SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “neutral beam”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 577 records · Page 32

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2014

Studies of Fission Fragment Rocket Engine Propelled Spacecraft

The NASA Office of Chief Technologist has funded from FY11 through FY14 successive studies of the physics, design, and spacecraft integration of a Fission Fragment Rocket Engine (FFRE) that directly converts the momentum of fission fragments continuously into spacecraft momentum at a theoretical specific impulse above one million seconds. While others have promised future propulsion advances if only you have the patience, the FFRE requires no waiting, no advances in physics and no advances in manufacturing processes. Such an engine unequivocally can create a new era of space exploration that can change spacecraft operation. The NIAC (NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts) Program Phase 1 study of FY11 first investigated how the revolutionary FFRE technology could be integrated into an advanced spacecraft. The FFRE combines existent technologies of low density fissioning dust trapped electrostatically and high field strength superconducting magnets for beam management. By organizing the nuclear core material to permit sufficient mean free path for escape of the fission fragments and by collimating the beam, this study showed the FFRE could convert nuclear power to thrust directly and efficiently at a delivered specific impulse of 527,000 seconds. The FY13 study showed that, without increasing the reactor power, adding a neutral gas to the fission fragment beam significantly increased the FFRE thrust through in a manner analogous to a jet engine afterburner. This frictional interaction of gas and beam resulted in an engine that continuously produced 1000 pound force of thrust at a delivered impulse of 32,000 seconds, thereby reducing the currently studied DRM 5 round trip mission to Mars from 3 years to 260 days. By decreasing the gas addition, this same engine can be tailored for much lower thrust at much higher impulse to match missions to more distant destinations. These studies created host spacecraft concepts configured for manned round trip journeys. While the vehicles are very large, they are primarily made up of a habitat payload on one end, the engine on the opposite end and a connecting spine containing radiator acreage needed to reject the heat of this powerful, but inefficient engine. These studies concluded that the engine and spacecraft are within today's technology, could be built, tested, launched on several SLS launchers, integrated, checked out, maintained at an in-space LEO base, and operated for decades just as Caribbean cruise ships operate today. The nuclear issues were found to be far less daunting that [than for] current nuclear engines. The FFRE produces very small amounts of radioactive efflux compared to their impulse, easily contained in an evacuated "bore-hole" test site. The engine poses no launch risk since it is simply a structure containing no fissionable material. The nuclear fuel is carried to orbit in containers highly crash-proofed for launch accidents from which it, in a liquid medium, is injected into the FFRE. The radioactive exhaust, with a velocity above 300 kilometers per second rapidly leaves the solar system.

Werka, Robert O.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Layer by layer thin film fabrication with in-process laser patterning

A modification of the traditional layer by layer process where the substrate is irradiated with laser light during the polycation and/or polyanion dipping cycles is described. By adjusting the laser irradiation time during dipping, irradiation power, number of bilayers, and the location and speed of laser irradiation, a variety of structures with controlled thicknesses can be fabricated. Laser patterned multilayer PAH/PTEBS polymer thin films were fabricated and characterized with absorbance mapping to demonstrate several patterning approaches. Results for 1) two laser patterned tracks, 2) single laser patterned track with varied average laser power across the sample from a continuously variable neutral density filter, and 3) laser patterning using a beam sent through multiple circular apertures are described. Based on the variable neutral density filter laser pattern, for 20 bilayer PAH/PTEBS films, an absorbance difference between off and on pattern of 0.1 requires an average laser power of less than 15 mW at 405 nm. The patterns produced are on the scale of several millimeters, though they could be made much smaller by focusing the laser used for patterning.

Nanoengineering↗

NASA NTRS2006

Tether-Induced Airglow: Collisionless Effects

Martinez-Sanchez and Sanmartin [1997] showed that a bare conducting tether can be used as a source of an energetic electron beam. Interacting with the E region atmosphere, the beam should produce airglow thus making possible to deduce the neutral density on a continuous basis. Fujii et al. [2005] suggested that this idea be tested in a specially-designed sounding rocket experiment. We show that collisionless beam-plasma interactions (BPI) complement direct impact, leading to appreciable green-line (557.7 nm) emissions in the F region. In the E region, BPI develops near the entry in the valley, resulting in a narrow layer of strongly-elevated and airglow. Besides, neutralizing electric currents carried by ionospheric electrons in the valley can become unstable or even insufficient to compensate the beam current. Developing plasma waves inhibit neutralizing currents. In the extreme case, the beam might be locked in the valley (the 'virtual cathode'). In addition to optical observations, these effects can also be observed by radiophysical means.

Mishin, E. V.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Ion beam technology applications study

Specific perceptions and possible ion beam technology applications were obtained as a result of a literature search and contact interviews with various institutions and individuals which took place over a 5-month period. The use of broad beam electron bombardment ion sources is assessed for materials deposition, removal, and alteration. Special techniques examined include: (1) cleaning, cutting, and texturing for surface treatment; (2) crosslinking of polymers, stress relief in deposited layers, and the creation of defect states in crystalline material by ion impact; and (3) ion implantation during epitaxial growth and the deposition of neutral materials sputtered by the ion beam. The aspects, advantages, and disadvantages of ion beam technology and the competitive role of alternative technologies are discussed.

Sellen, J. M., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Engineering of beam direct conversion for a 120-kV, 1-MW ion beam

Practical systems for beam direct conversion are required to recover the energy from ion beams at high efficiency and at very high beam power densities in the environment of a high-power neutral-injection system. Such an experiment is now in progress using a 120-kV beam with a maximum total current of 20 A. After neutralization, the H(+) component to be recovered will have a power of approximately 1 MW. A system testing these concepts has been designed and tested at 15 kV, 2 kW in preparation for the full-power tests. The engineering problems involved in the full-power tests affect electron suppression, gas pumping, voltage holding, diagnostics, and measurement conditions. Planning for future experiments at higher power includes the use of cryopumping and electron suppression by a magnetic field rather than by an electrostatic field. Beam direct conversion for large fusion experiments and reactors will save millions of dollars in the cost of power supplies and electricity and will dispose of the charged beam under conditions that may not be possible by other techniques.

Barr, W. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Additional extensions to the NASCAP computer code, volume 3

The ION computer code is designed to calculate charge exchange ion densities, electric potentials, plasma temperatures, and current densities external to a neutralized ion engine in R-Z geometry. The present version assumes the beam ion current and density to be known and specified, and the neutralizing electrons to originate from a hot-wire ring surrounding the beam orifice. The plasma is treated as being resistive, with an electron relaxation time comparable to the plasma frequency. Together with the thermal and electrical boundary conditions described below and other straightforward engine parameters, these assumptions suffice to determine the required quantities. The ION code, written in ASCII FORTRAN for UNIVAC 1100 series computers, is designed to be run interactively, although it can also be run in batch mode. The input is free-format, and the output is mainly graphical, using the machine-independent graphics developed for the NASCAP code. The executive routine calls the code's major subroutines in user-specified order, and the code allows great latitude for restart and parameter change.

Mandell, M. J.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Delivery of H - / H + Beams to Area A

We explore the relative merits of transporting the beam from the H + ion source and from the H - ion source to Area-A for low current applications. Transporting the H - beam to Area-A using the laser neutralization approach has some risk associated with it and will require some development. Alternative method of delivering H - beam to Area-A includes replacing LDBM00 bending magnet with kicker for sharing beam between Line D and modified Line A. Transporting the H + beam to Area-A will have significant impact on the operation the IPF facility and maintaining high pulse rate to IPF will require major modifications to the transition region of the accelerator and Drift Tube Linac.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS1984

A low Earth orbit molecular beam space simulation facility

A brief synopsis of the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite environment is presented including neutral and ionic species. Two ground based atomic and molecular beam instruments are described which are capable of simulating the interaction of spacecraft surfaces with the LEO environment and detecting the results of these interactions. The first detects mass spectrometrically low level fluxes of reactively and nonreactively surface scattered species as a function of scattering angle and velocity while the second ultrahigh velocity (UHV) molecular beam, laser induced fluorescence apparatus is capable of measuring chemiluminescence produced by either gas phase or gas-surface interactions. A number of proposed experiments are described.

Cross, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Development and fabrication of a solar cell junction processing system

Experiments were completed which indicate that single-pulse, liquid-phase epitaxial regrowth is the optimum technique for pulsed electron beam annealing of ion implantation damage in silicon wafers. An electron beam which covers the entire area of the wafer was chosen for the solar cell processor. Beam control experiments to improve beam propagation and to test the concept of partial space charge and current neutralization were initiated. The electrical parameters of the pulsed electron beam subsystem were chosen on the basis of computer calculations and past experience in pulsed electron accelerator design and operation. The pulser, designated SPI-PULSE 7000, is designed to anneal 10 cm diameter silicon wafers at a rate of 30 per minute. The preliminary design of the major elements of the SPI-PULSE 7000 was completed, and the detailed design of many of the components begun. These elements include a capacitive energy store and charging system, an electron accelerator, a beam control system, a wafer handling system and pressure and vacuum assemblies.

Halvason, W.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Thermoreflectance Detection of Point Defects Resulting from Focused Ion Beam Milling

Focused ion beam (FIB) milling is a commonly used tool for nanoscale material processing, such as for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation, or the creation of fiducial markers prior to other processes and measurements. During milling, a high energy ion beam is used to remove material via sputtering. The expelled target material may return to the sample surface however, affecting subsequent measurements. Beam spreading or irradiation due to neutral gallium may also irradiate a larger area than intended. Extensive research has explored the effects of FIB milling on the prepared TEM sample, but few have looked at the effects of milling on the properties of the sample surrounding the milled region. We use multiple pump-probe laser-based techniques (time domain thermoreflectance and steady-state thermoreflectance) to measure the spatial extent of FIB-induced surface/subsurface changes on a series of silicon wafers milled at multiple currents and doses. We supplement these measurements with high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, stylus profilometry, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. We find a sample surface affected by the FIB up to 1 mm from where milling occurred, with a notable dependence on the ion beam current. We also note remarkably high sensitivity to surface defects using the thermoreflectance metrologies, including detection where other measurements failed.

defects↗

NASA NTRS1990

The status of cesium beam frequency standards

There has been a lot of progress in cesium beam frequency standards in the last few years some of which will be reported here. Optical pumping is being pursued actively in a number of laboratories. Optically slowed and cooled beams have been demonstrated as well as traps for cold neutral atoms. The microwave cavity performance with regard to local phase shift at the beam holes was improved by use of carefully designed and built ring structures for the cavity ends. Work is being done on improvements in electronics with some emphasis on use of digital circuitry and microprocessors. The frequency pulling due to microwave Delta M = +/- 1 transitions (Ramsey pulling) was analyzed and shown to be important. Status of cesium beam frequency standards in some of the laboratories as well as some of the commercial work is discussed. Optical pumping and detection are discussed.

Cutler, Leonard S.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Etching of Si 3 N 4 induced by electron beam plasma from hollow cathode plasma in a downstream reactive environment

An etching system based on the interaction of electrons extracted from a direct current (DC) hollow-cathode (HC) Ar plasma and injected towards a Si3N4 covered silicon substrate located in the downstream reactive environment created by an additional remote CF 4 /O 2 plasma source was developed and evaluated. By controlling the properties of the injected beam electrons, this approach allows to deliver energy to a surface functionalized by exposure to reactive species, and initiate surface etching. The energy of the primary beam electrons is controlled by the acceleration voltage relative to the HC discharge. Ar atoms flow from the high-pressure HC discharge into the low pressure downstream reactive environment in the process chamber. For an acceleration voltage greater than the ionization potential of Ar and/or process gas species, the energetic primary beam electrons produce a secondary plasma in the process chamber, and can also cause additional dissociation. We have characterized the properties of the secondary plasma and also surface etching of Si 3 N 4 as a function of process parameters, including acceleration voltage (0-80 V), discharge current of the HC discharge (1-2 A), pressure (3.5-20 mTorr), source to substrate distance (1.5 to 5 cm), and feed gas composition (20% and 80% O2 in CF 4 /O 2 ). The electron energy probability function (EEPF) measured with a Langmuir probe about 2.5 cm below the extraction ring suggests several major groups of electrons for this situation, including high energy primary beam electrons with an energy that varies as the acceleration voltage is changed and low energy electrons produced by beam electron-induced ionization of the Ar gas in the process chamber. When a remote CF 4 /O 2 plasma is additionally coupled to the process chamber, Si 3 N 4 surfaces can be functionalized, and by varying the energy of the beam electrons, Si 3 N 4 etching can be induced by electron-neutral synergy effect with plasma-surface interaction. For conditions without beam electron injection, the remote plasma etching rate (ER) of Si 3 N 4 depends strongly on the O 2 concentration in the CF 4 /O 2 processing gas mixture and can be suppressed for O 2 -rich process conditions by the formation of a SiONF passivation layer on the Si 3 N 4 surface. The combination of the HC electron beam source with the remote plasma source (HCEB-RP) makes it possible to induce Si 3 N 4 etching for O 2 -rich remote plasma conditions where remote plasma by itself produces negligible Si 3 N 4 etching. The electron enhanced etching of Si 3 N 4 depends strongly on O 2 /CF 4 mixing ratio reflecting changing arrival rates of O and F species at the surface. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to estimate the ratio of gas phase F and O densities and found to be controlled by the gas mixing ratio and independent of HC EB operating conditions. At this time the detailed sequence of events operative in the etching mechanism is unclear. While the increase of the electron energy is ultimately responsible for initiating surface etching, at present we cannot rule out a role of ions from the simultaneously produced secondary plasma in plasma surface interaction mechanisms.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Strangeness-correlations on the pseudocritical line in ( 2 + 1 )-flavor QCD

We present some lattice QCD results on first ( χ 1 i ) and second ( χ 2 i ) cumulants of and correlations ( χ 11 i j ) among net baryon-number ( B ), strangeness ( S ) and electric charge ( Q ) along the pseudocritical line [ T p c ( μ B ) ] in the temperature ( T )–baryon chemical potential ( μ B ) phase diagram of ( 2 + 1 )-flavor QCD. We point out that violations of sum rules among second order cumulants, which hold in the isospin symmetric limit of vanishing electric charge chemical potential, are small along the T p c ( μ B ) for the entire range of μ B covered in the RHIC beam energy scan. For the strangeness neutral matter produced in heavy-ion collisions this leads to a close relation between χ 11 B S and χ 11 Q S . We compare lattice QCD results for χ 11 B S / χ 2 S along the T p c ( μ B ) line with preliminary experimental measurements of χ 11 B S / χ 2 S for collision energies 7.7 GeV ≤ s N N ≤ 62.4 GeV . While we find good agreements for s N N ≥ 39 GeV , differences are sizeable at smaller values of s N N . Moreover, we compare lattice QCD results for the ratio of the strangeness ( μ S ) to baryon ( μ B ) chemical potentials, which define a strangeness neutral system with fixed electric charge to baryon number density, with experimental results obtained by the STAR collaboration for μ S / μ B using strange baryon yields on the freeze-out line. Finally, we determine the baryon chemical potential at the freeze-out ( μ B f ) by comparing χ 1 B / χ 2 B along the T p c ( μ B ) with the experimentally measured net-proton cumulants χ 1 p / χ 2 p . We find that { μ B f , T p c ( μ B f ) } are consistent with the freeze-out parameters of the statistical-model fits to experimentally measured hadron yields for s N N ≥ 11.5 GeV . Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Property-Graded Stainless Steel 316L by Selective Laser Melting: Characterization & Design

Abstract The purpose of this research work is to characterize and inform the design of (mechanical) property-graded bulk structures made from a single metallic alloy via a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process, with an end goal of creating repeatable/reproducible functionally-graded additively manufactured (FGAM) parts. This paper specifically investigates the manufacture of stainless steel (SS) 316L structures via a pulsed selective laser melting (SLM) process, and the underlying causes of property variations (within a functionally-acceptable range) through various material characterization techniques. For this, a design of experiments spanning the volumetric energy density (VED) based process parameter design space was utilized to investigate the range of functionally-acceptable physical/mechanical properties achievable in SS 316L. Five sample conditions (made via different process parameter combinations) were down-selected for in-depth microstructure analysis and mechanical/physical property characterization; these were suitably selected to impart a wide and controllable property range (209–318 HV hardness, 90–99.9% relative density, and 154–211 GPa modulus). It was observed that property variations resulted from combinations of porosity types/amounts, martensitic phase fractions, and grain sizes. Based on these findings, property-graded standard test specimens were designed and manufactured for further investigation—tensile specimens having a monotonic hardness change along its gauge length, four-point bending specimens with varying elastic moduli as a function of the distance from the neutral axis, and Moore’s rotating beam fatigue specimens with moduli variations based on the distance from the center. Altogether, this work lays the foundation for understanding and designing the local and global mechanical performance of FGAM bulk structures.

Engineering↗

DOE OSTI2024

MicroBooNE Electron-Neutrino Cross-Section Results

Measurement of the electron-neutrino cross-section with argon ($\nu$-Ar) is crucial for current and future neutrino experiments. Results from MicroBooNE detector, a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) based at Fermilab, provide the most extensive and precise determination of these electron-neutrino cross-sections. MicroBooNE is situated on both on-axis and off-axis beams: the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam, respectively. The background for both beams is dominated by showers from neutral pion decay, necessitating an electron-photon separation technique. In this proceeding, we review three recent electron-neutrino cross-section results from MicroBooNE using NuMI and BNB.

Guzzo, Marina [Edinburgh U.]↗

NASA NTRS1979

Potential mapping with charged-particle beams

Experimental methods of mapping the equipotential surfaces near some structure of interest rely on the detection of charged particles which have traversed the regions of interest and are detected remotely. One method is the measurement of ion energies for ions created at a point of interest and expelled from the region by the fields. The ion energy at the detector in eV corresponds to the potential where the ion was created. An ionizing beam forms the ions from background neutrals. The other method is to inject charged particles into the region of interest and to locate their exit points. A set of several trajectories becomes a data base for a systematic mapping technique. An iterative solution of a boundary value problem establishes concepts and limitations pertaining to the mapping problem.

Robinson, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Chemical releases in the ionosphere

The study of the interaction between the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere is identified as a major task worthy of pursuit. The present review demonstrates the major contributions to this complex problem already made by active experiments involving the injection of chemicals and energetic electron beams into the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere. Through the use of chemical releases, it has been possible to investigate a number of quantities including high-altitude winds and electric fields, the detailed configurations of the geomagnetic field within the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, as well as the propagation of energetic particle beams and their interaction with natural neutral and ionized constituents of the high atmosphere. So far, virtually all of this effort has been accomplished using rockets. In the future, it is obvious that satellite platforms will play a greater role, both in making injections and in observing their effects.

Davis, T. N.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Detection of surface glow related to spacecraft glow phenomena

A source of low energy neutral atoms and molecules has been developed by using a biased limiter to scrape off and reflect neutralized ions from a toroidal plasma. Beams of nitrogen and nitrogen-oxygen mixtures with energies of 1 to 15 eV and fluxes greater than about 10 to the 14 per centimeter per second were directed onto target surfaces consisting of Z-302 and Z-306 paints. With the nitrogen beams, a glow due to beam-surface interactions was successfully detected. In addition, a volume glow effect due to beam-gas interactions was observed which may play a role in spacecraft glow.

Langer, W. D.↗