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DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of the Ratio of the Neutron to Proton Structure Functions, and the Three-Nucleon EMC Effect in Deep Inelastic Electron Scattering Off Tritium and Helium-3 Mirror Nuclei

The proton and neutron structure functions Fp 2 and Fn 2, respectively are fundamental to understanding many studies in nuclear physics. They provide important information about quark distributions. For example, the ratio Fn 2/Fp 2 is one of the best measurements to find the ratio of d quark over u quark distribution inside the proton. While the calculations of structure functions and quark distributions are non-perturbative, they can be determined by the parameterization of experimental data. The understanding of Fn 2/Fp 2 and d/u as x -> 1 has a large influence on global fits and parameterization, and can be used to distinguish the non-perturbative models which give different predictions. However, Fn 2/Fp 2 measured using deuteron and hydrogen targets has large nuclear uncertainties at large x, because the nuclear effects in the deuteron become significant at large x. The MARATHON experiment, which ran in spring 2018 using the upgraded 11 GeV Jefferson Lab electron beam, employs a novel method. It performed deep inelastic scattering off tritium and helium-3 mirror nuclei to measure Fn 2/Fp 2 over the range x = 0.17 to x = 0.82. Since tritium and helium-3 are mirror nuclei, theoretical uncertainties largely cancel out in the ratio. The extracted Fn 2/Fp 2 has much smaller uncertainties compared with previous experiments at large x. The MARATHON experiment also provided results on the EMC effect for tritium and helium-3 nuclei. The results are considered essential for understanding the EMC effect. This thesis describes the MARATHON experiment, and presents results for Fn 2/Fp 2, and the EMC effect for tritium and helium-3.

Liu, Hanjie↗

DOE OSTI2024

Monitoring Helium Cryogen Usage with iFix Software at IB1 Test Facility

At the IB1 facility of the Applied Physics and Superconducting Technology Directorate within the Cryogenic Division at Fermilab, Liquid Helium is essential to the testing activities. The test stands require large amounts of Helium to test the thermal and superconducting cavities and magnets. The Liquid Helium that enters the test stand is monitored through a series of valves and controls to determine the start and stop for monitoring time. There are 3 phases of cryogen usage that must be considered for each stand, cooldown, warming and overnight mode. With a new system in place, cold hour tracking will be more objective and precise within each test stand ensuring better calculations for User s fees which are charged to various groups that employ the facility and aid replenishment of Helium and continual operation at IB1.

Trillo, Angelica↗

DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of helium ion production in constricted direct current plasma ion source with layered-glows

Generation of helium ions is experimentally investigated with a constricted direct current (DC) plasma ion source operated at layered-glow mode, in which electrons could be accelerated through multiple potential structures so as to generate helium ions including He{sup 2+} by successive ionization collisions in front of an extraction aperture. The helium discharge is sustained with the formation of a couple of stable layers and the plasma ball with high density is created near the extraction aperture at the operational pressure down to 0.6 Torr with concave cathodes. The ion beam current extracted with an extraction voltage of 5 kV is observed to be proportional to the discharge current and inversely proportional to the operating pressure, showing high current density of 130 mA/cm{sup 2} and power density of 0.52 mA/cm{sup 2}/W. He{sup 2+} ions, which were predicted to be able to exist due to multiple-layer potential structure, are not observed. Simple calculation on production of He{sup 2+} ions inside the plasma ball reveals that reduced operating pressure and increased cathode area will help to generate He{sup 2+} ions with the layered-glow DC discharge.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Carbon synthesis in steady-state hydrogen and helium burning on accreting neutron stars

Superbursts from accreting neutron stars probe nuclear reactions at extreme densities (ρ ≈ 10{sup 9} g cm{sup –3}) and temperatures (T > 10{sup 9} K). These bursts (∼1000 times more energetic than type I X-ray bursts) are most likely triggered by unstable ignition of carbon in a sea of heavy nuclei made during the rapid proton capture process (rp-process) of regular type I X-ray bursts (where the accumulated hydrogen and helium are burned). An open question is the origin of sufficient amounts of carbon, which is largely destroyed during the rp-process in X-ray bursts. We explore carbon production in steady-state burning via the rp-process, which might occur together with unstable burning in systems showing superbursts. We find that for a wide range of accretion rates and accreted helium mass fractions large amounts of carbon are produced, even for systems that accrete solar composition. This makes stable hydrogen and helium burning a viable source of carbon to trigger superbursts. We also investigate the sensitivity of the results to nuclear reactions. We find that the {sup 14}O(α, p){sup 17}F reaction rate introduces by far the largest uncertainties in the {sup 12}C yield.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

XUV frequency-comb metrology on the ground state of helium

The operation of a frequency comb at extreme ultraviolet (xuv) wavelengths based on pairwise amplification and nonlinear upconversion to the 15th harmonic of pulses from a frequency-comb laser in the near-infrared range is reported. It is experimentally demonstrated that the resulting spectrum at 51 nm is fully phase coherent and can be applied to precision metrology. The pulses are used in a scheme of direct-frequency-comb excitation of helium atoms from the ground state to the 1s4p and 1s5p {sup 1} P{sub 1} states. Laser ionization by auxiliary 1064 nm pulses is used to detect the excited-state population, resulting in a cosine-like signal as a function of the repetition rate of the frequency comb with a modulation contrast of up to 55%. Analysis of the visibility of this comb structure, thereby using the helium atom as a precision phase ruler, yields an estimated timing jitter between the two upconverted-comb laser pulses of 50 attoseconds, which is equivalent to a phase jitter of 0.38 (6) cycles in the xuv at 51 nm. This sets a quantitative figure of merit for the operation of the xuv comb and indicates that extension to even shorter wavelengths should be feasible. The helium metrology investigation results in transition frequencies of 5 740 806 993 (10) and 5 814 248 672 (6) MHz for excitation of the 1s4p and 1s5p {sup 1} P{sub 1} states, respectively. This constitutes an important frequency measurement in the xuv, attaining high accuracy in this windowless part of the electromagnetic spectrum. From the measured transition frequencies an eight-fold-improved {sup 4}He ionization energy of 5 945 204 212 (6) MHz is derived. Also, a new value for the {sup 4}He ground-state Lamb shift is found of 41 247 (6) MHz. This experimental value is in agreement with recent theoretical calculations up to order m{alpha}{sup 6} and m{sup 2}/M{alpha}{sup 5}, but with a six-times-higher precision, therewith providing a stringent test of quantum electrodynamics in bound two-electron systems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

On the mechanism of electromagnetic microwave absorption in superfluid helium

In experiments on electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption in the microwave range in superfluid (SF) helium [1-3], a narrow EM field absorption line with a width on the order of (20-200) kHz was observed against the background of a wide absorption band with a width of 30-40 GHz at frequencies f{sub 0} Almost-Equal-To 110-180 GHz corresponding to the roton gap energy {Delta}{sub r}(T) in the temperature range 1.4-2.2 K. Using the so-called flexoelectric mechanism of polarization of helium atoms ({sup 4}He) in the presence of density gradients in SF helium (HeII), we show that nonresonance microwave absorption in the frequency range 170-200 GHz can be due to the existence of time-varying local density gradients produced by roton excitations in the bulk HeII. The absorption bandwidth is determined by the roton-roton scattering time in an equilibrium Boltzmann gas of rotons, which is t{sub r-r} Almost-Equal-To 3.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -11} s at T = 1.4 K and decreases upon heating. We propose that the anomalously narrow microwave resonance absorption line in HeII at the roton frequency f{sub 0}(T) = {Delta}r(T)/2{pi}h appears due to the following two factors: (i) the discrete structure of the spectrum of the surface EM resonator modes in the form of a periodic sequence of narrow peaks and (ii) the presence of a stationary dipole layer in HeII near the resonator surface, which forms due to polarization of {sup 4}He atoms under the action of the density gradient associated with the vanishing of the density of the SF component at the solid wall. For this reason, the relaxation of nonequilibrium rotons generated in such a surface dipole layer is strongly suppressed, and the shape and width of the microwave resonance absorption line are determined by the roton density of states, which has a sharp peak at the edge of the roton gap in the case of weak dissipation. The effective dipole moments of rotons in the dipole layer can be directed either along or across the normal to the resonator surface, which explains the experimentally observed symmetric doublet splitting of the resonance absorption line in an external dc electric field perpendicular to the resonator surface. We show that negative absorption (induced emission) of EM field quanta observed after triggering a Kapitza 'heat gun' occurs when the occupation numbers for roton states due to 'pumping' of rotons exceed the occupation numbers of EM field photons in the resonator.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2016

Spectroscopic measurements of the parameters of the helium plasma jets generated in the plasma focus discharge at the PF-3 facility

The spectroscopic technique used to measure the parameters of the plasma jets generated in the plasma focus discharge and those of the plasma of the immobile gas through which these jets propagate is described. The time evolution of the intensities and shapes of spectral lines in experiments carried out with helium at the PF-3 facility was studied by means of electron-optical streak cameras. The plasma electron temperature, T ≈ 4–5 eV, was determined from the intensity ratio of two spectral lines, one of which (λ{sub 1} = 5876 Å) belongs to neutral helium, while the other (λ{sub 2} = 4686 Å), to hydrogen-like helium ions. The plasma density at different time instants was determined from the Stark broadening of these lines in the electric fields of different nature. The plasma density is found to vary from 4 × 10{sup 14} to 2 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3}.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Helium production prediction in HTR fuel using Monte Carlo MCB system - 18713

The integrated burnup calculation code MCB deals with the complexity of burnup process, which occurs in HTR and requires application of an integrated calculation system with consideration of spatial effects of full heterogeneous reactor model with continuous energy representation of cross section and the thermo-hydraulic coupling. MCB automatically calculates helium production in all possible reaction or decay channels. The methodology of He calculation in HTR using MCB is described. It includes transmutation trajectories analysis in few batch reloading scenarios, which allows us for integrated analysis of helium production sources. The result of performed analysis is presented showing the sources of strong contribution to the helium production rate. Statistical fluctuation effects on Monte Carlo modeling of nuclear reactors as well as the uncertainty assessment are carried out, which includes the error propagation in the depletion calculations. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Advances in understanding vacuum break dynamics in liquid helium-cooled tubes for accelerator beamline applications

Understanding air propagation and condensation following a catastrophic vacuum break in particle accelerator beamlines cooled by liquid helium is essential for ensuring operational safety. This review summarizes experimental and theoretical work conducted in our cryogenics lab to address this issue. Systematic measurements were performed to study nitrogen gas propagation in uniform copper tubes cooled by both normal liquid helium (He I) and superfluid helium (He II). These experiments revealed a nearly exponential deceleration of the gas front, with stronger deceleration observed in He II-cooled tubes. To interpret these results, a one-dimensional (1D) theoretical model was developed, incorporating gas dynamics, heat transfer, and condensation mechanisms. The model successfully reproduced key experimental observations in the uniform tube system. However, recent experiments involving a bulky copper cavity designed to mimic the geometry of a superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity revealed strong anisotropic flow patterns of nitrogen gas within the cavity, highlighting limitations in extrapolating results from simplified tube geometries to real accelerator beamlines. To address these complexities, we outline plans for systematic studies using tubes with multiple bulky cavities and the development of a two-dimensional (2D) model to simulate gas dynamics in these more intricate configurations. As a result, these efforts aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of vacuum breaks in particle accelerators and improve predictive capabilities for their operational safety.

Beamline tube↗

DOE OSTI2019

High-temperature Tribological Behavior of Structural Materials after Conditioning in Impure-Helium Environments for High_temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Applications

Incoloy 800HT and Inconel 617 have been selected as candidate structural alloys for the hightemperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) concept. Helium, the primary coolant, contains impurities (e.g., H2O and CH4) that can induce corrosion reactions at high temperatures, which in turn can affect the tribological behavior of components in sliding contact such as valves and control-rod drive systems. This paper presents results from the study of the tribological behavior of both alloys before and after conditioning them in either an impure-helium oxidizing environment or in an air environment. Both alloys were conditioned for 22 days at elevated temperatures in a once-through helium loop with 4 ppmv H2O and tested subsequently at elevated temperatures with a pin-on-disk tribometer in an air environment 650 degrees C and 750 degrees C for 800HT; 850 degrees C and 900 degrees C for 617 - with various applied loads - 1 N, 2 N and 5 N. SEM-EDS analysis revealed that conditioning the samples in an oxidizing environment leads to the formation of a mixed Fe/Cr-oxide on alloy 800HT and a Cr-oxide on alloy 617, both increasing the wear resistance compared to that of as-received samples. Alloy 617 exhibited lower steady-state friction coefficients compared to those of alloy 800HT. There was a significant decrease in the scatter of the steadystate friction coefficient of the conditioned samples compared to that of the unconditioned samples. The steady-state friction coefficient for alloy 800HT and 617 were found to be 0.53 +/- 0.07 and 0.25 +/- 0.04, respectively. The wear resistance of alloy 800HT is approximately one order of magnitude lower than that of alloy 617 in all cases that exhibited measurable wear. After sample conditioning, the wear volumes measured at low loads were undistinguishable from the unworn background, a result attributed to the formation of a compacted glaze layer under high temperatures and high contact stresses.

Alloys 800 and 617↗

DOE OSTI2021

Temperature-dependent model of helium bubble expansion and bursting in tungsten

Continuum-scale models that can reliably predict the behavior of helium in tungsten are of interest to the fusion community due to the projected impact of these materials on fusion reactor operation. In this work, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of spherical helium bubbles of various sizes in tungsten at different temperatures and depths with the goal of determining a mathematical model of the pressure and density at which the bubbles initially expand or burst as a function of depth, size, temperature, and surface orientation. The bubbles are small enough that their loop-punching pressures cannot be accurately predicted with continuum mechanics, and their expansion behavior is important, as it appears to cause many of the features observed on helium-irradiated tungsten surfaces. We vary the temperature, bubble size, bubble depth, and surface orientation in each case, recording the bubble pressure and density that result in bubble expansion. An exponential function with three adjustable parameters is found to fit the results well; the parameters that best fit our results are provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

The mobility of small, over-pressurized helium bubbles in tungsten at 2000 K

Fusion reactor environments inevitably lead to the formation of high-pressure helium bubbles whose nucleation, growth, and diffusion strongly impact the performance of plasma-facing components. Here this research describes a diffusion mechanism of over-pressurized bubbles via a sequence of Frenkel pair nucleation, self-interstitial migration, and Frenkel pair annihilation. Molecular dynamics was used to simulate the diffusion of small bubbles in tungsten at 2000 K with helium-per-vacancy ratios in the range of 4.5 to 7. The diffusion coefficients are calculated and their dependence on helium content, number of vacancies, and number of attached self-interstitials is characterized. It is found that bubbles are most mobile when the nucleation/annihilation rates of Frenkel pairs are nearly equal and when the bubbles nucleate and annihilate a single self-interstitial. All bubbles experience a peak diffusivity, which can be as high as 10 -11 m 2 /s decreasing with bubble size. The calculated diffusion coefficients provide valuable insight into the mobility of small, high-pressure bubbles, and can be used as input parameters in mesoscale models to improve predictions of plasma-surface interactions. (LA-UR-21-21881)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Behavior of helium cavities in ion-irradiated W-Ni-Fe ductile-phase toughened tungsten

This study reports on the distribution of helium (He) cavities in a hot-rolled W-Ni-Fe ductile-phase toughened tungsten (DPT W) composite irradiated to a dose and a helium concentration that are comparable to those in the material after 5-year irradiation in a conceptual fusion power plant. Here, the DPT W sample consists of W particles embedded in a ductile-phase NiFeW matrix with a nominal composition of 90W-7Ni-3Fe by weight. It was hot-rolled to a thickness reduction by 87% (87R DPT W). Sequential irradiation of the material with 1.2 MeV Ni + ions to a fluence of 2.15×10 16 Ni + /cm 2 and 90 keV He + ions to 6.5×10 15 He + /cm 2 was performed at 973 K. Larger He cavities with a lower number density are observed in NiFeW than W. Helium cavities are aggregated preferentially along the NiFeW/W interphase boundary. This behavior is not observed along the W/W grain boundary under the same irradiation conditions. A similar distribution of He cavities with comparable sizes is observed in 87R DPT W irradiated with He + ions only, suggesting that the He cavity distribution is not significantly affected by pre-irradiation of Ni + ions at 973 K. The data from this study does not provide any evidence for formation of visible voids or Ni precipitates in W phase irradiated with Ni + ions only. Diffusion and clustering of He atoms and mobile vacancies during ion irradiation at 973 K are responsible for the formation and growth of the He cavities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

MX precipitate behavior in an irradiated advanced Fe-9Cr steel: Helium sequestration and cavity swelling performance

This work is the third and final part in an initial series on addressing the behavior of MX precipitate stability in an advanced Fe-9Cr reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) alloy under fusion-relevant ion irradiation conditions. Here, the helium trapping properties of MX precipitates are investigated across varying damage levels (15–100 dpa), temperatures (400–600 °C), and helium doses (10–25 appm He/dpa) using sophisticated dual ion beam experiments and electron microscopy. Results indicate that individual MX precipitates efficiently sequester helium in the form of nanoscale bubbles at the precipitate-matrix interfaces near the peak swelling temperature (∼5 bubbles/precipitate at 500 °C). Swelling was primarily due to matrix cavities. The Fe-9Cr alloy reached 2% swelling by 100 dpa, suggesting a shift to steady-state swelling around 50 dpa at 500 °C. Furthermore, MX precipitate dissolution beginning at 15 dpa did not coincide with this onset of steady-state swelling.

Dual ion irradiation↗

DOE OSTI2018

Helium irradiation of Y 2 O 3 -Fe bilayer system

Here, Y 2 O 3 /Fe bilayer systems and associated interfaces with different crystallographic orientations were implanted with helium. High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) analysis showed that implanted helium formed larger sized bubbles at the interface than within the individual film layers. The bubbles at the interface were located on the oxide side of the interface and only “wetted” a small area of the interface. In contrast, bubbles nucleating at grain boundaries within the iron layer were observed to symmetrically form across the grain boundaries, suggesting remarkable differences in helium bubble nucleation between metal/oxide interfaces and grain boundaries in metals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Helium partitioning to the core-shelled Ta nanoclusters in nanocrystalline Cu-Ta alloy

In this work, a nanocrystalline (NC) Cu-10at.%Ta alloy is irradiated with helium at different temperatures to assess the stability and effectiveness of Ta nanoclusters in trapping helium and suppressing swelling. Advanced microstructural characterization of the room-temperature irradiated specimens indicated the presence of small He-bubbles (∼1-2 nm) at the peak damage depth mainly at the core and along the interface of Ta nanoclusters with Cu matrix. Few bubbles were found along grain boundaries, with much smaller bubbles homogenously distributed within the copper lattice. High-temperature irradiation exhibited bubbles of ∼3-5 nm, which were primarily associated with nanoclusters as compared to other locations, with no observed faceting of the bubbles. In conclusion, atom probe analysis confirmed helium partitioning to the Ta nanoclusters indicating the effective entrapment of these He atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Elevated temperature tribology of Ni alloys under helium environment for nuclear reactor applications

The current study investigates the friction and wear behavior of two primary candidate materials, Inconel 617 and alloy 800HT for high-temperature gas cooled nuclear reactors/very-high-temperature reactors. Using a custom-built high temperature tribometer, helium cooled reactor environment was simulated at room and 800 °C temperatures. Microscopy and chemical analyses were carried out to explain the tribological performance of the alloys. At elevated temperatures, both alloys show higher friction in helium, compared to air environment. Both alloys exhibit high wear resistance in all experimental conditions, except at high temperature helium environment. In conclusion, the formation of glazed and mechanically mixed layers of oxides were found to be important causes for the lower friction and wear in high temperature air atmosphere.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Freeze range of a condensing gas propagating in a liquid helium-cooled tube

Understanding air propagation and condensation following a catastrophic vacuum break in particle accelerator beamlines cooled by liquid helium is crucial for maintaining the operational safety of these facilities. Previous experimental investigations on nitrogen gas propagation in both normal liquid helium (He I) and superfluid helium (He II) cooled copper tubes unveiled a nearly exponential deceleration of the gas propagation. A comprehensive theoretical model incorporating gas dynamics, heat transfer, and condensation mechanisms has been developed, which effectively reproduces various key experimental observations. An intriguing phenomenon uncovered in our model simulation is that the gas propagation appears to nearly stop beyond a certain distance from the location where condensation starts. We refer to this distance as the freeze range. In this paper, we present our systematic study of the freeze range at various inlet mass fluxes and tube diameters. We show that the results can be well described by a simple correlation. The underlying physical mechanism that supports this useful correlation is explained. Knowing the freeze range may allow accelerator engineers to develop protocols for controlling frost-layer contamination in the beamline tubes, which is of great practical importance.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗