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NASA NTRS1980

Mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates of the Io plasma torus

Limits to the mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates of ions in the Io plasma torus have been calculated on the assumption that observed optical emissions are controlled by electron-ion collisions. Calculations of the yield of emission from the vicinity of Io limit the mass-loading rate to the order of 10 to the 27th per s for S II or O II, on the grounds that electron-excited emissions associated with the location of Io have not been observed in the optical spectrum. This mass-loading limit is dependent on the assumptions that Io is the source of torus particles and that most of the neutral atoms are converted to ions within 1 R(J) of Io. According to the calculations presented below, the observed partitioning of sulfur ion species in the hot torus at the time of Voyager 1 encounter indicates that the diffusion-loss time of the ions is of the order of 1/D = 100 days. The two results limiting the mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates are compatible and suggest that the energy required to maintain the observed radiated power cannot be supplied by acceleration of ions formed at Io in Jupiter's rotating magnetic field.

Shemansky, D. E.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Towards Improving luminosity using optics tuning and data-driven methods

The results of Run 24 experiments at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) for improving luminosity using optics tuning are presented in this study. In the first experiment, MADx matching was used to output magnet strengths corresponding to specific s star movements around Interaction Region 8 (IR8). The corresponding Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) signal was measured in place of luminosity, and Bayesian Optimization aids search of optimal movements. It was found that values retrieved from matching were inaccurate, resulting in negative feedback loops. The second experiment focused on calculating accurate s star movements. The matching method was replaced with a linear sensitivity matrix, directly relating optics to power supply, and its null space was used to fit constraints such as hysteresis effects. At the experiment, beam losses were observed at collimators around boundary of IR8, which were fixed for the third experiment. Dynamic mode decomposition was also introduced to improve quality of turn-by-turn (TBT) data as well as accuracy and consistency of optics measurements at IR8. These improvements will be tested in the experiment of next RHIC run for luminosity optimization.

Accelerator Physics↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simulations Supporting the Development of Northstar's Indirect Beam Parameters Monitoring System

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC is planning to produce the important medical radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the parent of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), through photonuclear reactions in molybdenum-100 (Mo-100). In this approach, a target comprising multiple thin disks of enriched molybdenum metal is bombarded with a 40-MeV electron beam. Electrons impinged on the molybdenum target produce bremsstrahlung X-rays that cause the nuclear reaction. Because enriched Mo-100 is expensive, there is a desire to utilize as much beam power as possible to achieve maximum production yield and minimize the size of the target. This requirement leads to very high beam power density (and heat deposition in the target), which creates challenging requirements for the cooling of the target. The critical part of the target is the target window. It separates the high-pressure helium cooled target from the vacuum beamline and the subject of structural and thermal stress. The temperature of the target window is proportional to the energy density deposited by the beam, so it is critical to maintain the desired beam profile on the target window. The feasibility of indirectly monitoring the maximum energy density of the beam on the beam window through beam losses at the main collimator (Collimator) before the production target was verified. A model of the NorthStar beam transport line was constructed for this purpose using MAD-X and Tao/Bmad codes. Beam optics were computed for the standard operational scenario, followed by an investigation involving approximately 400 cases with parameter variations in the last tuning quadrupoles. This was done to assess the correlation between losses in the collimator and the peak energy density on the target. We developed a model to explore the potential application of Optical transition radiation (OTR) for controlling beam parameters in the NorthStar beam delivery system. This model was based on a generic formula derived from the fundamental solution of the inhomogeneous wave equation of the vector potential, and allowed us to consider various surfaces, even those with irregular or random features, using numerical integration. We applied the model to OTR generated by relativistic electrons impacting an Inconel® 718 beam window. We examined cases with different levels of the window’s surface roughness, ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 microns of root square mean (RMS) deviation. The results of the OTR simulations provided distributions of OTR photons that can be used to study the limitations of optical systems for controlling beam parameters.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS2003

Daytime adaptive optics for deep space optical communications

The deep space optical communications subsystem offers a higher bandwidth communications link in smaller size, lower mass, and lower power consumption subsystem than does RF. To demonstrate the benefit of this technology to deep space communications NASA plans to launch an optical telecommunications package on the 2009 Mars Telecommunications orbiter spacecraft. Current performance goals are 30-Mbps from opposition, and 1-Mbps near conjunction (-3 degrees Sun-Earth-Probe angle). Yet, near conjunction the background noise from the day sky will degrade the performance of the optical link. Spectral and spatial filtering and higher modulation formats can mitigate the effects of background sky. Narrowband spectral filters can result in loss of link margin, and higher modulation formats require higher transmitted peak powers. In contrast, spatial filtering at the receiver has the potential of being lossless while providing the required sky background rejection. Adaptive optics techniques can correct wave front aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence and enable near-diffraction-limited performance of the receiving telescope. Such performance facilitates spatial filtering, and allows the receiver field-of-view and hence the noise from the sky background to be reduced.

adaptive optics↗

NASA NTRS2016

Deep Space Optical Link ARQ Performance Analysis

Substantial advancements have been made toward the use of optical communications for deep space exploration missions, promising a much higher volume of data to be communicated in comparison with present -day Radio Frequency (RF) based systems. One or more ground-based optical terminals are assumed to communicate with the spacecraft. Both short-term and long-term link outages will arise due to weather at the ground station(s), space platform pointing stability, and other effects. To mitigate these outages, an Automatic Repeat Query (ARQ) retransmission method is assumed, together with a reliable back channel for acknowledgement traffic. Specifically, the Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP) is used, which is a component of the Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol suite that is well suited for high bandwidth-delay product links subject to disruptions. We provide an analysis of envisioned deep space mission scenarios and quantify buffering, latency and throughput performance, using a simulation in which long-term weather effects are modeled with a Gilbert -Elliot Markov chain, short-term outages occur as a Bernoulli process, and scheduled outages arising from geometric visibility or operational constraints are represented. We find that both short- and long-term effects impact throughput, but long-term weather effects dominate buffer sizing and overflow losses as well as latency performance.

optical space communications↗

DOE OSTI2021

Impact of Aerosol and Cloud on the Solar Energy Potential over the Central Gangetic Himalayan Region

We examine the impact of atmospheric aerosols and clouds on the surface solar radiation and solar energy at Nainital, a high-altitude remote location in the central Gangetic Himalayan region (CGHR). For this purpose, we exploited the synergy of remote-sensed data in terms of ground-based AERONET Sun Photometer and satellite observations from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), with radiative transfer model (RTM) simulations and 1 day forecasts from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). Clouds and aerosols are one of the most common sources of solar irradiance attenuation and hence causing performance issues in the photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plant installations. The outputs of RTM results presented with high accuracy under clear, cloudy sky and dust conditions for global horizontal (GHI) and beam horizontal irradiance (BHI). On an annual basis the total aerosol attenuation was found to be up to 105 kWh m –2 for the GHI and 266 kWh m –2 for BHI, respectively, while the cloud effect is much stronger with an attenuation of 245 and 271 kWh m –2 on GHI and BHI. The results of this study will support the Indian solar energy producers and electricity handling entities in order to quantify the energy and financial losses due to cloud and aerosol presence.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1983

The application of encapsulation material stability data to photovoltaic module life assessment

For any piece of hardware that degrades when subject to environmental and application stresses, the route or sequence that describes the degradation process may be summarized in terms of six key words: LOADS, RESPONSE, CHANGE, DAMAGE, FAILURE, and PENALTY. Applied to photovoltaic modules, these six factors form the core outline of an expanded failure analysis matrix for unifying and integrating relevant material degradation data and analyses. An important feature of this approach is the deliberate differentiation between factors such as CHANGE, DAMAGE, and FAILURE. The application of this outline to materials degradation research facilitates the distinction between quantifying material property changes and quantifying module damage or power loss with their economic consequences. The approach recommended for relating material stability data to photovoltaic module life is to use the degree of DAMAGE to (1) optical coupling, (2) encapsulant package integrity, (3) PV circuit integrity or (4) electrical isolation as the quantitative criterion for assessing module potential service life rather than simply using module power loss.

Coulbert, C. D.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Phonon modes and electron–phonon coupling at the FeSe/SrTiO 3 interface

The remarkable increase in superconducting transition temperature (T c ) observed at the interface of one-unit-cell FeSe films on SrTiO3 substrates (1 uc FeSe/STO) has attracted considerable research into the interface effects. Although this high T c is thought to be associated with electron-phonon coupling (EPC), the microscopic coupling mechanism and its role in the superconductivity remain elusive. Here we use momentum-selective high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy to atomically resolve the phonons at the FeSe/STO interface. We uncover new optical phonon modes, coupling strongly with electrons, in the energy range of 75-99 meV. These modes are characterized by out-of-plane vibrations of oxygen atoms in the interfacial double-TiO x layer and the apical oxygens in STO. Our results also demonstrate that the EPC strength and superconducting gap of 1 uc FeSe/STO are closely related to the interlayer spacing between FeSe and the TiOx terminated STO. These findings shed light on the microscopic origin of the interfacial EPC and provide insights into achieving large and consistent T c enhancement in FeSe/STO and potentially other superconducting systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

Signal Processing of Multiplexed Optical PWM Signals for Sensor Arrays in Nuclear Environments

Safe and effective generation of terrestrial nuclear power greatly benefits from the actionable data provided by the array of sensors located throughout a plant to provide a holistic online indication of reactor operation. This array includes sensors for monitoring coolant flow and pressure, temperature and heat transfer, radiation levels, structure health monitoring, and other critical parameters for reactor operation. While sensors capable of measuring these parameters have been developed, the electronics used in the pre-amplification and analog-to-digital conversion of the small signals they produce are extremely sensitive and susceptible to damage by high-temperatures and radiation environments nuclear reactors encounter while generating power. The small signals from sensors in nuclear power plants (NPPs) are transmitted over long cable runs which introduce dispersion artifacts into the signals of interest as well as electromagnetic interference (EMI) from lighting fixtures, pumps, mains electricity, and other equipment. To overcome these challenges, a front-end digitization (FREND) platform has been developed to use radiation-tolerant electronics to multiplex, amplify, and optically encode signals from an array of sensors for transmission over an optical fiber to mitigate dispersion and EMI artifacts from long runs of electrical cabling. To recover the optically transmitted data, a signal processing scheme based on 1-dimensional template matching to an indexing channel is described herein and demonstrated to have an effective bit-depth of 9.2 bits (1%). This scheme has been validated in proof-of-concept, non-nuclear testing and preliminary experimental results show good agreement between the measured optical output and and sensor input signals. The FREND system represents a low-loss data link between sensors in nuclear environments and data acquisition hardware which is aimed at improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the data acquired from these sensors to provide better information to operators and researchers.

Sweeney, Dan↗

DOE OSTI2021

Studies of the Imperfection in Crab Crossing Scheme for Electron-Ion Collider

Crab crossing scheme is the essential scheme that accommodates large crossing angle without loss of luminosity in the design of Electron-Ion collider (EIC). The ideal optics and phase advances of the crab cavity pair are set to create a local crabbing bump in the interaction region (IR). However, there are always small errors in the actual lattice of IR. In this article, we will present the simulation and analytical studies on the imperfections in the crab crossing scheme in the EIC design. The tolerance of the imperfection and the possible remedies can be concluded from these studies.

Hao, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Short-term FUV flux variability and phase-dependent winds in Be stars

FUV (Far Ultraviolet) light curves and the behavior of the C IV wind line versus phase are discussed for four Be stars. The IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) data acquired during three multiwavelength campaigns aimed at determining the cause for short term optical light variability in Be stars and whether it is linked with the mass loss mechanism is presented. The observations confirm that it is a modulation in the star's photospheric temperature that causes the flux variability. A phase dependent variation is seen in the equivalent width and profile in the C IV wind line. The wind absorption tends to be strongest at maximum light and in a Be shell star the absolute flux of its C IV emission component appears to be anticorrelated with the absorption strength and the level of the FUV flux. The observations suggest that nonradial pulsations are responsible for the photometric variability and the generic model of a star pulsating in a sectorial mode.

Peters, G. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Short-cavity squeezing in barium

Broadband phase sensitive noise and squeezing were experimentally observed in a system of barium atoms interacting with a single mode of a short optical cavity. Squeezing of 13 +/- 3 percent was observed. A maximum possible squeezing of 45 +/- 8 percent could be inferred for out experimental conditions, after correction for measured loss factors. Noise reductions below the quantum limit were found over a range of detection frequencies 60-170 MHz and were best for high cavity transmission and large optical depths. The amount of squeezing observed is consistent with theoretical predictions from a full quantum statistical model of the system.

Hope, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1995

BIB mixers

We have determined that the multi-pin 'microprocessor style' packages in which current Blocked Impurity Band (BIB) devices are mounted will not meet our IF bandwidth spec of greater than 2 GHz for a practical mixer. Hence we have started to repackage the Ga:Ge BIB devices in new microwave compatible packages. The smaller size of the microwave package mount necessitates cutting the BIB array down to include only the 3 smallest detectors: 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mm sq. A FIR beam incident at f/1.5 can be focussed on the smallest element for wavelengths shorter than 100 microns. A more typical (easier) beam convergence of f/3 will require 0.4 mm elements at 100 microns and 0.6 mm elements at 170 microns wavelength. Since the device capacitance (parasitic loss) scales with detector size, there is a tradeoff of speed of response and optical convenience. Our existing optics produce only the slower convergence beam, so we need to redesign the optical layout and are looking at long focal length all-reflective microscope objectives. BIB detectors and the edge-coupled microbolometers have restricted IF bandwidths, an order of magnitude less than what is possible with the Schottky-diode mixers we currently use for astronomical observations. Consequently the frequencies of the FIR laser lines must be close to the astronomical line of interest to be an effective Local Oscillator (LO). We have therefore begun a coordinated effort to discover and measure new FIR laser transition lines in close frequency coincidence with important astrophysical lines. Most of this effort involves pumping isotopic variants of known good laser molecules with laser lines from isotopic variants of CO2. We have been most successful in detecting new FIR lines in deuterated ammonia. One line in particular is very close to the frequency of HD rotational line at 2675 GHz.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1993

Test model designs for advanced refractory ceramic materials

The next generation of space vehicles will be subjected to severe aerothermal loads and will require an improved thermal protection system (TPS) and other advanced vehicle components. In order to ensure the satisfactory performance system (TPS) and other advanced vehicle materials and components, testing is to be performed in environments similar to space flight. The design and fabrication of the test models should be fairly simple but still accomplish test objectives. In the Advanced Refractory Ceramic Materials test series, the models and model holders will need to withstand the required heat fluxes of 340 to 817 W/sq cm or surface temperatures in the range of 2700 K to 3000 K. The model holders should provide one dimensional (1-D) heat transfer to the samples and the appropriate flow field without compromising the primary test objectives. The optical properties such as the effective emissivity, catalytic efficiency coefficients, thermal properties, and mass loss measurements are also taken into consideration in the design process. Therefore, it is the intent of this paper to demonstrate the design schemes for different models and model holders that would accommodate these test requirements and ensure the safe operation in a typical arc jet facility.

Tran, Huy Kim↗

NASA NTRS1994

Four Channel Laser Firing Unit Using Laser Diodes

This paper describes the accomplishments and status of PS/EDD's (Pacific Scientific/Energy Dynamics Division) internal research and development effort to prototype and demonstrate a practical four channel laser firing unit (LFU) that uses laser diodes to initiate pyrotechnic events. The LFU individually initiates four ordnance devices using the energy from four diode lasers carried over the fiber optics. The LFU demonstrates end-to-end optical built in test (BIT) capabilities. Both Single Fiber Reflective BIT and Dual Fiber Reflective BIT approaches are discussed and reflection loss data is presented. This paper includes detailed discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of both BIT approaches, all-fire and no-fire levels, and BIT detection levels. The following topics are also addressed: electronic control and BIT circuits, fiber optic sizing and distribution, and an electromechanical shutter type safe/arm device. This paper shows the viability of laser diode initiation systems and single fiber BIT for typing military applications.

David Rosner Sr.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Hollow waveguide cavity ringdown spectroscopy

Laser light is confined in a hollow waveguide between two highly reflective mirrors. This waveguide cavity is used to conduct Cavity Ringdown Absorption Spectroscopy of loss mechanisms in the cavity including absorption or scattering by gases, liquid, solids, and/or optical elements.

Dreyer, Chris↗

DOE OSTI2021

Optical devices enabled by vertical dielectric Mie resonators

Dielectric resonators provide a building block for the development of low-loss resonant metamaterials because they replace lossy ohmic currents of metallic resonators with low-loss displacement currents. The spectral locations of electric and magnetic dipole resonances of a dielectric resonator can be tuned by varying the resonator geometry so that desired scattering properties are achieved.

Campione, Salvatore↗

DOE OSTI2023

Single-Photon Detector & Counter for Transduction

Over the recent years, quantum computers have procured the attention of the public, largely due to their fast factoring capabilities and potential for efficient simulation of quantum dynamics \cite{RevModPhys.79.135}. This interest, coupled with advances in quantum transduction, could lead to the realization of a quantum distributed network, effectively linking dilution fridges across vast distances. Presently, there are several qubit systems developed for encoding quantum information. They primarily fall into two categories: those exploiting optical frequencies for excitation, and those operating at microwave frequencies. Optical frequency qubit systems include trapped ions, neutral atoms, quantum dots, and solid-state defects. Microwave frequency qubit system encompass superconducting qubits (transmon) and spins in crystals. Among these, transmons are particularly intriguing due to their low-loss of photons at microwave frequencies. The Josephson effect within a superconducting circuit enables high-fidelity quantum operations \cite{Microwave-optical_quantum_frequency_conversion}. Thus, it is non-trivial to develop an apparatus for efficiently bridging microwave and optical frequency regimes.

Bautista-Cortezano, Pablo↗