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At least 613 records · Page 34

Breakdown front dynamics of streamer-like discharge in electron-charged polymethyl methacrylate

We present the results of an experimental study of fast breakdown in electron-charged polymethyl methacrylate. We irradiate bulk polymethyl methacrylate disks with diameters up to one meter at different implanted charge densities and measure the discharge current during the forced electrical breakdown of the material. We infer the breakdown dynamics from these current waveforms, including the velocity and time dependence of the electric field driving the breakdown, and compare these results with the physical electrical tree patterns left behind in the material. We find that the dynamics and physical characteristics of the breakdown channels in electron-irradiated solids depart from typical expectations of electrical treeing behavior in solid materials. Thus, we interpret these results as an expression of streamer discharges in dense gases motivated by the existence of trapped gases in the solid due to radiation damage. We show that the dynamics of the breakdown channels in the electron-charged solid dielectric material is well described by applying standard streamer physics to this physical system. The results show that the dynamics of breakdown channels in solid dielectric material is a promising avenue to further understand streamer discharges in different media under extreme conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Vehicle charging and potential on the STS-3 mission

An electron gun with fast pulse capability was used in the vehicle charging and potential experiment carried on the OSS-1 pallet to study dielectric charging, return current mechanisms, and the techniques required to manage the electrical charging of the orbiter. Return currents and charging of the dielectrics were measured during electron beam emission and plasma characteristics in the payload bay were determined in the absence of electron beam emission. The fast pulse electron generator, charge current probes, spherical retarding potential analyzer, and the digital control interface unit which comprise the experiment are described. Results show that the thrusters produce disturbances which are variable in character and magnitude. Strong ram/wake effects were seen in the ion densities in the bay. Vehicle potentials are variable with respect to the plasma and depend upon location on the vehicle relative to the main engine nozzles, the vehicle attitude, and the direction of the geomagnetic field.

Williamson, R.↗

Novel methods for TH-229 production through fast neutron irradiation of TH-23F0 and charged particle irradiation of Th-230 and Th-232. Final Report DE-SC0020140

The activities and results of research related to accelerator production of Pa and Th isotopes via bombardment of 230 Th and 232 Th targets are described herein. This research was supported through DOE grant DE-SC0020140 and was conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Cross section measurements, transport model and nuclear physics model calculations are presented. Highlights include the first ever measurements of 229 Pa, two publications, and graduation of a PhD student.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Liquid Salt Combined-Cycle Pilot Plant Design

The work described in this report is responsive to the Office of Fossil Energy program ‘Energy Storage for Fossil Power Generation.’ This Phase I report has been prepared by Pintail Power LLC, with support from Nexant ECA, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Southern Company Services as a deliverable for the U.S. Department of Energy for NETL Award DE-FE-00320016. The Liquid Salt Combined Cycle™ (LSCC™) technology provides large-scale energy storage integrated with Fossil Electric Generating Units (FEGUs) to meet critical needs in the energy transition by providing: • the lowest cost large-scale storage for time-shifting of renewable energy, • superior fuel efficiency to reduce GHGs from dispatchable resources, • flexible capacity and ramping to balance variability of wind and solar resources, • essential grid stability services to assure reliability of a low-carbon grid. The LSCC approach: • employs equipment that has already been proven in utility service, • uses safe, non-toxic, non-degrading, perpetual-life storage medium, • leverages and repurposes existing FEGU assets, • expands the value stack of energy storage to reduce market, financing, and commodity risks. Pintail Power has developed the LSCC technology to meet the need for reliable, efficient, and cost-effective integration of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) into a low-carbon electric grid by coupling proven thermal energy storage with proven gas turbines, steam turbines, and heat transfer equipment. This novel approach is intended to address the key issues facing the grid and operators of renewable and fossil generating units including: • Overgeneration and curtailment of renewables, • Need for fast ramping dispatchable resources, • Improved efficiency and flexibility of fossil units, • Additional peaking capacity to support electrification of transportation and heating, • Provision of reliability services to support high penetration of VRE, especially synchronous inertia and fast frequency response. A Technology Readiness assessment by EPRI confirmed that LSCC technology consists of commercially proven hardware used in industrial and utility applications. Although the novel LSCC approach has not yet been demonstrated as a complete system, interfaces between major components have been conservatively specified. A Phase III pilot is planned to demonstrate equipment integration and operation. The patented innovation is removal of the evaporator section from the exhaust heat recovery system, with the evaporation performed by stored energy in a separate steam generator. This arrangement couples renewable and fossil power generation via long-duration energy storage to deliver cost, performance, and operational synergies, including superior charging and discharging flexibility, reduced fuel consumption and lower CO 2 emissions compared to conventional Combined Cycle Power Plants, and low-cost, large-scale energy storage. The LSCC technology is composed of proven equipment integrated with gas turbine exhaust heat in a novel system. During charging, electric heaters raise the salt temperature as it flows from the Cold Salt Tank to the Hot Salt Tank. During discharging, hot salt produces steam from feedwater that is heated with gas turbine exhaust, which also superheats steam to drive a steam turbine. LSCC technology can be added to any combustion-turbine to integrate renewable energy, provide needed grid services, and increase the value of fossil electric generating units based on the technology’s following attributes: • Long-duration storage enables time-shifting of VRE to avoid curtailment and impairment of renewable assets. • Long storage duration combined with fast-charging capability increases arbitrage opportunities by storing more energy when the price is low and discharging more hours when the price is high. • Long storage duration allows resource adequacy to be supplied across multiple days to increase reliability and reduce risk. • The stored energy reduces fuel heat rate and GHG emissions, and increases merit, so the LSCC dispatches earlier and longer to increase the plant’s capacity factor and asset value. • The stored energy enables pre-heating and startup of the steam cycle, without operating the gas turbine, to enable fast startup and ramping when dispatched for discharge. • The steam turbine can operate without the gas turbine so it can provide valuable synchronous inertia during charging without consuming fuel. • Fast frequency response and regulation services can be provided during charging using solid-state heater and pump controls to vary the charge power input in response to grid signals. • The LSCC system can be configured for resilience including black start, islanded/micro-grid operation, and even self-recharging of storage using either gas turbine power or gas turbine exhaust heat. The commercialization plan is to add LSCC technology to existing simple cycle gas turbine power plants with the 50MW GE LM6000 aero-derivative gas turbine as the reference design basis. A Techno-economic assessment of the reference design evaluated the benefits (Levelized Avoided Cost of Energy) and costs (Levelized Cost of Energy). The plant definition included all major systems and budgetary vendor quotes. Pintail Power and NexantECA developed the overall cost estimate for the LSCC plant up to the total plant cost level, following the DOE-NETL cost estimate guidelines at AACE Class 3 (-20%/+30%). This includes the equipment cost, bulk material, direct and indirect labor costs to arrive at the bare erected cost. Engineering costs are factored from the BEC and added to it to arrive at the EPC cost. Process and project contingencies were then factored from the EPC cost and rolled-up to yield the total plant cost of $\$$184 million for 1746 MWh of discharge electricity. • At $\$$105/kWh, the reference plant costs less than any of the Energy Storage Systems evaluated by PNNL in 2020 for the Energy Storage Grand Challenge. Operations and Maintenance cost estimates were scaled from combined cycle practice, assuming that the LSCC unit was co-located with and sharing some labor expense with other units, to arrive at $\$$2.2 million per year. Plant economics were evaluated using prices from the ERCOT Day-Ahead Market for calendar year 2019 (excluding the market disruptions from the COVID pandemic and the February 2020 deep freeze event). Assuming economic dispatch in the ERCOT Day-Ahead market, the reference plant capacity factor would have discharged for 2777 hours at 91.9 MW, a 31.66% capacity factor, with a marginal cost of $\$$25.59/MWh, and a LACE of $\$$82.41/MWh. Fixed charges were calculated according to EIA guidelines to arrive at an LCOE of $\$$83.48. The benefit-to-cost ratio of 0.99 suggests that the reference plant would have been cost-effective and competitive in the market. EPRI interviewed selected utilities to gauge the need for, applicability of and interest in the LSCC system. Several utilities are currently managing increased load growth along with the inclusion of increasing levels of renewable generation, putting pressure on conventional generation by requiring increased turndown requirements and ultimately lower capacity factors. All of the utilities interviewed have CO 2 reduction targets in the 2030-2050 timeframe that will severely limit the participation of fossil generation and require better utilization of carbon free generation. While there is limited opportunity for storage in the current markets, the utilities interviewed stated that there will be a substantial need for long duration energy storage in the future given the expected trends. Utilizing an energy storage system will generally be preferred over new gas capacity in some cases, with the capabilities of the LSCC system being a potential option for retrofit to existing simple cycle gas turbine units, allowing them to deliver greater participation in the market with lower carbon intensity. A technology gap assessment and technology maturation plan identified a pilot-scale demonstration as the final step before commercialization. Key gaps to be addressed during the Phase II FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) are component selection and design, commissioning procedures, and operational procedures and the control system for LSCC charging and discharging. The project team has been expanded to include Wood Group PLC as EPC. The proposed Phase II work leads to a pilot-scale engineering demonstration (TRL 6) to be conducted at Southern Company’s Plant Rowan, where the prototype system will perform “all the functions that will be required of the operational system.” The proposed pilot will facilitate commercialization (TRL-9) by scale-up to utility-scale systems integrated with peaking GTs or directly to facility scale systems using industrial GTs. The conceptual design for the pilot plant focuses on the novel integration aspects of LSCC technology. A slipstream of gas turbine exhaust will feed a waste heat recovery unit coupled to a molten salt steam generator heated by stored energy. The pilot is intended to demonstrate all key operating modes of the LSCC technology during charging, discharging and standby. The pilot equipment will be approximately one-seventh scale of the LM6000 commercial target and is expected to have commercial off-ramp potential for facility-scale applications.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Double Image Polarimeter—Ultra Fast: Simultaneous Three-color (BVR) Polarimeter with Electron-multiplying Charge-coupled Devices

We describe a new instrument capable of high-precision (10{sup −5}) polarimetric observations simultaneously in three passbands (BVR). The instrument utilizes electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EM CCD) cameras for high efficiency and fast image readout. The key features of the Double Image Polarimeter—Ultra Fast (DIPol-UF) are: (i) the optical design with high throughput and inherent stability; (ii) great versatility, which makes the instrument optimally suitable for observations of bright and faint targets; and (iii) a control system, which allows the use of the polarimeter remotely. Examples are given of the first results obtained from high signal-to-noise observations of bright nearby stars and of fainter sources such as X-ray binaries in their quiescent states.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Photoinduced charge transfer in transition metal dichalcogenide heterojunctions – towards next generation energy technologies

Increasing interest in using two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) in optical energy conversion technologies creates a demand for improving the yields and lifetimes of photogenerated charge carriers. Despite inherently fast photocarrier decay in neat 2D TMDCs, the unique photophysics in these quantum-confined systems motivates continued effort to control the evolution of photoexcited states and create functional devices. Here, an intriguing strategy to accomplish this goal is to employ TMDCs in heterojunctions with appropriate semiconductors, where energy level offsets drive photoinduced charge transfer (PCT) across material interfaces. PCT in TMDC-based systems can be optimized for many different applications, such as driving free carriers to photocatalytic sites for redox reactions like water splitting, extracting charge to perform work in photovoltaics or photodetectors, and manipulating the spin and momentum valley electronic degrees of freedom for quantum computing systems. Here, we review recent strides in optimizing PCT for such applications through greater fundamental understanding of the photophysics that occurs at TMDC/semiconductor interfaces. After giving an overview of isolated TMDC properties, synthetic methods, and the basics of PCT, we discuss TMDCs in heterojunctions with several classes of materials, including other TMDCs, small molecule semiconductors, polymers, single-walled carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, perovskites, and electrolytes. In addition to highlighting the unique benefits of each materials category, we also identify parallels across common themes, such as the roles of charge-transfer states, spin, electronic coupling, delocalization, interfacial atomic morphology, and the precise design of energy landscapes to direct charge and energy motion. We hope to capture a broad range of the valuable work in this fast-paced field to inspire new research directions for employing PCT in targeted TMDC-based systems.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Thermal Analysis of a 100 kW Polyphase Wireless Power Transfer System

Charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) fast and safely has a crucial role in the future of the EV technology. High-power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) helps to significantly decrease the charging time. However, when the power transfer levels increase, thermal management becomes a significant challenge. The thermal design of the WPT systems needs more consideration in the design and implementation steps. This paper presents a thermal analysis of a 100 kW high-power WPT system. The thermal performance of the proposed design was evaluated at different power levels by considering the magnetic design and loss analysis. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the proposed design was performed and the thermal images of the implemented system were taken to prove the simulation results. The results show that, a liquid cooling design is needed for a high-power WPT systems for the long-time continuous operations of the charging pads.

Aydin, Emrullah↗

Study of photon emission by electron capture during solar nuclei acceleration, 1: Temperature-dependent cross section for charge changing processes

The study of charge changing cross sections of fast ions colliding with matter provides the fundamental basis for the analysis of the charge states produced in such interactions. Given the high degree of complexity of the phenomena, there is no theoretical treatment able to give a comprehensive description. In fact, the involved processes are very dependent on the basic parameters of the projectile, such as velocity charge state, and atomic number, and on the target parameters, the physical state (molecular, atomic or ionized matter) and density. The target velocity, may have also incidence on the process, through the temperature of the traversed medium. In addition, multiple electron transfer in single collisions intrincates more the phenomena. Though, in simplified cases, such as protons moving through atomic hydrogen, considerable agreement has been obtained between theory and experiments However, in general the available theoretical approaches have only limited validity in restricted regions of the basic parameters. Since most measurements of charge changing cross sections are performed in atomic matter at ambient temperature, models are commonly based on the assumption of targets at rest, however at Astrophysical scales, temperature displays a wide range in atomic and ionized matter. Therefore, due to the lack of experimental data , an attempt is made here to quantify temperature dependent cross sections on basis to somewhat arbitrary, but physically reasonable assumptions.

Perez-Peraza, J.↗

Direct measurement of 59 Ni( n, p ) 59 Co and 59 Ni( n, α ) 56 Fe at fast-neutron energies from 500 keV to 10 MeV

We report nuclear reaction data for neutron induced reactions on unstable nuclei are critical for a wide range of applications spanning studies of nuclear astrophysics, nuclear reactor designs, and radiochemistry diagnostics. However, nuclear data evaluations of the reaction cross sections are largely based on calculations due to the difficulty in performing this class of measurements and the resulting lack of experimental data. For neutron induced charged particle reactions at fast neutron energies, at the MeV scale, these cross section predictions are predominately driven by statistical Hauser-Feshbach calculations. In this work, we present partial and total 59 Ni(n, p) and 59 Ni(n, α) cross sections, measured directly with a radioactive 59 Ni target, and compare the results to the present nuclear data evaluations. In addition, the results from this work are compared to a recent study of the 59 Ni(n, xp) reaction cross section that was performed via an indirect surrogate ratio method. The expected energy trend of the cross section, based on the current work, is inconsistent with that of the surrogate work. This calls into question the reliability of that application of the surrogate ratio method and highlights the need for direct measurements on unstable nuclei, when feasible.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Time-Resolved X-ray Operando Observations of Lithiation Gradients across the Cathode Matrix and Individual Oxide Particles during Fast Cycling of a Li-Ion Cell

Lithiated transition metal oxides serve as active materials in the positive electrode (cathode) of lithium-ion cells. During electrochemical cycling, lithium ions intercalate and deintercalate into these oxide particles. This behavior causes two types of lithiation gradients to emerge: (i) a bulk gradient across the depth of the cathode matrix (averaged over individual oxide particles) and (ii) a microscopic gradient across the particles themselves, which also depends on their location in the electrode. Here we show how both gradients can be studied using operando X-ray diffraction during 4C charge and 4C discharge. The oxide (de)lithiation is estimated from the unit cell parameters by indexing the X-ray diffraction spectra. By fitting the lithiation profiles with orthogonal polynomials, the bulk gradients across the electrode thickness are quantified. These gradients develop as the current flows through the cell and dissipate during open-circuit and potentiostatic-hold periods. Further details of lithiation dynamics can be obtained through shape analysis of the Bragg peaks. In particular, from electrochemical model simulations, we show that the width and skewness of the (003) peak track (de)lithiation fronts moving across the individual oxide particles.

(003) peak↗

Anticipated Electrical Environment at Phobos: Nominal and Solar Storm Conditions

A passing coronal mass ejection (CME) will manifest a different response at an airless body compared to a magnetized planet. Specifically,because the regolith-rich surfaces of airless bodies are directly exposed to the variations in the plasma flow, the surfaces are found to undergo anomalous surface charging during the passing of CME fast plasma events. In this study, we model the surface charging expected at Phobos for nominal solar wind conditions and also those associated with disturbed solar wind conditions during the passage of a CME similar to that observed by MAVEN at Mars in early March 2015. We use an ambipolar diffusion model to examine the development of the trailing wake void in the plasma flow behind Phobos and the formation of mini-wakes within obstruction regions like Stickney Crater. We also consider the roving of an astronaut in Stickney Crater for Phobos positioned near 10 hours Local Time relative to Mars. We examine the plasma dissipation of the collected astronaut charge from contact electrification with the regolith.

Phobos; Surface chargin↗

Spatially Offset Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy: Observing Exciton Transport through a Vibrational Lens

To design better molecular electronic devices, we need a strong understanding of how charges or excitons propagate, as many efficiency losses arise during transport. Exciton transport has been difficult to study because excitons tend to be short-lived, have short diffusion lengths, and can easily recombine. Here, we debut spatially offset femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SO-FSRS), a three-pulse ultrafast microscopy technique. By offsetting the photoexcitation beam, we can monitor Raman spectral changes as a function of both time and position. We used SO-FSRS on 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene, a well-studied organic semiconductor used in photovoltaics and field-effect transistors. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the fast exciton and free charge carrier transport axes are identical and observed that exciton transport is less anisotropic by a factor of ~3. SO-FSRS is the first technique that directly tracks molecular structural evolution during exciton transport, which can provide roadmaps for tailor-making molecules for specific electronic devices.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM)

The CREAM instrument was flown on a Long Duration Balloon in Antarctica in December 2004 and January 2005, achieving a flight duration record of nearly 42 days. It detected and recorded cosmic ray primary particles ranging in type from hydrogen to iron nuclei and in energy from 1 TeV to several hundred TeV. With the data collected we will have the world's best measurement of the energy spectra and mass composition of nuclei in the primary cosmic ray flux at these energies, close to the astrophysical knee . The instrument utilized a thin calorimeter, a transition radiation detector and a timing charge detector, which also provided time-of-flight information. The responsibilities of our group have been with the timing charge detector (TCD), and with the data acquisition electronics and ground station support equipment. The TCD utilized fast scintillators to measure the charge of the primary cosmic ray before any interactions could take place within the calorimeter. The data acquisition electronics handled the output of the various detectors, in a fashion fully integrated with the payload bus. A space-qualified flight computer controlled the acquisition, and was used for preliminary trigger information processing and decision making. Ground support equipment was used to monitor the health of the payload, acquire and archive the data transmitted to the ground, and to provide real-time control of the instrument in flight.

Coutu, Stephane↗

MAS-CCD: New technique for measuring low-level charge content based on the multiple amplifier architecture

Low-noise detectors are a key technology for the next generation of astronomical instruments aimed at spectroscopy of faint objects and the search for exoplanets. In this context, the multiple-amplifier sensing charge-coupled device (MAS-CCD) emerges as a promising technology for future scientific instruments. A critical parameter affecting the performance of these devices is spurious charge, produced by the clocking of the gates. Its measurement is typically challenging with existing methods. In practice, the optimization of this parameter often relies on empirical procedures that require significant time and careful consideration of the trade-off with full-well capacity. In this work, we present a new technique to estimate spurious charge based on covariance analysis of the output amplifiers of the MAS-CCD, which measures the same charge packet in different amplifiers at different times. The method enables fast and precise measurements of spurious charge under operating conditions where conventional approaches are difficult to apply. We develop the theoretical framework of the method and validate the model through simulations. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and suggest that it could serve as a basis for reliable large-scale characterization of sensor performance.

Gamero, Miqueas E. [Buenos Aires, CONICET; Fermila↗

Port of New York and New Jersey Drayage Electrification Analysis

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) evaluated the potential for drayage electrification in the Port of New York and New Jersey (PoNYNJ), with a focus on operators: Harbor Freight Transport (HF), Safeway Trucking (SWT), and International Motor Freight Inc (IMF). This report summarizes the data collection and electrification evaluation of all three drayage operators, includes detailed operational data, and identifies the performance requirements for battery electric tractors (BETs) and corresponding infrastructure operated within the context of PoNYNJ drayage operation. This report also details a methodology to evaluate opportunities, strategies, and challenges associated with future expansions of BETs in meeting PANYNJ emissions goals. The Port Authority has established a goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 across all facilities, including from tenant and stakeholder sources such as drayage trucks. NREL used real-world performance data collected on the three PoNYNJ drayage operations, along with modeling and analysis tools to compare BET to diesel trucks. From March to July 2021, NREL collected 1Hz vehicle and engine data from 46 drayage trucks at the three operators totaling nearly 121,000 miles of operation, providing enough information to assess vehicle operations for electrification potential. A Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) electric truck powertrain model was validated using PoNYNJ data and scenarios were run to evaluate drayage truck electrification requirements over the real-world cycles. The first scenario examined BET viability with minimal changes to existing operations. This assumes the trucks charge when stopped for two hours or longer, have a functional battery size of 375 kWh, and can charge at 270 kilowatts (kW) average which are the specification of the commercially available Freightliner eCascadia. The second scenario looked at what operational, charging infrastructure, and BET technology changes would be needed to fully electrify. Finally, detailed analysis was run on charging rate structure to understand operational costs to the fleets. The studied drayage trucks averaged 5.1 MPG, spent roughly 9% of their energy at idle, and drove an average of 140 miles per day with a maximum daily distance of 573 miles. The FASTSim model results indicate a comparable BET would use 417 kWh of energy per day on average accounting for cargo weight, which is close to the full usable capacity of the eCascadia currently available on the market. Based on the daily average operating data, partial fleet electrification is possible with current technology. However, some specific days of operation would require over 1,600 kWh of energy due to longer distances traveled by the trucks and more intense operation. Trucks used for long distance and intense operation cannot be readily electrified with current technology without operational changes. Full adoption of BETs could reduce CO 2 emissions from these fleets by roughly 75% today, eliminating 76 metric tons of CO 2 (MTCO 2 ) per vehicle each year, which equates to 24,100 MTCO 2 per year for all three operators. Commercially available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) have charge rates up to 350 kW. Based on the average daily modeled energy use for each operator, current industrial rate structures, and the assumption of 350 kW peak charging, full drayage electrification would increase electricity consumption. In addition, peak demand usage would increase with unmanaged charging along with cost of electricity having a direct impact on cost per mile for electric vehicles. The resulting cost per mile for BETs along with comparable cost per mile for conventional diesel trucks are also examined at $\$$4.00 per gallon of diesel. It will be important for PANYNJ and the drayage operators within the PoNYNJ to consider these load impacts to their existing electrical infrastructure and devise operational strategies that avoid coincident charging of vehicles to mitigate demand charges. Despite these electricity cost increases, savings from reductions in diesel consumption will help offset the costs of this increased electricity consumption. However, prices of both electricity and diesel are subject to change based on various factors meaning the realized savings will vary over time. This shows BETs could be cost-competitive on an energy cost per mile basis for all scenarios while diesel is above $\$$3.00/gal. Further, if diesel prices dropped to the 15-year low of $2.33/gal, it would still be cost competitive to operate the EVs with electricity costs of 16.3 ¢/kWh or less.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Imaging multiphoton ionization dynamics of CH 3 I at a high repetition rate XUV free-electron laser

XUV multiphoton ionization of molecules is commonly used in free-electron laser experiments to study charge transfer dynamics. However, molecular dissociation and electron dynamics, such as multiple photon absorption, Auger decay, and charge transfer, often happen on competing time scales, and the contributions of individual processes can be difficult to unravel. We experimentally investigate the Coulomb explosion dynamics of methyl iodide upon core–hole ionization of the shallow inner-shell of iodine (4d) and classically simulate the fragmentation by phenomenologically introducing ionization dynamics and charge transfer. Under our experimental conditions with medium fluence and relatively long XUV pulses (~75 fs), we find that fast Auger decay prior to charge transfer significantly contributes to the charging mechanism, leading to a yield enhancement of higher carbon charge states upon molecular dissociation. Furthermore, we argue for the existence of another charging mechanism for the weak fragmentation channels leading to triply charged carbon atoms. This study shows that classical simulations can be a useful tool to guide the quantum mechanical description of the femtosecond dynamics upon multiphoton absorption in molecular systems.

Optics↗

Progress in modelling fast-ion D-alpha spectra and neutral particle analyzer fluxes using FIDASIM

FIDASIM is a code that models signals produced by charge-exchange reactions between neutrals and ions (both fast and thermal) in magnetically confined plasmas. With the ion distribution function as input, the code predicts the efflux to a neutral particle analyzer diagnostic and the photon radiance of Balmer-alpha light to a fast-ion D α diagnostic, in addition to many other related quantities. A new, parallelized version of the Monte Carlo code FIDASIM has been developed in Fortran90 that is substantially faster than the original interactive data language version. Modified algorithms include more accurate treatments of the time dependent collisional-radiative equations that describe neutral energy levels, of the cloud of ‘halo’ neutrals that surround the injected neutral beam, and of finite Larmor radius effects. Enhanced physics capabilities include modelling ‘passive’ signals from cold edge neutrals, the ability to treat general three-dimensional magnetic confinement configurations, and calculations of diagnostic-specific weight functions that enable tomographic reconstructions of the fast-ion distribution function. Neutral beam attenuation, beam emission, and fast-ion birth profiles are also modelled. Finally, the new algorithms have been successfully validated against experimental data and new features have been tested through benchmarks between two independently developed versions of the code.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗