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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 703 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Ultra-high vacuum photoelectron linear accelerator

An rf linear accelerator for producing an electron beam. The outer wall of the rf cavity of said linear accelerator being perforated to allow gas inside said rf cavity to flow to a pressure chamber surrounding said rf cavity and having means of ultra high vacuum pumping of the cathode of said rf linear accelerator. Said rf linear accelerator is used to accelerate polarized or unpolarized electrons produced by a photocathode, or to accelerate thermally heated electrons produced by a thermionic cathode, or to accelerate rf heated field emission electrons produced by a field emission cathode.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Guiding and focusing of fast electron beams produced by ultra-intense laser pulse using a double cone funnel target

A novel double cone funnel target design aiming at efficiently guiding and focusing fast electron beams produced in high intensity (>10{sup 19 }W/cm{sup 2}) laser-solid interactions is investigated via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The forward-going fast electron beams are shown to be directed and focused to a smaller size in comparison with the incident laser spot size. This plasma funnel attached on the cone target guides and focuses electrons in a manner akin to the control of liquid by a plastic funnel. Such device has the potential to add substantial design flexibility and prevent inefficiencies for important applications such as fast ignition. Two reasons account for the collimation of fast electron beams. First, the sheath electric fields and quasistatic magnetic fields inside the vacuum gap of the double cone provide confinement of the fast electrons in the laser-plasma interaction region. Second, the interface magnetic fields inside the beam collimator further guide and focus the fast electrons during the transport. The application of this technique to cone-guided fast ignition is considered, and it is shown that it can enhance the laser energy deposition in the compressed fuel plasma by a factor of 2 in comparison with the single cone target case.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

The dependence of a plasma acceleration process on a expansion area geometry

It has been reported that plasma acceleration by a electron beam results in a ion energy spectra that coincides with energy ion spectra of a pulsed vacuum discharges. Thus, one can assume that acceleration of plasma by electron beam is the basic plasma acceleration mechanism in a different type of a vacuum discharges. This work is devoted to examination of influence of expansion area geometry on an acceleration process. Experimental setup consist of three different units : vacuum diode; plasma cloud formation unit; expansion unit. Experiments were made for three expansion area configuration : Without expansion unit; Expansion tube; Expansion cone. Experiments have shown that narrowing of an expansion area results in additional acceleration of ions. Measurements of an ion energy spectra revealed a high energy tails appearance. (author)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effects of transient thermal shock on the microstructures and corrosion properties of a reduced activation high-entropy alloy

The devices would subject transient thermal shocks (TTS) during operation under extremely harsh conditions of nuclear fusion reactors, which inevitably exert significant impact on the microstructure and performance of structural materials. Here, a reduced activation VCrFeTa 0.2 W 0.2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) was developed by vacuum arc melting. The effects of electron beam induced TTS on its microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion properties were investigated. The results indicate that the weight fraction of each phase changes after TTS, showing a significant decrease in the content of BCC1 phase and an increase in the content of BCC2 and Laves phases. The content of BCC1 phase continues to decrease slightly with increasing the power of TTS. Besides, the microhardness of the alloy increases from ~673 HV to ~714 HV after TTS treatments. In the reduced activation HEA, TTS results in a relatively low corrosion current density of ~0.472 μA/cm 2 in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, around one-third of the current density observed in the as-cast sample. Furthermore, the VCrFeTa 0.2 W 0.2 HEA after TTS exhibits a pitting potential of ~1.165 V SCE , which is much higher than that of the as-cast sample. The refined composite multiscale entropy method is employed to analyze the influence of TTS on current fluctuation behavior during the corrosion process. The reduced activation VCrFeTa 0.2 W 0.2 HEA exhibits excellent properties in harsh environments after TTS, thereby showing advantageous property in the field of nuclear structural materials. Furthermore, TTS is an efficient and controllable strategy for the improvement of the HEAs’ microstructures and performances.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Probing O 2 dependence of hydroperoxy-butyl reactions via isomer-resolved speciation

Degenerate chain-branching mechanisms of n-alkanes are centered on the formation of hydroperoxy-alkyl radicals ($\dot{Q}$OOH), formed via $\dot{R}$ + O 2 reactions, and the ensuing competition between unimolecular decomposition and second-O 2 -addition. Quantitative measurements of partially oxidized intermediates formed via reactions of $\dot{Q}$OOH provide critical constraints that are required for accurate modeling of combustion chemistry. To examine the influence of temperature and oxygen concentration on intermediates from unimolecular decomposition of $\dot{Q}$OOH, isomer-resolved speciation measurements were conducted on n-butane oxidation at 835 Torr in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR) from 500 – 900 K. Resulting from negative-temperature coefficient behavior, cyclic ether formation peaked at two temperatures, 650 K and 800 K, which were selected for separate experiments to quantify the O 2 -dependence of species profiles using O 2 concentrations of 4.2 · 10 17 – 1.1 · 10 19 molecules cm –3 . Utilizing vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and electron-impact mass spectrometry, cyclic ether isomers were quantified separately, including explicit resolution of cis– and trans– isomers of 2,3-dimethyloxirane. Stereoisomers of 2-butene were also quantified explicitly. For all cyclic ethers, a common trend in O 2 -dependence emerged: species concentrations reach a maximum near 3.0 · 10 18 molecules cm –3 (equivalence ratio of 0.5). Although quantitative disparities are evident, chemical kinetics modeling qualitatively reproduces the O 2 dependence of species at 650 K. However, at 800 K, weak dependence on O 2 is predicted, which is in contrast with the measurements. Two carbonyls, diacetyl and methyl vinyl ketone, were also quantified and follow similar dependence on [O 2 ] and temperature as the cyclic ethers, which indicates some fraction forms via $\dot{Q}$OOH-mediated reactions. The discrepancies between the measured and model-predicted species profiles indicate that sub-mechanisms for important intermediates may require additional elementary reactions, including stereochemical-specific reactions, to improve the fidelity of n-alkane combustion modeling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating the Importance of Conformers for Understanding the Vacuum-Ultraviolet Spectra of Oxiranes: Experiment and Theory

Vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) absorption spectroscopy enables electronic transitions that offer the unambiguous identification of molecules. As target molecules become more complex, multifunctional species present a great challenge to both experimental and computational spectroscopy. This research reports both experimental and theoretical studies of oxiranes. Computationally, the nuclear ensemble approach has been used to accurately predict experimental spectra for a variety of molecules. However, this approach incurs great computational cost, as ensembles generally consist of thousands of geometries. The present study aims to drastically reduce the ensemble by evaluating the significance of the conformers to the predicted spectra. This approach was applied to 11 substituted oxiranes using the Conformer Rotamer Ensemble Sampling Tool (CREST) of Grimme to generate an ensemble of unique conformers determined by their Boltzmann populations. Five TD-DFT functionals (BMK, CAM-B3LYP, M06-2X, MN15, ωB97X-D) and EOM-CCSD were used to simulate the spectrum of each substituted oxirane ensemble. Computed spectra were then compared to the experiment using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. Based on these metrics, it was observed that certain conformers may not be necessary to characterize this set of oxiranes despite the temperature (323 K) of the experiment. A single conformer can then be used with TD-DFT and EOM-CCSD to replicate the experimental spectra of these medium-sized combustion species.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

The transverse magnetic field effect on steady-state solutions of the Bursian diode

A study of steady-states of a planar vacuum diode driven by a cold electron beam (the Bursian diode) under an external transverse magnetic field is presented. The regime of no electrons turned around by a magnetic field only is under the consideration. The emitter electric field is evaluated as a characteristic function for the existence of solutions depending on the diode length, the applied voltage, and the magnetic field strength. At certain conditions, it is shown that a region of non-unique solutions exists in the Bursian diode when the magnetic field is absent. An expression for the maximum current transmitted through the diode is derived. The external magnetic field is put forth to control fast electronic switches based on the Bursian diode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Hybrid-PIC modeling of laser-plasma interactions and hot electron generation in gold hohlraum walls

The walls of the hohlraum used in experiments at the national ignition facility are heated by laser beams with intensities ∼1015 W/cm2, a wavelength of ∼1/3 μm, and pulse lengths on the order of a ns, with collisional absorption believed to be the primary heating mechanism. X-rays generated by the hot ablated plasma at the gold walls are then used to implode a target in the hohlraum interior. In addition to the collisional absorption of laser energy at the walls, non-linear laser-plasma interactions (LPI), such as stimulated Raman scattering and two plasmon decay, are believed to generate a population of supra-thermal electrons which, if present in the hohlraum, can have a deleterious effect on target implosion. We describe results of hohlraum modeling using a hybrid particle-in-cell code. To enable this work, new particle-based algorithms for a multiple-ion magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) treatment, and a particle-based ray-tracing model were developed. The use of such hybrid methods relaxes the requirement to resolve the laser wavelength, and allows for relatively large-scale hohlraum simulations with a reasonable number of cells. But the non-linear effects which are believed to be the cause of hot electron generation can only be captured by fully kinetic simulations with good resolution of the laser wavelength. For this reason, we employ a two-tiered approach to hohlraum modeling. Large-scale simulations of the collisional absorption process can be conducted using the fast quasi-neutral MHD algorithm with fluid particle species. From these simulations, we can observe the time evolution of the hohlraum walls and characterize the density and temperature profiles. From these results, we can transition to smaller-scale highly resolved simulations using traditional kinetic particle-in-cell methods, from which we can fully model all of the non-linear laser-plasma interactions, as well as assess the details of the electron distribution function. We find that vacuum hohlraums should be stable to both two plasmon decay and stimulated Raman scattering instabilities for intensities ≤1015 W/cm2. In gas-filled hohlraums, shocks may be induced in the blowoff gold plasma, which leads to more complex density and temperatures profiles. The resulting effect on LPI stability depends strongly on the details of the profile, and it is possible for the gas-filled hohlraum to become unstable to two plasmon decay at 1015 W/cm2 if the quarter-critical surface reaches temperatures exceeding 1 keV.

Thoma, C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulation of decelerating streamers in inhomogeneous atmosphere with implications for runaway electron generation

The dynamics of positive and negative streamers is numerically simulated in atmospheric pressure air in the range of parameters corresponding to the streamer deceleration and termination in the middle of the discharge gap. A detailed comparison with experiments in air at constant and variable density demonstrates good agreement between the 2D simulation results and the observations. It is shown that positive and negative streamers behave in radically different ways when decelerating and stopping. When the head potential drops, the negative streamer transits to the mode in which the propagation is due to the forward electron drift. In this case, the radius of the ionization wave front increases, whereas the electric field at the streamer head decreases further and the streamer stops. Its head diameter continues to increase due to the slow drift of free electrons in the residual under-breakdown field. On the contrary, the only advancement mechanism for a positive streamer with a decreasing head potential is a decrease in the effective radius of the ionization wave, leading to a local increase in the electric field. This mechanism makes it possible to compensate for the reduction in the efficiency of gas photoionization at small head diameters. A qualitative 1D model is suggested to describe streamer deceleration and stopping for different discharge polarities. Estimates show that, during positive streamer stopping, the local electric field at the streamer head can exceed the threshold corresponding to the transition of electrons to the runaway mode when the head potential (relative to the surrounding space) decreases to~1.2 kV in atmospheric pressure air. In this case, pulsed generation of a beam of runaway electrons directed into the channel of a stopping positive streamer can occur. The energy of the formed pulsed electron beam depends on the intensity of photoionization in front of the streamer head. This energy can vary from 700 V (when increasing the photoionization rate by a factor of 10 with respect to the value in atmospheric pressure air) to 2.6 kV (when decreasing the photoionization rate by a factor of 1000). It is possible that this behavior of decelerating positive streamers can explain the observed bursts of x-ray radiation during the streamer propagation in long air gaps.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

A multi-chord, two-color interferometer using Hilbert transform phase detection for measuring electron density in spheromak plasmas

A new, four-chord, CO 2 /He–Ne heterodyne interferometer has been designed and built for measuring line-averaged plasma density in the HIT-SI3 and subsequent HIT-SIU sustained spheromak devices. The two-color system successfully eliminates vibration-induced errors caused by mirrors that are secured to the vacuum chamber and is able to resolve electron densities ne in the full operating range of 10 18 –10 20 m –3 in both experiments with an integrated error of 4.7 × 10 17 m –2 . Here, data are presented from high toroidal current plasma discharges, showing the time evolution of electron densities n e and j Φ /n e along multiple chords.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Initial performance of the magnet system in the splitter/combiner section of the Cornell-Brookhaven Energy-Recovery Linac Test Accelerator

The Cornell-Brookhaven Energy-recovery Linac Test Ac- celerator is a four-pass, 150-MeV electron accelerator with a six-cell 1.3 GHz superconducting-RF linear accelerator and a fixed-field alternating-gradient (FFAG) return loop made up of Halbach-style quadrupole magnets. The optics matching between the linear accelerator and the return loop is achieved with a conventional magnet system comprised of 50 dipole magnets and 64 quadrupole magnets in four beamlines at each end of the linac. The 42-, 78-, 114- and 150-MeV electron beams are separated into independent vacuum chambers in order to allow for the path-length ad- justment required by energy recovery. We report on the first beam tests of the initial installation of the splitter/combiner section at the exit of the linac. The vacuum system of the 42-MeV S1 line was installed during the first week of April. Nine dipole and four quadrupole magnets were installed and surveyed into position the following week, and the water cooling system was commissioned. A 6-MeV beam passed through the line on April 11 with no need for adjusting pre-set magnet excitation currents. One week later, time- of-flight measurements were used to calibrate and phase the individual superconducting RF cavities. The S1 magnet settings were then scaled up to achieve 5-cavity, 42-MeV operation through the first nine FFAG permanent-magnet quadrupoles. This initial Fractional Arc Test will conclude on May 18, when the installation of the remaining seven split- ter/combiner lines and the return loop will begin. CBETA operations are scheduled to begin in early 2019.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Equipment Protection System for CBETA

The ultimate goal of CBETA is to be the first high-current multi turn Energy Recovery Linac operating at 40 mA. The power of highest energy beam at this configuration is going to be 6 MW. Hence equipment protection against radiation is an important issue. Through our stages of commissioning we will slowly increase the beam current, starting from 100 pA all the way to 1 mA during the current commissioning phase. The electron beams hitting any in-vacuum component either on purpose (e.g. view screens, beam stops or during commissioning) or due to some component failure will generate a radiation shower which has the potential to damage various parts of the accelerator. In this document, we describe the various scenarios which generate unwanted radiation in our machine and list the damage thresholds of critical components. Then we discuss our diagnostic systems which can detect component failure and the resulting radiation generated. We further list the possible beam modes of the machine which we have designed taking into account the damage thresholds and the sensitivity of the diagnostics. Finally, we document our design of the Equipment Protection System (EPS) and outline protocols of calibration and operation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optical Spectroscopy and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies of Molecular Adsorbates and Anisotropic Ultrathin Films

The goal of the research under this project was to develop sufficient fundamental understanding to allowthe controlled preparation of nano-, and meso-structured surfaces with novel optical propertiesand chemical reactivity. The research placed an emphasis on the synthesis of, sometimes complex, surface structures under conditions that allow for detailed control and understanding of the composition and structure and the subsequent relationship to properties and chemical reactivity. In this research we utilized a combination of optical probes (Polarization and angle dependent laser reflectivity and Laser Raman Scattering) with modern surface imaging experiments (electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), and variable temperature ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)). These experiments were combined with conventional methods of UHV surface science (High Resolution Electron Energy Loss Vibrational Spectroscopy (HREELS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS)). The conventional surface probes provide well-tested methods for the preparation and characterization of substrates. The optical probes used provided powerful methods for the characterization of the structure dependent optical properties of novel molecular and nanometer scale, and mesoscale surface structures as well as molecular identification and quantification of adsorbates in monolayers and ultrathin films. A combination of STM and SEM/TEM were utilized to study the growth of mesoscopically ordered nanometer sized metal and metal oxide structures on well-defined substrates such as highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). We developed methods (e.g.photoelectrochemical deposition) to decorate nanometer scale metal oxide structures with transition metal nanoparticles generating Nanoparticles on Nanoscale substrate materials (NpNs). The electronic structure and chemical properties of these new structures were studied and contrasted with those of the more conventional nanoparticles on macroscopic substrate materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Coherent wiggler radiation impedance at the storage ring cooler for the EIC project

The Electron Ion Collider project is presently under design at Brookhaven National Laboratory. One of the options how to achieve an electron-proton high-luminosity of 10 34 cm –2 s –1 range, is the storage ring cooler concept, which is based on employing a significant amount of the damping wigglers. One of the main concerns, in achieving the required beam parameters, is the collective effects, especially the coherent synchrotron radiation impedance produced by the damping wigglers and its effect on the longitudinal beam dynamics. Low energy of the electrons, E o =149.6 MeV, small vacuum chamber aperture, b=15 mm, small bending radius and a big number of poles make the coherent synchrotron radiation simulations for the damping wiggler with D. Zhou’s CSRZ code, pretty challenging. The obtained numerical results have been compare with a theoretical approach of Stupakov and Zhou. The strong narrow-band impedance, due to a presence of the periodic poles and the vacuum chamber, have been identified and classified. To suppress or detune the high-Q resonance peaks, a design of the damping wiggler with a varied period of length is presented and discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Concerning the production of free radicals in proteins by ultraviolet light.

The response to UV light of several solid proteins and model compounds has been studied in vacuum and at low temperature, using electron paramagnetic resonance techniques. The results indicate that the details of amino acid composition and sequence, and the tertiary structure of a protein are important in determining both the rate of, and the mechanism for, the production of free radicals, and in determining the conditions under which sulfur-type radicals can be produced. The results presented are related to enzyme inactivation and to the UV stability of proteins generally.

Androes, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A sounding rocket spectroheliometer for photometric studies at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths

Construction and mode of operation are described for a sounding rocket spectroheliometer used to establish the sensitivity of the EUV spectroheliometer on the Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). The sounding rocket instrument was calibrated immediately before and after two flights and the calibration was transferred when the rocket and ATM instruments simultaneously measured the average intensity emitted by a quiet area of the solar disk. Descriptions are presented for the payload assembly and flight sequence, the optical system (telescope, spectrometer, and pointing reference camera), the vacuum pumping system, and the instrument electronics. Results obtained from the two flights in August and December 1973 are discussed, which included unambiguous determinations of the absolute intensity emitted by a region of the quiet solar disk over the wavelength range from 1350 to 300 A on two separate occasions and the establishment of photometric accuracy to that of laboratory calibration procedures.

Timothy, J. G.↗