electron beams above the dayside lunar surface for extended periods in the magnetosphere, which are indicative of negative surface potentials. In this paper, we compare observations by the ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft with a one dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and show that the energy-dependent loss cones and electron beams are due to the presence of stable, non-monotonic, negative potentials above the lunar surface. The simulations also show that while the magnitude of the non-monotonic potential is mainly driven by the incoming electron temperature, the incoming ion temperature can alter this magnitude, especially for periods in the plasma sheet when the ion temperature is more than twenty times the electron temperature. Finally, we note several other plasma phenomena associated with these non-monotonic potentials, such as broadband electrostatic noise and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions, and offer possible generation mechanisms for these phenomena.

Lunar↗

It’s Not What You Take Up, It’s What You Keep: How Discoveries from Diverse Disciplines Directed the Development of the FDG PET/CT Scan

Although imaging glucose metabolism with positron emission tomography combined with X-ray CT (FDG-PET/CT) has become a standard diagnostic modality for the discovery and surveillance of malignant tumors and inflammatory processes, its origins extend back to more than a century of notable discoveries in the fields of inorganic and organic chemistry, nuclear physics, mathematics, biochemistry, solute transport physiology, metabolism, and imaging, accomplished by pioneering and driven investigators, of whom at least ten were recipients of the Nobel Prize. These tangled and diverse roots eventually coalesced into the FDG-PET/CT method, that through its many favorable characteristics inherent in the isotope used ( 18 F), the accurate imaging derived from coincidence detection of positron annihilation radiation combined with computed tomography, and the metabolic trapping of 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F] fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) in tissues, provides safety, sensitivity, and specificity for tumor and inflammation detection. Here, the authors hope that this article will increase the appreciation among its readers of the insight, creativity, persistence, and drive of the many investigators who made this technique possible. This article is followed by a review of the many applications of FDG-PET/CT to the gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary system (Mandelkern in Dig Dis Sci 2022)

2-DG↗

EdgeCortix SAKURA-I Machine-Learning, PCIe Accelerator SEE Heavy Ion Test Report

To enable autonomy in space, machine-learning and computer vision applications become invaluable for sensor processing. However, these algorithms are computationally complex and unfeasible for many embedded central processing units (CPUs) and usually require external coprocessors, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) or accelerators specific to the application, including application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In power-constrained systems, GPUs tend to consume more power than is acceptable (>40W), so lower-power accelerators have shown promise to provide the performance needed under spacecraft constraints. For radiation engineers, developing methodologies that can properly test CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators, and enable comparisons between them remains a necessary complication to solve as the devices become more complex. The methodology in this test aims to be a start in developing a baseline single-event effect (SEE) test for client-device machine learning accelerators. This category of devices do not host their own operating system. This testing campaign is a continuation of a previous 200 MeV proton test performed in January 2024. This report covers two heavy ion tests of the SAKURA-I card: one in April 2024, and one in June 2024. Additional data was needed after the April test due to ion-range issues experienced at higher linear-energy transfers (LETs). These range issues are described in more detail in Section 8. This experiment characterizes SEEs and data error susceptibility of the EdgeCortix SAKURA-I machine-learning accelerator under heavy ions. The device was monitored for single event upsets (SEUs) and single event functional interrupts (SEFIs) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 88-inch cyclotron. The SAKURA-I board accelerates machine-learning inference applications on a host computer through a PCIex16 connection. For the purposes of devising an end to end automated analysis workflow for this experiment, the YOLO-V5 and SSD300 objection-detection models, and the ResNet-50, EfficientNet, and MobileNetV2 image classification models were used as a representative suite of analytical machine-learning models.

Seth S Roffe↗

High-precision mass measurement of Si 24 and a refined determination of the r p process at the A = 22 waiting point

We report a high-precision mass measurement of 24 Si, performed with the Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The atomic mass excess, 10 753.8 (37) keV, is a factor of 5 more precise than previous results. This substantially reduces the uncertainty of the 23 Al(p ,γ) 24 Si reaction rate, which is a key part of the rapid proton capture (rp) process powering type I x-ray bursts. Furthermore, the updated rate constrains the onset temperature of the (α,p) process at the 22 Mg waiting point to a precision of 9%.

20 ≤ A ≤ 38↗

Polar Plasma Wave Observations in the Auroral Region and Polar Cap

Auroral kilometric radiation (AKR), sometimes associated with auroral myriametric radiation (AMR), has been observed by the plasma wave instrument on board Polar on almost every northern hemisphere pass. High spectral resolution plots of the AKR obtained by the wide-band receiver of the plasma wave instrument on board the spacecraft often show discrete, negative-slope striations each extending over a period of several seconds. A preliminary survey of over 4000 spectrograms (each for 48 seconds of data) indicates that the striations are seen in the northern hemisphere near apogee about 5% of the time. The frequency range is 40 kHz less than f less than 100 kHz, but a few observations of signatures have been made at higher frequency (f less than 225 khz. The frequency drift rates R, are similar ranging from -9.0 kHz/sec less than R less than -1.0 kHz/sec. No data is currently available for perigee (southern hemisphere) passes. The paucity of positive-slope features may be due to the location of the satellite at altitudes well above the AKR source region. Past studies have suggested these features are due to AKR wave growth stimulated by the propagation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves travelling up (-R) or down (+R) the field line, through the source region. High-resolution waveform data from both Polar and FAST show the presence of solitary waves in the auroral region which may also be a source of these striations. AMR is seen as diffuse emission associated with, but at lower frequency than the lower AKR. Direction finding of these emissions is not conclusive, but for one case, they have a source region distinct from the magnetic field line containing the AKR source, but possibly associated with the auroral cavity density gradient.

Menietti, J. D.↗

β -decay feeding intensity distribution of Mn 64

Nuclei around the N=40 “Island of Inversion” exhibit interesting structure features that have been the focus of several experimental and theoretical studies. Here, the present work presents the first complete study of the β-decay feeding intensity distribution and Gamow-Teller distribution for the β decay of 64 Mn to 64 Fe up to ~10 MeV. The β-decay intensity function was extracted from Total Absorption Spectroscopy measurements made at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory with the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector. The experimental results are compared to shell model calculations with and without the inclusion of the νg 9/2 orbital. From this comparison it is clear that the νg 9/2 orbital is essential for the accurate description of the 64 Fe β-decay strength above ~3 MeV, emphasizing once again the transitional nature of this nucleus into the N=40 Island of Inversion.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Investigating the effects of precise mass measurements of Ru and Pd isotopes on machine learning mass modeling

Atomic masses are a foundational quantity in our understanding of nuclear structure, astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries. The longstanding goal of creating a predictive global model for the binding energy of a nucleus remains a significant challenge, however, and prompts the need for precise measurements of atomic masses to serve as anchor points for model developments. We present precise mass measurements of neutron-rich Ru and Pd isotopes performed at the Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade facility at Argonne National Laboratory using the Canadian Penning Trap mass spectrometer. The masses of 108 Ru, 110 Ru, and 116 Pd were measured to a relative mass precision $\delta$⁢$m/m$ ≈ 10 -8 via the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique, and represent an improvement of approximately an order of magnitude over previous measurements. Further, these mass data were used in conjunction with the physically interpretable machine learning (PIML) model, which uses a mixture density neural network to model mass excesses via a mixture of Gaussian distributions. The effects of our new mass data on a Bayesian-updating of a PIML model are presented.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Investigating the time dependence of neutron-proton equilibration using molecular dynamics simulations

Neutron-proton equilibration has previously been studied experimentally in dynamically deformed nuclei in heavy ion collisions [Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 062501 (2017); Phys. Rev. C 95, 044604 (2017)] using the NIMROD detector array at the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University. Results indicated the composition of the two heaviest fragments originating from the excited projectile-like fragment evolved exponential with respect to their orientation angle to be more similar. Constrained Molecular Dynamics and Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics simulations were performed for different formulations of the density dependence of the asymmetry energy term of the nuclear equation of state. The simulations are compared to experimental results, which indicate a better agreement with a softer interaction in the nuclear equation of state.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Proton-induced reactions on Fe, Cu, and Ti from threshold to 55 MeV

Theoretical models often differ significantly from measured data in their predictions of the magnitude of nuclear reactions that produce radionuclides for medical, research, and national security applications. In this paper, we compare a priori predictions from several state-of-the-art reaction modeling packages (CoH, EMPIRE, TALYS, and ALICE) to cross sections measured using the stacked-target activation method. The experiment was performed using the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 88-Inch Cyclotron with beams of 25 and 55 MeV protons on a stack of iron, copper, and titanium foils. Thirty-four excitation functions were measured from 4–55 MeV, including the first measurement of the independent cross sections for nat Fe(p,x) 49,51 Cr, 51,52m,52g,56 Mn, and 58m,58g Co. All of the models, using default input parameters to assess their predictive capabilities, failed to reproduce the isomer-to-ground state ratio for reaction channels at compound and pre-compound energies, suggesting issues in modeling the deposition or distribution of angular momentum in these residual nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei near $N = 70$

The astrophysical origin for the chemical elements between the first and second r-process peaks is a matter of intense debate, with a number of nucleosynthesis processes at explosive stellar environments possibly contributing to their production. Reliable data on the trends of neutron separation energies of neutron-rich isotopes are required to model neutron-capture processes that would produce these elements. Masses of 104 Y, 106 Zr, 112 Mo, and 115 Tc have been measured with the time-of-flight-magnetic-rigidity (ToF–Bρ) technique at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. The experiment is the first application of the ToF–Bρ technique at the S800 spectrograph that reached the mass region relevant to heavy-element nucleosynthesis. Finally, the two-neutron separation energy deduced from the measured masses exhibits a smooth trend consistent with the theoretical predictions within the range of experimental uncertainty, indicating that there is no sudden shape transition in these isotopes as hinted at by previous data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Radionuclide tracing based in situ corrosion and mass transport monitoring of 316L stainless steel in a molten salt closed loop

In the study, we report an in situ corrosion and mass transport monitoring method developed using a radionuclide tracing technique for the corrosion study of 316L stainless steel (316L SS) in a NaCl–MgCl 2 eutectic molten salt natural circulation loop. This method involves cyclotron irradiation of a small tube section with 16 MeV protons, later welds at the hot leg of the molten salt flow loop, generating radionuclides 51 Cr, 52 Mn, and 56 Co at the salt–alloy interface. By measuring the activity variations of these radionuclides at different sections along the loop, both the in situ monitoring of the corrosion attack depth of 316L SS and corrosion product transport and its precipitation in flowing NaCl–MgCl 2 molten salt are achieved. While 316L SS is the focus of this study, the technique reported herein can be extended to other structural materials being used in a wide range of industrial applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Simultaneous Observations of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) Waves and Pitch Angle Scattering During a Van Allen Probes Conjunction

On 22 December 2015, the two Van Allen Probes observed two sets of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave bursts during a close conjunction when both Probe A and Probe B were separated by 0.57 to 0.68 R E . Here, the EMIC waves occurred during an active period in the recovery phase of a coronal mass ejection-driven geomagnetic storm. Both spacecraft observed EMIC wave bursts that had similar spatial structure within a 1–2 min time delay. The EMIC waves occurred outside the plasmasphere, within ΔL ≈ 1–2 of the plasmapause and within a few degrees in magnetic latitude of the equatorial plane. The spatial structure of the EMIC wave bursts may have been related to the proton drift paths outside the plasmasphere and influenced by total magnetic field strength variations associated with solar wind pressure enhancements. The EMIC waves were observed in a narrow L shell region from L ≈ 4.55–5.32 between 10 and 11 magnetic local time (MLT) on the outbound halves of the spacecraft orbits and from L ≈ 4.82–5.51 between 13 and 14 MLT on the inbound halves of the spacecraft orbits. However, Pc1 pulsations were observed on the ground over a broad range of local times. The anisotropy of the proton pitch angle distributions was enhanced when the EMIC waves were observed. Although the overall radiation belt response during this storm was dominated by acceleration and transport processes, the EMIC waves produced local pitch angle scattering of 13–15 keV protons and 2.1–2.6 MeV electrons, consistent with calculations of the expected resonant energies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

β -delayed charged-particle decay of Si 22 , 23

The β decay of 22,23 Si by emission of delayed charged particles was investigated in an experiment at the Cyclotron Institute of Texas A&M University by means of an optical-readout time-projection chamber. The previously-known decay of the two isotopes by β-delayed one- and two-proton emission was confirmed. Here for the first time, a new, rare, decay mode for 23 Si, β-delayed three-proton emission, was observed and β-delayed proton-α emission tentatively identified. Moreover, the β-decay pattern for the ground state of 23 Si was studied by means of multireference density-functional-rooted calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Anion exchange and extraction chromatography tandem column isolation of zirconium-89 ( 89 Zr) from cyclotron bombarded targets using an automated fluidic platform

The long-lived positron emitter 89 Zr is a highly promising nuclide employed in diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. Methods of radiochemical processing to obtain 89 Zr for clinical use are traditionally performed with a single hydroxamate resin column. In this work, we present a tandem column purification method for the preparation of high-purity 89 Zr from cyclotron bombarded Y metal foils. The primary column is a macroporous, strongly basic anion exchange resin on styrene divinylbenzene co-polymer. The secondary microcolumn, with an internal volume of 33 µL, is packed with an extraction chromatography resin (ExCR) loaded with HDEHP. A condition of “inverted selectivity” is presented, wherein the 89 Zr elution from the primary column is synonymous with the load condition on the secondary column. The ability to transfer 89 Zr from one column to the next allows two sequential column clean-up methods to be performed prior to the final elution of the 89 Zr product. This approach assures delivery of very high purity 89 Zr . The tandem column purification process has been implemented into a prototype automated fluidic system. Optimization of the method is presented, followed by evaluation of the process using seven cyclotron bombarded Y metal foil targets. Once optimized, we found that 93.7±2.3% of the 89 Zr present in the foils was recovered in the secondary column elution fraction (0.8 M oxalic acid). Radiochromatograms of the product elution peaks enabled determination of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and 89 Zr collection yields as a function of volume. Because of the small size of the secondary microcolumn, a 89 Zr product volume of ~0.28 mL is reported, which provides a substantially increased nuclide concentration over traditional methods. Finally, we evaluated the transchelation of the resulting 89 Zr oxalate product to deferoxamine mesylate (DFOM) salt. We observed effective specific activities (ESA) and bindable metals concentrations ([M B ]) that exceed those reported by the traditional single hydroxamate column method.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Cross-shell excitations in Ca 46 studied with fusion reactions induced by a reaccelerated rare isotope beam

Discovering unexplored high-spin states in neutron-rich nuclei can open up a new direction to study band structure and the associated shell structure in isospin-asymmetric many-body systems. However, experimental reach has so far been limited to neutron-deficient or stable nuclei which are preferentially produced in fusion reactions used in such studies. Here in this paper, we report the first γ-ray spectroscopy with fusion reactions using a reaccelerated rare-isotope beam of 45 K performed at the ReA3 facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Using particle and γ-ray coincidence techniques, three new higher-lying states around 6 MeV and five new γ-ray transitions were identified for 46 Ca, suggesting three independent band structures formed from different particle-hole configurations. The rotational-like band built on the 0$^+_2$ state is established up to the tentatively assigned 6$^+_2$ state. New results are compared to large-scale shell model calculations, confirming the validity of the effective interaction describing particle-hole excitations across the Z=20 and N=28 shell gaps in the vicinity of doubly-magic 48 Ca.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Coincident bursts of auroral kilometric radiation and VLF emissions associted with a type 3 solar radio noise event

This paper examines an isolated magnetospheric VLF/radio noise event that is highly suggestive of the triggering of terrestrial auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) bu solar type III radio emission and of a close relation between AKR and broadband hiss. The solar type III burst was measured on polar HF riometers and was coincident with local dayside VLF/LF noise emission bursts at South Pole station. It was also coincident with AKR bursts detected onthe AMPTE/IRM satellite, at the same magnetic local time as South Pole. On the basis of the close association of AKR and VLF bursts, and from geometric considerations relating to wave propagation, it is likely that the AKR source was on the dayside and on field lines near South Pole station. The general level of geomagnetic activity was very low. However, an isolated magnetic impulse event (MIE) accompanied by a riometer absorption pulse was in progress when all of the VLF/radio noise bursts occurred. The very close association of the typew III burst at HF with the AKR is consistent with external stimulation of the AKR, is different, more immediate,triggering process than that implied by Calvert (1981) is invoked. It is suggested here that some of the HF solar radiant energy may decay into waves with frequences comparable to those of the AKR by paraetric excitation or some other process, thus providing the few background photons required for the generation of AKR by the WU and Lee (1979) cyclotron maser instability. The AKR, perhaps by modifying the magnetospheric electron velocity distribution, might have produced the observed VLF emissions. Alternatively, the VLF emissions may have arisen from the same anisotropic and unstable electron distribution function responsible for the AKR.

Rosenberg, T. J.↗