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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Measurement of Cohesion in Asteroid Regolith Materials

There is increasing evidence that a large fraction of asteroids, and even Phobos, have such low densities (<2 g/cu cm) that the are unlikely to be consolidated rocks in space.-Water is unlikely due to close orbits to the sun. Instead, many of these asteroids are thought to be made up of unconsolidated smaller particles of varying size referred to as rubble piles. Images of the asteroid Itokawa reinforce this hypothesis. What holds the rubble piles together? Gravitational forces alone are not strong enough to hold together rubble pile asteroids, at least not those that are rapidly spinning Van der Waals forces and or Electrostatic forces must therefore be responsible for holding them together. Previous work suggests that electrostatic forces, which are orders of magnitude stronger are far more likely. Charge build-up is a likely consequence of the interaction of airless bodies with the solar wind plasma, analogous to what has been proposed to occur on the moon. Objective: Experimentally measure cohesive forces relevant to those holding rubble pile asteroids together

meteorites↗
DOE OSTI2023

Molecular-Dynamics Analysis of the Mechanical Behavior of Plasma-Facing Tungsten

We report a systematic computational analysis of the mechanical behavior of plasma-facing component (PFC) tungsten focusing on the impact of void and helium (He) bubble defects on the mechanical response beyond the elastic regime. Specifically, we explore the effects of porosity and He atomic fraction on the mechanical properties and structural response of PFC tungsten, at varying temperature and bubble size. We find that the Young modulus of defective tungsten undergoes substantial softening that follows an exponential scaling relation as a function of matrix porosity and He atomic content. Beyond the elastic regime, our high strain rate simulations reveal that the presence of nanoscale spherical defects (empty voids and He bubbles) reduces the yield strength of tungsten in a monotonically decreasing fashion, obeying an exponential scaling relation as a function of tungsten matrix porosity and He concentration. Our detailed analysis of the structural response of PFC tungsten near the yield point reveals that yielding is initiated by emission of dislocation loops from bubble/matrix interfaces, mainly 1/2<111> shear loops, followed by gliding and growth of these loops and reactions to form <100> dislocations. Furthermore, dislocation gliding on the <111>{211} twin systems nucleates 1/6<111> twin regions in the tungsten matrix. These dynamical processes reduce the stress in the matrix substantially. Subsequent dislocation interactions and depletion of the twin phases via nucleation and propagation of detwinning partials lead the tungsten matrix to a next deformation stage characterized by stress increase during applied straining. Furthermore, our structural analysis reveals that the depletion of twin boundaries (areal defects) is strongly impacted by the density of He bubbles at higher porosities. After the initial stress relief upon yielding, increase in the dislocation density in conjunction with decrease in the areal defect density facilitates the initiation of dislocation-driven deformation mechanisms in the PFC crystal.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nonlinear susceptibilities for weakly turbulent magnetized plasma: Electromagnetic formalism

This is a companion paper to the previous work [P. H. Yoon, Phys. Plasmas 31, 032309 (2024)] in which the nonlinear susceptibilities of weakly turbulent magnetized plasma are derived under a simplifying assumption of electrostatic interaction. The present paper extends the analysis to a general situation of electromagnetic interaction. The main novelty of the previous and present papers is that by employing the Bessel function addition theorem, the mathematical definitions for the susceptibilities are substantially simplified, a procedure that has not been discussed in the existing literature. In the present paper, a full set of Maxwell’s equations are considered in conjunction with the nonlinear Vlasov equation, which is solved by a perturbative method. The result is a fully general nonlinear susceptibility, given in tensorial form, which is applicable for weakly turbulent magnetized plasmas.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2022

Single-beam plasma source deposition of carbon thin films

A single-beam plasma source was developed and used to deposit hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) thin films at room temperature. The plasma source was excited by a combined radio frequency and direct current power, which resulted in tunable ion energy over a wide range. The plasma source could effectively dissociate the source hydrocarbon gas and simultaneously emit an ion beam to interact with the deposited film. Using this plasma source and a mixture of argon and C 2 H 2 gas, a-C:H films were deposited at a rate of ~26 nm/min. The resulting a-C:H film of 1.2 µm thick was still highly transparent with a transmittance of over 90% in the infrared range and an optical bandgap of 2.04 eV. Young’s modulus of the a-C:H film was ~80 GPa. The combination of the low-temperature high-rate deposition of transparent a-C:H films with moderately high Young’s modulus makes the single-beam plasma source attractive for many coatings applications, especially in which heat-sensitive and soft materials are involved. Here, the single-beam plasma source can be configured into a linear structure, which could be used for large-area coatings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2005

Discovery of an Afterglow Extension of the Prompt Phase of Two Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift

Contemporaneous BAT and XRT observations of two recent well-covered GRBs observed by Swift, GRB 050315 and GRB 050319, show clearly a prompt component joining the onset of the afterglow emission. The rapid slewing capability of the spacecraft enables X-ray observations immediately after the burst, typically ~ 100 s following the initiation of the prompt y-ray phase. By fitting a power law form to the y-ray spectrum, we extrapolate the time dependent fluxes measured by the BAT, in the energy band 15 - 350 keV, into the spectral regime observed by the XRT 0.2 - 10 keV, and examine the functional form of the rate of decay of the two light curves. We find that the BAT and XRT light curves merge to form a unified curve. There is a period of steep decay up to ~ 300 s, followed by a flatter decay. The duration of the steep decay, ~ 100 s in the source frame after correcting for cosmological time dilation, agrees roughly with a theoretical estimate for the deceleration time of the relativistic ejecta as it interacts with circumstellar material. For GRB 050315, the steep decay can be characterized by an exponential form, where one e-folding decay time Te (BAT)~ = 24 f 2 s, and Te,(XRT)~ = 35 f 2 s. For GRB 050319, a power law decay - d l n f / d l n t = n, where n approx. ~ = 3, provides a reasonable fit. The early time X-ray fluxes are consistent with representing the lower energy tail of the prompt emission, and provide our first quantitative measure of the decay of the prompt y-ray emission over a large dynamic range in flux. The initial steep decay is expected due to the delayed high latitude photons from a curved shell of relativistic plasma illuminated only for a short interval. The overall conclusion is that the prompt phase of GRBs remains observable for hundreds of seconds longer than previously thought.

Bathelmy, S. D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advancement of hybrid fluid-kinetic modeling for HEDP and ICF science

We report on the development progress of a hybrid fluid-kinetic code for simulating fluids and plasmas in a wide range of environments, such as laser–matter interactions, inertial confinement fusion, magnetic confinement fusion, and pulsed power. The suite of numerical tools under development utilizes heterogeneous computer architectures and leverages the benefits of particle–based simulation techniques. By working to combine the kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) model with a particle-based fluid simulation technique, such as smoothed particle hydrodynamics, we are developing a flexible framework capable of accurately modeling complex flows within and between kinetic and fluid regimes. The TriForce code is under development as a C++ framework for parallel, 3D, particle-based, hybrid fluid-kinetic plasma simulations. The fluid half of TriForce will be based upon the meshless smoothed-particle-hydrodynamics (SPH) approach, well-suited for shear, mixing, and turbulence, whereas the kinetic half resembles a traditional particle-in-cell (PIC) code; other particle-based approaches to fluid modeling that do use a mesh are also possible to use and are under investigation. Maxwell’s electromagnetic field equations are solved either via explicit or implicit algorithms or approximated via resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) using an Ohm’s law and resulting induction equation (extended MHD is under development). A primary goal of enabling direct comparisons, from the same code, between results from the variants of MHD and implicit electromagnetic solutions is to improve our fundamental understanding of systems with magnetic fields. The code is under development to recover results from both radiation-MHD and fully kinetic codes in those limits, and is continuing to be developed from other follow-on grants to operate in between where both descriptions may co-exist and interact. For certain applications, it is desired for a simulation to contain fluid ions and electrons as well as kinetic ions and electrons. Typically, it is too computationally intensive to model a full-scale ICF or HEDP experiment fully kinetically since many cycles are expended with very small time steps on modeling the fluid part of a material that is well treated by the fluid approximation. In this case, many traditional PIC particles can be replaced with a single fluid particle representing the thermal part of the distribution function, and there are fewer needed kinetic particles, which describe the non-thermal part and can be sub-cycled relative to the fluid particle advance. Furthermore, a pure fluid code may, depending on the problem, simply lack many physically important details that are beyond the scope of its reduced approximations and assumptions. In this report, we summarize the objectives achieved in the development of the collisional and kinetic half of the code, and the physics problems to which the code has been applied in the areas of advanced and innovative fusion concepts, pulsed power, and magneto-inertial fusion.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2005

Discovery of an Afterglow Extension of the Prompt Phase of Two Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift

Contemporaneous BAT and XRT observations of two recent well-covered GRBs observed by Swift, GRB 050315 and GRB 050319, show clearly a prompt component of the afterglow emission. The rapid slewing capability of the spacecraft enables X-ray observations immediately after the burst, typically approximately 100 s following the initiation of the prompt gamma-ray phase. By fitting a power law form to the gamma-ray spectrum, we extrapolate the time dependent fluxes measured by the BAT, in the energy band 15 - 350 keV, into the spectral regime observed by the XRT, 0.2 - 10 keV, and examine the functional form of the rate of decay of the two light curves. We find that the BAT and XRT light curves merge to form a unified curve. There is a period of steep decay up to approximately 300 s, followed by a flatter decay. The duration of the steep decay, approximately 100 s in the source frame after correcting for cosmological time dilation, agrees with a theoretical estimate for the deceleration time of the relativistic ejecta as it interacts with circumstellar material. For GRB 050315, the steep decay can be characterized by an exponential form, where T(sub e),(BAT)approximately equal to 24 plus or minus 2 s, and T(sub e)(XRT) approximately equal to 35 plus or minus 2 s. For GRB 050319 a power law decay -d lnf/d lnt = n, where n approximately equal to 3, provides a reasonable fit. The early time X-ray fluxes are consistent with representing the lower energy tail of the prompt emission, and provide our first quantitative measure of the decay of the prompt gamma-ray emission over a large dynamic range. The initial steep decay is expected from the high latitude emission from a curved shell of relativistic plasma illuminated only for a short interval. The overall conclusion is that the prompt phase of GRBs lasts for hundreds of seconds longer than previously thought.

Barthelmy, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The use of plasma ashers and Monte Carlo modeling for the projection of atomic oxygen durability of protected polymers in low Earth orbit

The results of ground laboratory and in-space exposure of polymeric materials to atomic oxygen has enabled the development of a Monte Carlo computational model which simulates the oxidation processes of both environments. The cost effective projection of long-term low-Earth-orbital durability of protected polymeric materials such as SiO(x)-coated polyimide Kapton photovoltaic array blankets will require ground-based testing to assure power system reliability. Although silicon dioxide thin film protective coatings can greatly extend the useful life of polymeric materials in ground-based testing, the projection of in-space durability based on these results can be made more reliable through the use of modeling which simulates the mechanistic properties of atomic oxygen interaction, and replicates test results in both environments. Techniques to project long-term performance of protected materials, such as the Space Station Freedom solar array blankets, are developed based on ground laboratory experiments, in-space experiments, and computational modeling.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Decoding Early Candidacy of High Entropy Alloys for Nuclear Application using the Advanced Test Reactor through Predictive Methods and Combinatorial Testing

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are identified candidates for nuclear applications owing to their superb mechanical and thermal properties. In line with evaluating their candidacy, a challenge remains in their validity as structural replacements for extreme environments. Each compositional graded specimen consists up to four different compositions spanning the fueled zone for non-prototypical neutron irradiation testing in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). We have fabricated a set of four compositionally graded specimens using spark plasma sintering that include at least five of the following elements: Cr, C, Al, Zr, Mo, Nb, Ta, V, Ti, W, and Fe. In time for this meeting the role of temperature expected to play a role in-pile cladding chemical interactions (FCCI), mechanical interactions (FCMI), irradiation damage, creep, and resistance will be reported. The irradiated portion has a scheduled irradiation date in April 2020 and with post irradiation examination (PIE) to follow.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment for Enhanced Recovery of Highly Valued Critical REEs from Coal (Final Report)

The principle objective of this project was to develop a novel process flowsheet using low-temperature plasma treatment (LTP) integrated with conventional hydrometallurgical processes to recover rare earth elements (REEs), especially highly valued REEs (i.e. scandium and critical REEs), from coal and coal byproducts. LTP treatment was used to pretreat the solid feed material prior to leaching in an effort to improve the leaching characteristics of the REEs and potentially reduce acid consumption. Initially, a detailed experimental program was performed on a laboratory LTP furnace to identify a set of process parameter values to be used for assessing the enhanced leaching performance achieved on four specific gravity fractions of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse coal refuse materials. High-temperature oxidation (HTO)) was also evaluated as a means for improving REE leachability on the same fractions of both coal sources. The lixiviants used to assess leachability improvements included: i) untreated water, ii) 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and iii) 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 75°C. The laboratory data was used to develop multiple process flow sheets using HTO only to produce a rare earth oxide mix concentrate or utilizing both LTP and HTO treatment processes to generate a high purity heavy REO mix concentrate and a light REO mix concentrate. A techno-economic analysis was performed on each circuit. Low-temperature plasma oxidation was found to enhance REE leaching characteristics for all specific gravity (SG) fractions of the West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse material. The leaching recovery improvement was preferentially achieved for the heavy REEs with higher values obtained when treating the lower density fraction material. For example, the leaching recovery for the heavy REEs in the untreated 1.6 SG Float fraction material was 8% in a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution. After LTP treatment for 32 hours, heavy REE recovery increased to 33%. The corresponding recovery value for the light REEs was 10%. These findings indicate a strong affinity of the heavy REEs with the organic material, which is the component being reduced in content during the LTP treatment. Scanning electron micrographs showed the development of a honeycomb structure with increased LTP treatment with higher surface area as confirmed from BET measurements. Higher surface area promotes improved leaching efficiency due to enhance chemical interactions. When using 1.2 M sulfuric acid, the LTP treatment was found to provide a heavy REE recovery increase from 23% to 53% for the 1.6 SG Float fraction which corresponded to an ash content increase from around 20% to 35%. However, LTP treatment provided no improvement in leaching characteristic for the 2.2 SG sink material in the acid solution, which was likely due to the low organic content. The LTP treatment of the Fire Clay SG fractions provided no improvement in REE leaching characteristic, which may be due to the association with REE minerals such as monazite and REE-associated mineral matter such as clays. High temperature oxidation using temperatures in the range of 600-750OC was found to significantly enhance the leaching characteristics of both the light and heavy REEs for all density fractions in both coarse coal refuse materials. Generally, the increase in light REE recovery for the West Kentucky material was from 15% for the untreated material to 90% for the HTO treated material at 600°C. Recovery values dropped significantly when using temperatures below 600°C and above 750°C. The impact of the excessive temperatures was most likely a result of sintering. For the heavy REEs, HTO significantly improved recovery in the lighter SG fractions, which may be due to an affinity with the organic content. Only limited heavy REE recovery improvement was obtained for the denser SG fractions. Another benefit of HTO is the conversion of calcium-based minerals to a very soluble calcium oxide, which is removable using a mild acid solution, and the conversion of Fe minerals to relatively insoluble minerals such as hematite and magnetite. The pregnant leaching solution produced from the leaching of all SG fractions obtained from both coal sources was treated using two stages of solvent extraction procedurally modeling a rougher-cleaner circuit followed by oxalic acid precipitation. Rare earth oxide products having a purity greater than 97% was produced from nearly all of the SG fractions. A novel process flowsheet was developed based on the selective leaching of heavy REEs that was made possible through LTP treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse followed by salt leaching. In the flowsheet, coal refuse material is ground to a top size of 1mm and then treated by LTP. The treated material is mixed into a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and then filtered to produce a heavy REE enriched pregnant leach solution. The heavy REEs are concentrated by two stages of selective precipitation to produce a heavy REE mix oxalate and then roasted to obtain a heavy REO mix concentrate. The solid residues remaining after salt leaching is dried and then subjected to HTO treatment followed by concentration using selective precipitation and roasting to produce a light REO mix concentrate. An alternative circuit was developed using HTO treatment only to treat 100% of the coarse refuse material followed by selective precipitation and roasting to generate a high purity REO mix product. A techno-economic analysis performed for the treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse refuse based on a hypothetical 500-tph plant revealed that the net present value for all scenarios was significantly negative. Primary reasons include: i) a substantial decrease in the basket value of the final product relative to the feed and ii) high chemical costs relative to the amount of product generated. The basket value reduction was primarily due to little to no scandium recovery due to poor leaching characteristics when using low acid concentrations as necessitated by the low feed grades. Operating costs were primarily influenced by the chemical costs relative to the kilograms of concentrate produced and feed grade. For the Fire Clay coarse refuse material, the total operating cost was estimated to be $354 per kg of REO produced which was higher than the basket value of the REO product ($276/kg). Approximately 37% of the total cost was the sulfuric acid used during the leaching process. A comparative analysis performed to assess the economic viability of using low-temperature plasma furnaces found that market value enhancement for the generation of both heavy REO and light REO concentrates will be needed in addition to significant technology advancements to reduce the cost of plasma furnaces.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Collaborative Research Proposal: Time Resolved Optical Emissions Spectroscopy and Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges in a Gas-Liquid Water Film Reactor

Electrical discharge plasma formed in contact with liquid water is of interest for a wide range of applications in chemical, biomedical, agricultural, electrical, and materials science and engineering. Such plasma reactors are of very timely importance since they also have significant disinfection capability by inactivating bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Many types of plasma sources including those driven by AC, DC, RF, microwave, and pulsed electrical power supplies coupled to a wide range of different electrode configurations and reactor designs have been developed and explored which contact the plasma with liquid water. Recent roadmaps have recommended that further work is needed to develop our understanding of the fundamental chemical and physical process which occur at the interface of non-thermal plasma with liquid water solutions in order to advance this large diversity of applications which ultimately depend upon efficient production of key reactive chemical species. There is a wide range of interacting factors that affect the chemical reactions that occur in the plasma, in the liquid phase, and at the interface. These factors ultimately govern the key reactive chemical species formed and used in the various applications and they include a) the reactor design and input parameters, b) the discharge and transport processes, c) the plasma properties, and d) the resulting chemical reactions. For pulsed discharges, the power supply design and output parameters control the applied voltage, frequency, rise time, and width (duration) of the applied pulses. The reactor design involves specification of the gas-liquid contacting methods, electrode gap distance, reactor volume and shape, and gas and liquid flow rates achievable. The gas and liquid compositions as well as the liquid properties such as pH and conductivity are also of key importance in determination of the resulting chemical reactions. In addition, the important plasma properties include plasma gas temperature, electron density, electron energy (distribution), and size of the plasma channels which are all affected by the discharge and transport properties. Many studies have focused on specific aspects of these various processes. Of particular important and relevance to the proposed work is the utilization of nanosecond pulses to generate plasma in gas-liquid systems, liquid bubbles, underwater, and in gases. Recent advances in nanosecond pulses provide significant advantages in utilization with liquid water. For example, fast rise time and short pulses are less sensitive to water conductivity, such short pulses may provide advantages in fast temporal quenching of the plasma, and fundamental analysis of pulse properties, including pulse shape and width, may be facilitated by investigation of single filamentary fast pulses. Many studies have also dealt with the role of the gas composition on formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (i.e., hydroxyl radicals – ·OH, hydrogen peroxide – H 2 O 2 , various atomic oxygen species, ozone-O 3 , hydroperoxyl radicals HO 2 ·) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) (i.e., nitrogen oxides – NO, NO 2 , N 2 O - collectively termed NO X , nitrite-NO 2 - , nitrate-NO 3 - , peroxynitrite-ONOO - ). The hydroxyl radical is the critical species in many chemical oxidation reactions for chemical degradation of toxic compounds in water and gases and for synthesis of some compounds. The mixture of various nitrogen oxide species is important for many biochemical and biological processes involved in biomedical and agricultural applications including disinfection and fertilizer production. The present proposal focuses on determination of the effects of time resolved electron density and hydroxyl radicals on plasma chemical reactions through collaboration with the Princeton Collaborative Low Temperature Plasma Research Facility (PCRF) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). In order to further investigate the role of the plasma generated electrons and hydroxyl radicals on the overall formation of the key species including hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and nitrogen oxides, the proposed work, thus seeks to determine high resolution time resolved electron density by optical emissions spectroscopy and time resolved hydroxyl radicals using laser induced fluorescence in the nanosecond discharge reactor. The combination of data on electron density and hydroxyl radical concentration will be utilized in the present work to more fully characterize the chemical reaction processes in this system and to advance the design, development, and operation of such chemical reactors for a wide range of applications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2000

Interaction of the Local Interstellar Medium with the Heliosphere: Role of the Interior and Exterior Magnetic Fields

A complete model of the global interaction between the solar wind and the local interstellar medium must take account of interstellar neutral atoms, interstellar ionized gas, solar and galactic magnetic fields, galactic and anomalous cosmic rays. For now, however, in view of the many uncertainties about conditions in the interstellar medium, etc., all models must be regarded as highly idealized and incomplete. In the present review I concentrate on the role of magnetic fields of solar and interstellar origin. The former, the interior field, has negligible influence on the unshocked solar wind; the immediate post-shock solar wind is probably low-beta, so that the interior magnetic field is still unimportant, but this situation changes as the plasma flows through the heliosheath, and a ridge of strong magnetic field may form to separate materials of polar and equatorial origin. The exterior (interstellar) field is likely to play an important role in determining the global morphology of the system outside the termination shock. If the exterior field is strong enough, it can compress the heliosphere (although exterior neutral and/or ionized hydrogen may play the dominant role). Even if the interstellar magnetic field does not provide the dominant pressure, its orientation can substantially affect the configuration of the heliosphere, especially the location and orientation of the heliospheric discontinuities. The configurations can be quite different for the situations in which the field and flow are (a) aligned or (b) transverse. Obliquity of the field produces asymmetry in the geometry of the system; in particular the noses of heliopause and interstellar bow shock are shifted away from the interstellar flow direction, and in opposite directions, due to the asymmetric draping of the magnetic field.

Barnes, Aaron↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of Helium Flux on Near-surface Helium Accumulation in Plasma-Exposed Tungsten

We report results of object kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) simulations aimed at understanding the effect of helium flux on the near-surface helium accumulation in plasma-facing tungsten, which is initially defect-free and has a W(100) surface orientation. These OKMC simulations are performed at 933 K for fluxes ranging from 10 22 to 4 × 10 25 He/m 2 s, with 100 eV helium atoms impinging on a W(100) surface up to a maximum fluence of 4×10 19 He/m 2 . In the near-surface region, helium clusters interact elastically with the free surface. The interaction is attractive and results in the drift of mobile helium clusters towards the surface as well as increased trap mutation rates. The associated kinetics and energetics of the above-mentioned processes obtained from molecular dynamics simulations are also considered. The OKMC simulations indicate that as the flux decreases, the retention of implanted helium decreases, and its depth distribution shifts to deeper below the surface in initially pristine tungsten. Furthermore, the fraction of retained helium diffusing into the bulk increases as well, so much so that for 10 22 He/m 2 s, almost all of the retained helium diffused into the bulk with minimal/negligible near-surface helium accumulation. At a given flux, with increasing fluence, the fraction of retained helium initially decreases and then starts to increase after reaching a minimum. The occurrence of the retention minimum shifts to higher fluences as the flux decreases. Although the near-surface helium accumulation spreads deeper into the material with decreasing flux and increasing fluence, the spread appears to saturate at depths between 80 and 100 nm. Finally, we present a detailed analysis of the influence of helium flux on the size and depth distribution of total helium and helium bubbles.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Comprehensive Physics-Based Model for Study of NASA Gateway Lunar Dust Contamination

NASA is committed to landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon by 2025 to begin a sustaining presence. A major component of this mission is NASA’s orbiting lunar outpost, Gateway, that will be subjected to the harsh environment of space during its 7-day orbit around the Moon. One aspect of this environment that is not well quantified is microscopic lunar regolith particles, or simply, lunar dust. As Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene Cernan said, “I think dust is probably one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the moon. I think we can overcome other physiological or physical or mechanical problems except dust” [1]. These dust particles, most of which are smaller than the width of two human hairs and of highly irregular shape, are composed mainly of dielectric materials. Such characteristics can allow the dust particles to collect electric charge from the surrounding environment, resulting in electrostatic interactions between the dust, electromagnetic fields, and electrically charged surfaces [2-3]. Due to the nature of these fields, dust can collect on and contaminate charged surfaces. Lunar dust introduced into the Gateway environment by a lunar ascent vehicle element returning from the surface of the Moon presents risks to Gateway hardware such as radiators, solar arrays, antennae, and docking mechanisms. To quantify this risk and inform NASA, International Partner, and Commercial Provider stakeholders, Booz Allen, in partnership with NASA, is developing a toolset to model the interaction of charged lunar dust particles with the cis-lunar and deep-space environments. This includes a comprehensive physics model of the space plasma and solar radiation environment and electromagnetic interaction of spacecraft and lunar dust. Spacecraft charging and plasma environment are solved using the open-source code from The French Aerospace Lab (ONERA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), known as Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software (SPIS) [4]. The physics of particle charging and motion is handled by a time-dependent implementation of Orbital-Motion-Limited (OML) theory which accounts for plasma flows and positive potential grains [5-7], using Siemens STAR-CCM+ as the framework. Model validation includes lab experiments by NASA experts and academia, as well as future on-orbit dust detecting payloads on the exterior of Gateway and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions to the lunar surface [7-9]. The results and analyses will inform Gateway Program system owners at risk for lunar dust contamination.

Complex Plasma↗
NASA NTRS1989

Influence of charging environments on spacecraft materials and system performance

An overview is presented of potential interactions that can occur on spacecraft operating in space environments. These interactions are discussed in detail. The environment acts on spacecraft in such a way that charging of exterior surfaces occurs. The consequences from this charging then affect system operational performance. Hence, it is the coupling of this exterior charging to system performance that is of concern here. These interactions were first discovered in the spacecraft charging phenomena in which the geomagnetic substorms charged external surfaces to a level that discharges occurred. As a result of the discharge, electronic systems either changed logic state (anomalous switching) or failed. These interactions can occur in all orbits. The type associated with geosynchronous orbits is called passive since the environment provides the charging mechanism. This type can also occur in polar orbits due to auroral charging environments. In low Earth orbits, the thermal plasma alleviates charging environment concerns, but system operations can induce similar effects.

Stevens, N. John↗
DOE OSTI2020

Enhancing the efficiency benefit of thermal barrier coatings for homogeneous charge compression ignition engines through application of a low-k oxide

Prior experiments reported by the authors have proven the hypothesis that achieving a dynamic temperature swing on the combustion chamber surface will lead to improved thermal and combustion efficiencies of the homogeneous charge compression ignition engine. A thin layer of yttria-stabilized zirconia, roughly 150 μm, was plasma sprayed on the piston top. It led to markedly advanced ignition and heat release in the gasoline homogeneous charge compression ignition engine, accompanied with reduced unburnt hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions, improved combustion efficiency, and a higher thermal efficiency. A related computational study highlighted the critical role of coating thermal conductivity in achieving a desired dynamic response; hence, the second phase of experimental investigations focused on introducing structured porosity in the yttria-stabilized zirconia coating, as a means of reducing effective conductivity. Indeed, additional incremental improvements were observed, as well as limitations related to adverse effects of the surface roughness and the fuel interactions with the surface roughness and open pores. Erosion can also be a problem in a direct injection engine. Therefore, the third round of investigations focused on a material with a natively low conductivity (low-k), sprayed on the top of an Al piston in a relatively dense form, and in a way that yields a smooth surface. The objective was to capitalize on the low conductivity, while avoiding the pitfalls accompanying high-porosity formulations. The heat-storage capacity was limited by keeping the thickness relatively low. The results verify the paramount importance of thermal conductivity in the context of high “temperature swing” behavior and indicate a potential to improve the homogeneous charge compression ignition engine’s combustion efficiency roughly 1.5%, with the overall indicated efficiency improvement on the order of 5%, on a relative basis. In addition, the low-k oxide thermal barrier applied to the piston extended significantly the low-load homogeneous charge compression ignition operability limit.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Influence of Environment on Post-Detonation Chemistry and Debris Formation (Abbreviated Final Report: 20-SI-006)

Predicting, responding to, or interpreting the chemical record preserved in debris derived from nuclear events can be challenging due to chemical fractionation. Chemical fractionation is where different species of the evolving radionuclide inventory segregate and/or are lost from the system over the timescales of debris formation. Both historic data and recent research suggest that the interaction and character of the local environment may exert controls on chemical fractionation by influencing the cooling and evolution of the associated fireball as well as the composition of the vapor term and resultant speciation. Prior to this work, an integrated platform permitting dynamic and concurrent consideration of physical and chemical evolution of early time post-detonation event environments did not exist. Our work merged historic data and experimental approaches to support development of a computational framework able to simulate fundamental processes (e.g., entrainment of local environment, oxidation chemistry, and cooling time scales) that may perturb the radionuclide inventory captured in post-detonation debris. Work with historic debris confirmed that entrained environmental material affect debris composition, structure, and radionuclide incorporation. Complementary work utilizing a readily controllable and tunable benchtop setup (a plasma flow reactor) simulated the late cooling of a nuclear fireball (e.g., T < 6000 K) and bounded the sensitivity of actinide speciation and particle size distribution to variations in oxygen concentration and cooling rates. Concurrent laser ablation and laser heating experiments were used to investigate the chemistry and physics of processes occurring in vaporized and/or rapidly heated actinides and other elements in the presence of oxygen. A more computationally efficient microphysical model was developed for predicting and evolving size distributions of particles forming from mixed vapor terms and simulating particle formation processes under a variety of extreme conditions. Continued study of historic nuclear event film confirmed that shockwave data and physics codes agree to within the uncertainty of the data. Good agreement was achieved for thermal emission from an airburst, however the paucity of low-temperature molecular opacity data for mixtures of air, bomb debris, entrained dirt, and water vapor complicate agreement for more elaborate scenarios. A multiphysics code (ALE3D) was modified to bring the necessary physics and chemistry, including these new data and insights, onto a single platform. Code development included improved initialization of large physical systems, modernization of chemistry capabilities, and modifications to enable inclusion of particle transport.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Laser material interactions in tamped materials on picosecond time scales in aluminum

Here, a 100 ps laser is used to probe the pressure generation, depth of the non-solid ablator, and the non-linear optical effects through tamper materials. Samples consisted of an aluminum ablator with tampers of sapphire and coverslip glass. In general, the sapphire tamped sample achieves higher pressures at lower laser intensities as compared to the coverslip glass tamped sample. Attempts to model the details of this set of experimental data with standard available radiation coupled hydrodynamic codes make clear that more physics is needed in these simulations to accurately predict the impact of the tamper material on the pressure generation and the depth of non-solid aluminum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗