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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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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Mechanical design of multiple zone plates precision alignment apparatus for hard X-ray focusing in twenty-nanometer scale

An enhanced mechanical design of multiple zone plates precision alignment apparatus for hard x-ray focusing in a twenty-nanometer scale is provided. The precision alignment apparatus includes a zone plate alignment base frame; a plurality of zone plates; and a plurality of zone plate holders, each said zone plate holder for mounting and aligning a respective zone plate for hard x-ray focusing. At least one respective positioning stage drives and positions each respective zone plate holder. Each respective positioning stage is mounted on the zone plate alignment base frame. A respective linkage component connects each respective positioning stage and the respective zone plate holder. The zone plate alignment base frame, each zone plate holder and each linkage component is formed of a selected material for providing thermal expansion stability and positioning stability for the precision alignment apparatus.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Acceleration and focusing of plasma flows

The acceleration of flowing plasmas is a fundamental problem that is useful in a wide variety of technological applications. We consider the problem from the perspective of plasma propulsion. Gridded ion thrusters and Hall thrusters are the most commonly used devices to create flowing plasma for space propulsion, but both suffer from fundamental limitations. Gridded ion sources create good quality beams in terms of energy spread and spatial divergence, but the Child-Langmuir law in the non-neutral acceleration region limits the maximum achievable current density. Hall thrusters avoid this limitation by accelerating ions in quasi-neutral plasma but, as a result, produce plumes with high spatial divergence and large energy spread. In addition the more complicated magnetized plasma in the Hall Thruster produces oscillations that can reduce the efficiency of the thruster by increasing electron transport to the anode. We present investigations of three techniques to address the fundamental limitations on the performance of each thruster. First, we propose a method to increase the time-averaged current density (and thus thrust density) produced by a gridded ion source above the Child-Langmuir limit by introducing time-varying boundary conditions. Next, we use an electrostatic plasma lens to focus the Hall thruster plume, and finally we develop a technique to suppress a prominent oscillation that degrades the performance of Hall thrusters. The technique to loosen the constraints on current density from gridded ion thrusters actually applies much more broadly to any space charge limited flow. We investigate the technique with a numerical simulation and by proving a theoretical upper bound. While we ultimately conclude that the approach is not suitable for space propulsion, our results proved useful in another area, providing a benchmark for research into the spontaneously time-dependent current that arises in microdiodes. Next, we experimentally demonstrate a novel approach to reducing plume divergence by using a PL located in the plume of the thruster to focus ions after they were ionized and accelerated. Finally we further improve thruster operation by suppressing a prominent low frequency oscillation in the thruster known as the rotating spoke. The suppression leads to decreased electron transport and more control over the operating conditions in the thruster.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Dynamic Amplitude-Correcting Gradient Estimation Technique to Align X-ray Focusing Optics

High-brightness X-rays, as produced at synchrotrons and X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) facilities, are used to characterize materials in a variety of scientific experiments. In most cases, effective use of the high-energy light requires precisely-aligned focusing optics; one example being a compound refractive lens (CRL). To align a CRL, the position and rotation must be optimized along four axes. In practice, this is a labor-intensive, time-consuming manual process that can monopolize scarce experimental time at the necessary X-ray facilities. Models of the expected Xray transmission function suggest that this task can be automated; however, the temporally-varying intensity at X-ray free electron laser facilities preclude the direct use of standard implementations of optimization solvers such as steepest descent algorithms. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to estimate the gradient of noisy functions with temporally-varying amplitudes. We construct this dynamicamplitude correction by systematically sampling a fixed central location within the standard finite difference stencil, accounting for the observed changes in time, and normalizing the difference quotients against those fluctuations. In addition to a rigorous error analysis of the sampling technique, we demonstrate its efficacy in stochastic descent optimization methods. Further, we demonstrate how this approach may be implemented to optimize X-ray focusing optics at synchrotrons or XFEL facilities

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analyzing Foreign and Domestic Policy to Determine a Pathway to Achieving the US' NDC with a Focus on Advanced Reactors and Hydrogen

The United states in 2021 released a nationally determined contribution indicating goals to reach 50-52% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared with 2005 and to achieve zero carbon electricity by 2035. Current policy does not put us on course to achieve these goals, so we investigated policies that could form a pathway to achieve these goals in the US. We focused on the use of advanced nuclear reactors and hydrogen, but analyzed all relevant sectors to achieve our goals. This report also focuses on analyzing existing foreign policies and determining the most effective policies in each sectors. By combining the most effective policies from around the world in each sector, we find that we can set policies that form a pathway that is ambitious enough to meet the NDC goals.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exploring the Focusing Mechanism of the NuMI Horn Magnets

Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) is a project at Fermilab that provides an intense beam of neutrinos used by a number of experiments. NuMI creates a beam of pions that decay into neutrinos, muons, and other particles. Muons are registered by the muon monitors. Magnetic horns are the key elements of the NuMI beam line. This paper uses the muon beam profile observed at the muon monitors to study the NuMI horn focusing mechanism. It is found that the horn magnet generates dipole and quadrupole fields to focus pions. This suggests that the optics of the horn magnet are predominantly linear. Our study shows that the muon beam profile accurately detects the horn current within 0.05%.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Issue focused stakeholder collaboration: reaching consensus on spent nuclear fuel transportation operational practices - 15465

This paper examines stakeholder and issue-focused approaches used by Department of Energy (DOE) programs to collaborate with key stakeholders on transportation practices to ship radioactive material, particularly used nuclear fuel (UNF) and transuranic waste (TRU). In accordance with the Administration's Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste, the current effort by DOE to plan for the development of a future transportation system to ship UNF from commercial reactors, with an initial focus on shutdown reactors, is using approaches similar to those used in other successful shipping campaigns to collaborate with stakeholders about sustainable transportation practices. As part of a coordinated approach to stakeholder outreach and collaboration, DOE is currently developing a draft Transportation Planning Framework to provide a template for future shipments of UNF from commercial reactors and is engaged with states and tribes and other stakeholders in discussions on the institutional and operational components of that Framework. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fracture toughness of zirconia with a nanometer size notch fabricated using focused ion beam milling

Zirconia with 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZP) has been used for dental crowns and bridges due to its excellent mechanical behavior. Performing fracture toughness testing on this nanograin material, however, can be a challenge. For reliable results, fracture toughness testing requires an extremely sharp notch in the test specimen that closely approximates a very sharp crack. This study was to investigate an alternative method to produce nanometer-sized notches, which are less than the average grain size of 3Y-TZP, during the preparation of single-edge V-notched beam specimens and report the resulting fracture toughness value. We present a method using focused ion beam (FIB) milling to fabricate nanometer-sized notches in 3Y-TZP. The notch tip is <100 nm wide, which is smaller than the grain size, and is consistent throughout the thickness of the specimen. The FIB-notched specimens show a much reduced average fracture toughness of 5.64 ± 1.14 MPa√m compared to 8.90 ± 0.23 MPa√m for the specimens without FIB-notches. The FIB-milling did not appear to create any monoclinic phase prior to fracture toughness testing. Fractures originated at the FIB-notches, and the notch size can be readily identified post-mortem using a microscope. A considerable amount of tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation was observed throughout the fracture surfaces. FIB milling provides an alternative method to fabricate nanometer-sized notches that are smaller than the grain size of tetragonal zirconia polycrystal. The fracture toughness determined using FIB-notches was ~5.64 MPa√m, smaller than the specimens with V-notches fabricated using saw blades.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Physical Reasoning to Synchronize Electrical Signals and Related Diagnostics in Plasma Focus Devices

Plasma Focus (PF) devices as well as other similar pulsed discharge devices requires a variety of diagnostics for their proper control and optimization, including the voltage between electrodes, the time derivative of the discharge current, detection of X-rays and neutron emissions, and pulsed laser images (Shadow, Schlieren, interferograms). This article discusses the problem of the time reference of all these outputs and proposes specific techniques for synchronizing them based on sound physical grounds. The foundations of synchronization criterion are verified in several experiments on PF devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pulsed Laser-Assisted Focused Electron-Beam-Induced Etching of Titanium with XeF 2 : Enhanced Reaction Rate and Precursor Transport

We introduce a laser-assisted focused electron-beam-induced etching (LA-FEBIE) process which is a versatile, direct write nanofabrication method that allows nanoscale patterning and editing; we do this in order to enhance the etch rate of electron-beam-induced etching. The results demonstrate that the titanium electron stimulated etch rate via the XeF2 precursor can be enhanced up to a factor of 6 times with an intermittent pulsed laser assist. Moreover, the evolution of the etching process is correlated to in situ stage current measurements and scanning electron micrographs as a function of time. Finally, the increased etch rate is attributed to photothermally enhanced Ti–F reaction and TiF4 desorption and in some regimes enhanced XeF2 surface diffusion to the reaction zone.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characterization of pulsed (plasma focus) neutron source with image plate and application to neutron radiography

Plasma focus device of Mather type developed in house has been used first time for neutron radiography of different objects. The device gives (1.2{+-}0.3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} neutrons per pulse produced by D-D fusion reaction with a pulse width of 50{+-}5 ns. The method involves exposing sample to be radiographed to thermalized D-D neutrons and recording the image on Fuji-film BAS-ND image plates. The thermal neutron component of the moderated beam was estimated using two image plates: a conventional IP for X-rays and gamma rays, and an IP doped with Gd for detecting neutrons.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Plasma focus ion beam fluence and flux—For various gases

A recent paper derived benchmarks for deuteron beam fluence and flux in a plasma focus (PF) [S. Lee and S. H. Saw, Phys. Plasmas 19, 112703 (2012)]. In the present work we start from first principles, derive the flux equation of the ion beam of any gas; link to the Lee Model code and hence compute the ion beam properties of the PF. The results show that, for a given PF, the fluence, flux, ion number and ion current decrease from the lightest to the heaviest gas except for trend-breaking higher values for Ar fluence and flux. The energy fluence, energy flux, power flow, and damage factors are relatively constant from H{sub 2} to N{sub 2} but increase for Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe due to radiative cooling and collapse effects. This paper provides much needed benchmark reference values and scaling trends for ion beams of a PF operated in any gas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Small plasma focus as neutron pulsed source for nuclides identification

In this paper, we present preliminary results on the feasibility of employing a low energy (2 kJ, 31 kV) plasma focus device as a portable source of pulsed neutron beams (2.45 MeV) generated by nuclear fusion reactions D-D, for the “in situ” analysis of substances by nuclear activation. This source has the relevant advantage of being pulsed at requirement, transportable, not permanently radioactive, without radioactive waste, cheap, among others. We prove the feasibility of using this source showing several spectra of the characteristic emission line for manganese, gold, lead, and silver.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electromagnetic particle in cell modeling of the plasma focus: Current sheath formation and lift off

The shaping and formation of the current sheath takes place in the breakdown phase of a plasma focus device and critically controls the device performance. Electrostatic particle in cell codes, with magnetic effects ignored, have been used to model the breakdown phase. This Letter reports the successful development and implementation of an electromagnetic particle in cell (EMPIC) code, including magnetic effects self-consistently, to simulate the breakdown phase; from the ionization, localization and gliding discharge along the insulator to the time instant of current sheath lift off. The magnetic field was found to be appreciable from the time the current sheath came into contact with the anode with increased local current, initiating the voltage breakdown of the device as a result.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Current sheath formation dynamics and structure for different insulator lengths of plasma focus device

The breakdown phase of the UNU-ICTP plasma focus (PF) device was successfully simulated using the electromagnetic particle in cell method. A clear uplift of the current sheath (CS) layer was observed near the insulator surface, accompanied with an exponential increase in the plasma density. Both phenomena were found to coincide with the surge in the electric current, which is indicative of voltage breakdown. Simulations performed on the device with different insulator lengths showed an increase in the fast ionization wave velocity with length. The voltage breakdown time was found to scale linearly with the insulator length. Different spatial profiles of the CS electron density, and the associated degree of uniformity, were found to vary with different insulator lengths. The ordering, according to the degree of uniformity, among insulator lengths of 19, 22, and 26 mm agreed with that in terms of soft X-ray radiation yield observed from experiments. This suggests a direct correlation between CS density homogeneity near breakdown and the radiation yield performance. These studies were performed with a linearly increasing voltage time profile as input to the PF device.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Filamentary structure of plasma produced by compression of puffing deuterium by deuterium or neon plasma sheath on plasma-focus discharge

The present experiments were performed on the PF-1000 plasma focus device at a current of 2 MA with the deuterium injected from the gas-puff placed in the axis of the anode face. The XUV frames showed, in contrast with the interferograms, the fine structure: filaments and spots up to 1 mm diameter. In the deuterium filling, the short filaments are registered mainly in the region of the internal plasmoidal structures and their number correlates with the intensity of neutron production. The longer filamentary structure was recorded close to the anode after the constriction decay. The long curve-like filaments with spots were registered in the big bubble formed after the pinch phase in the head of the umbrella shape of the plasma sheath. Filaments can indicate the filamentary structure of the current in the pinch. Together with the filaments, small compact balls a few mm in diameter were registered by both interferometry and XUV frame pictures. They emerge out of the dense column and their life-time can be greater than hundreds of ns.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observation of plasma jets in a table top plasma focus discharge

In the last years, medium size Z-pinch experiments operating at tens of kJ are being used to create supersonic plasma jets. Those experiments are produced with wire arrays and radial foils, and they are conducted in generators based on water-filled transmission lines. Also plasma jets have been observed in small X-pinch experiments operating at 1 kJ. In this work, observations of plasma jets produced in a table top plasma focus device by means of optical and digital interferometry are shown. The device was operated at only ∼70 J, achieving 50 kA in 150 ns. The plasma jets were observed after the pinch, in the region close and on the anode, along the axis. The electron density measured from the jets is in the range 10{sup 24}–10{sup 25 }m{sup −3}. From two consecutive plasma images separated 18 ns, the axial jet velocity was measured in the order of 4 × 10{sup 4 }m/s.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Comparative study of neutron emission from a plasma focus device using two different anode shapes

The neutron emission from a low energy (2.2 kJ) plasma focus (PF) device operated with two different shapes (cylindrical and converging) of anodes has been investigated by employing photomultiplier tube and bubble dosimeter. The neutron emission with each anode is analyzed and the results are compared. It is found that the anode shapes strongly influenced the emission of neutron. The X-ray emission is found to be higher in case of converging anode, while neutron emission is found to be higher in case of cylindrical anode. The neutron yield and energy are found to be highly anisotropic in nature which indicates that the beam target mechanism plays a major role in the neutron emission in a PF device. The speed factor as well as the specific heat ratio of pinch column shows a good agreement with the experimentally observed results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Influence of the Al wire placed in the anode axis on the transformation of the deuterium plasma column in the plasma focus discharge

In this paper, we describe the influence of an Al wire of 270 μm in diameter placed along the anode axis on the transformation of the deuterium pinch column in a megaampere (MA) plasma focus device. The evolution of the pinched column and of the wire corona was investigated by means of the multiframe interferometry, neutron and X-ray diagnostics. The wire corona did not influence considerably on the evolution of dense plasma structures and neutron production, but it increased the plasma density and consequently, the currents around its surface. The distribution of the closed internal currents (ranging hundreds of kA) and associated magnetic fields amounting to 5 T were also estimated in the dense plasma column and in plasmoidal structures at the near-equilibrium state. The description is based on the balance of the plasma pressure and the pressure of the internal poloidal and toroidal current components compressed by the external pinched column. The dominant number of fusion deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutrons is produced during the evolution of instabilities, when the uninterrupted wire corona (containing deuterium) connects the dense structures of the pinch, and it did not allow the formation of a constriction of the sub-millimeter diameter.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗