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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Density drop at the divertor target in the prototype material plasma exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX)

The steady-state linear device “Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment” (MPEX) is currently under construction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the goal of enabling Plasma-Material Interaction studies at future fusion reactor relevant plasma conditions. In this work, a newly in-house developed hybrid Particle-In-Cell code-PICOS++ is applied to understand the experimental results obtained from the prototype of MPEX referred to as the “Proto-MPEX” during its helicon-only and helicon with ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) experiments. This study explains the physics of the experimentally observed plasma density-drop at the divertor target in Proto-MPEX device during ICRH. In contrast to previous work on ICRH in MPEX, this study demonstrates that the mirror force plays a central role in the Proto-MPEX plasma transport during ICRH, which has new features not previously explored. Force balance analyses reveal that the temperature anisotropy produced by ICRH leads to a significant increase in the mirror force downstream of the resonance where the magnetic field is diverging. This force accelerates ions toward the target and leads to a drop in plasma density to ensure conservation of particle flux. Simulations with ICRH where the magnetic field divergence downstream of the resonance has been removed, do not produce plasma acceleration nor density drop at the target despite efficient ion heating at the resonance. Moreover, simulation results demonstrate that for a given ICRH power, lowering the source rate produces ions with increased perpendicular energy which interact with the mirror force to produce higher plasma acceleration which increases the strength of the density-drop at the target. The strength of the density drop appears to reach an asymptotic limit at a certain threshold ICRH power. Simulations show that this threshold power increases with increasing particle source rate.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Acceleration mechanisms of energetic ion debris in laser-driven tin plasma EUV sources

Laser-driven tin plasmas are driving new-generation nanolithography as sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation centered at 13.5 nm. A major challenge facing industrial EUV source development is predicting energetic ion debris produced during the plasma expansion that may damage the sensitive EUV channeling multilayer optics. Gaining a detailed understanding of the plasma dynamics and ion acceleration mechanisms in these sources could provide critical insights for designing debris mitigation strategies in future high-power EUV sources. Here, we develop a fully kinetic model of tin-EUV sources using one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to study ion debris acceleration, which will be valuable for cross-validation of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. An inverse-bremsstrahlung heating operator is used to model the interaction of a tin target with an Nd:YAG laser, and thermal conduction is included through a Monte Carlo Coulomb collision operator. While the large-scale evolution is in reasonable agreement with analogous hydrodynamic simulations, the significant timescale for collisional equilibration between electrons and ions allows for the development of prominent two-temperature features. A collimated flow of energetic ions is produced with a spectrum that is significantly enhanced at high energies compared to fluid simulations. The dominant acceleration mechanism is found to be a large-scale electric field supported mainly by the electron pressure gradient, which is enhanced in the kinetic simulations due to the increased electron temperature. We discuss the implications of these results for future modeling of tin-EUV sources and the development of debris mitigation schemes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1975

Plasma flow and fast particles in a hypervelocity accelerator - A color presentation

A new concept for particle acceleration for micrometeoroid simulation was developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, using a high-density self-luminescent fast plasma flow to accelerate glass beads (with a diameter up to 1.0 mm) to velocities between 15-20 km/sec. After a short introduction to the operation of the hypervelocity range, the eight-converter-camera unit used for the photographs of the plasma flow and the accelerated particles is described. These photographs are obtained with an eight-segment reflecting pyramidal beam splitter. Wratten filters were mounted between the beam splitter and the converter tubes of the cameras. The photographs, which were recorded on black and white film, were used to make the matrices for the dye-color process, which produced the prints shown.

Igenbergs, E. B.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electron bunch position determination using a high frequency button beam position monitor in the AWAKE facility

The AWAKE facility uses novel proton beam-driven plasma wakefields to accelerate electron bunches over 10m of Rubidium plasma. Precise monitoring of 2 diverse beam types necessitates an electron beam position monitor (BPM) working in a frequency regime of tens of GHz. A high frequency conical button-style BPM with a working regime of up to 40 GHz has been investigated as a way to discriminate the electromagnetic fields of 19 MeV, 4 ps electron bunches propagating spatially and temporally together with a 400 GeV, 170 ps proton bunch in the AWAKE common beamline. The sensitivity of the HF BPM to the electron beam position is determined under various beam conditions, with both electrons and protons, and integration with a TRIUMF front-end is discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Non-disruptive error field identification based on magnetic island healing

Here a technique to identify intrinsic error fields (EFs) in tokamaks with minimized risk of disruption is demonstrated on the DIII-D tokamak. The method extends the conventional driven magnetic island ‘compass scan’ approach by modifying asynchronous control waveforms to enable prompt healing of the island instability. Healing of the island is achieved by reducing the imposed non-axisymmetric coil current and raising the density (here via gas fueling). The method is also shown to support multiple island threshold measurements per pulse, thus reducing the number of dedicated pulses necessary to conduct an EF identification. Non-linear modeling with the TM1 code reproduces the experimental results and approximately recovers the critical density required for island healing. Island healing is explained in the non-linear modeling by an increase in the viscous coupling between the static island and the nearby flowing plasma, thus healing the island as it accelerates into the plasma frame. Due to both simplicity and risk minimization, this technique is suitable for plasma-based EF identification in the early commissioning stages of future disruption-averse tokamaks such as ITER and SPARC.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space experiments with particle accelerators

Electron and plasma beams and neutral gas plumes were injected into the space environment by instruuments on Spacelab 1, and various diagnostic measurements including television camera observations were performed. The results yield information on vehicle charging and neutralization, beam-plasma interactions, and ionization enhancement by neutral beam injection.

Obayashi, T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Energy coupling in the magnetospheres of earth and Mercury

The mechanisms involved in the dissipation of solar-wind energy during magnetospheric substorms are considered theoretically, comparing models for earth and Mercury. In the model for terrestrial substorms, IMF lines interconnect with terrestrial field lines near the front of the magnetosphere and are dragged back, carrying plasma and energy, to form tail lobes; a magnetic neutral region is then formed by reconnection of the open lines as the plasma sheet thins, and reconnective heating and acceleration of tail plasma lead to plasma inflow at the poles and formation of a plasmoid flowing down the tail at high velocity. Analogous phenomena on Mercury could produce precipitation of particles carrying 10-1000 GW of power into 'auroral zones' on the dark side of the planet. The feasibility of remote or in situ observations to detect such processes is discussed.

Baker, D. N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

First phase acceleration mechanisms and implications for hard X-ray burst models in solar flares

The paper considers the number of nonthermal electrons which must be accelerated in the impulsive phase of a flare, as well as possible acceleration mechanisms. Direct electric field acceleration in a plasma is considered, taking explicit account of magnetohydrodynamic processes; it is shown that significant heating is involved. Attention is also given to acceleration by electron plasma waves, which requires the waves to be driven to large amplitude by already streaming electrons or anisotropic ion-acoustic waves. It is concluded that at most 0.1% of the flare energy can be deposited into nonthermal streaming electrons with the proposed acceleration and energy conversion mechanisms. Therefore, hard X-ray production above 10 keV primarily by hot thermal electrons is the only choice compatible with existing primary energy release models.

Smith, D. F.↗
DOE OSTI2022

A hybrid nodal-staggered pseudo-spectral electromagnetic particle-in-cell method with finite-order centering

Electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) codes are widely used to perform computer simulations of a variety of physical systems, including fusion plasmas, astrophysical plasmas, plasma wakefield particle accelerators, and secondary photon sources driven by ultra-intense lasers. In a PIC code, Maxwell's equations are solved on a grid with a numerical method of choice. This article focuses on pseudo-spectral analytical time-domain (PSATD) algorithms and presents a novel hybrid PSATD PIC scheme that combines the respective advantages of standard nodal and staggered methods. The novelty of the hybrid scheme consists in using finite-order centering of grid quantities between nodal and staggered grids, in order to combine the solution of Maxwell's equations on a staggered grid with the deposition of charges and currents and the gathering of electromagnetic forces on a nodal grid. The correctness and performance of the novel hybrid scheme are assessed by means of numerical tests that employ different classes of PSATD equations in a variety of physical scenarios, ranging from the modeling of electron-positron pair creation in vacuum to the simulation of laser-driven and particle beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. It is shown that the novel hybrid scheme offers significant numerical and computational advantages, compared to purely nodal or staggered methods, for all the test cases presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatial Intermittency of Particle Distribution in Relativistic Plasma Turbulence

Abstract Relativistic magnetically dominated turbulence is an efficient engine for particle acceleration in a collisionless plasma. Ultrarelativistic particles accelerated by interactions with turbulent fluctuations form nonthermal power-law distribution functions in the momentum (or energy) space, f ( γ ) d γ ∝ γ − α d γ , where γ is the Lorenz factor. We argue that in addition to exhibiting non-Gaussian distributions over energies, particles energized by relativistic turbulence also become highly intermittent in space. Based on particle-in-cell numerical simulations and phenomenological modeling, we propose that the bulk plasma density has lognormal statistics, while the density of the accelerated particles, n , has a power-law distribution function, P ( n ) dn ∝ n − β dn . We argue that the scaling exponents are related as β ≈ α + 1, which is broadly consistent with numerical simulations. Non-space-filling, intermittent distributions of plasma density and energy fluctuations may have implications for plasma heating and for radiation produced by relativistic turbulence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Impact of electron transport models on capillary discharge plasmas

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) can be used to model capillary discharge waveguides in laser-wakefield accelerators. However, the predictive capability of MHD can suffer due to poor microscopic closure models. Here, we study the impact of electron heating and thermal conduction on the capillary waveguide performance as part of an effort to understand and quantify uncertainties in modeling and designing next-generation plasma accelerators. To do so, we perform two-dimensional high-resolution MHD simulations using an argon-filled capillary discharge waveguide with three different electron transport coefficients models. The models tested include (i) Davies et al., (ii) Spitzer, and (iii) Epperlein–Haines (EH). We found that the EH model overestimates the electron temperature inside the channel by over 20% while predicting a lower azimuthal magnetic field. Furthermore, the Spitzer model, often used in MHD simulations for plasma-based accelerators, predicts a significantly higher electron temperature than the other models suggest.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1981

Radiation force on a relativistic plasma and the Eddington limit

Calculations of the radiation force due to Thomson scattering on a relativistic plasma are presented and discussed in relation to certain astronomical objects which operate within a few orders of magnitude of their Eddington luminosity. The radiation force on a hot isotropic plasma is shown to exceed that on a cold plasma by a factor depending on the electron Lorentz factor, which can be substantial in a relativistic plasma. In such a plasma, radiative bulk acceleration is found to occur through the anisotropic loss of internal energy during the Thomson scattering, resulting in an effect termed a Compton rocket. The Compton rocket is shown to be a relevant acceleration mechanism in situations where a relativistic electron plasma lies in the vicinity of a luminous source operating near the classical Eddington limit, including compact galactic X-ray sources and objects associated with active galactic nuclei (quasars, blazars, and Seyfert nuclei).

Odell, S. L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cooling plate assembly for plasma windows positioned in a beam accelerator system

A beam accelerator system operable to produce a medical isotope, including an ion accelerator that generates an ion beam; a low-pressure chamber; an anode adjacent and fluidly connected to the low-pressure chamber; a plasma window adjacent and fluidly connected to the anode; and a cathode housing adjacent and fluidly connected to the plasma window. The plasma window has a plurality of plates, each plate having an aperture that is aligned with an aperture in one or more adjacent plates to form a plasma channel. One or more plates in the plurality of plates includes a unitary plate having an aperture therein, and one or more cooling channels entering the unitary plate at a first side of the unitary plate and exiting the unitary plate at a second side of the unitary plate. The one or more cooling channels run through a thickness of the unitary plate.

Gribb, Tye↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accurate simulation of direct laser acceleration in a laser wakefield accelerator

In a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA), an intense laser pulse excites a plasma wave that traps and accelerates electrons to relativistic energies. When the pulse overlaps the accelerated electrons, it can enhance the energy gain through direct laser acceleration (DLA) by resonantly driving the betatron oscillations of the electrons in the plasma wave. The traditional particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm, although often the tool of choice to study DLA, contains inherent errors due to numerical dispersion and the time staggering of the electric and magnetic fields. Furthermore, conventional PIC implementations cannot reliably disentangle the fields of the plasma wave and laser pulse, which obscures interpretation of the dominant acceleration mechanism. Here, a customized field solver that reduces errors from both numerical dispersion and time staggering is used in conjunction with a field decomposition into azimuthal modes to perform PIC simulations of DLA in an LWFA. Comparisons with traditional PIC methods, model equations, and experimental data show improved accuracy with the customized solver and convergence with an order-of-magnitude fewer cells. Furthermore, the azimuthal-mode decomposition reveals that the most energetic electrons receive comparable energy from DLA and LWFA.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1971

Magnetospheric plasma - Sources, wave-particle interactions and acceleration mechanisms.

Some of the basic problems associated with magnetospheric physics are reviewed. The sources of magnetospheric plasma, with auroral particles included as a subset, are discussed. The possible ways in which the solar wind plasma can gain access to the magnetosphere are outlined. Some important consequences of wave-particle interactions are examined. Finally, the basic mechanisms which energize or accelerate particles by reconnection and convection are explained.

Speiser, T. W.↗