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At least 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

An inverse free electron laser acceleration-driven Compton scattering X-ray source

Abstract The generation of X-rays and γ-rays based on synchrotron radiation from free electrons, emitted in magnet arrays such as undulators, forms the basis of much of modern X-ray science. This approach has the drawback of requiring very high energy, up to the multi-GeV-scale, electron beams, to obtain the required photon energy. Due to the limit in accelerating gradients in conventional particle accelerators, reaching high energy typically demands use of instruments exceeding 100’s of meters in length. Compact, less costly, monochromatic X-ray sources based on very high field acceleration and very short period undulators, however, may enable diverse, paradigm-changing X-ray applications ranging from novel X-ray therapy techniques to active interrogation of sensitive materials, by making them accessible in energy reach, cost and size. Such compactness and enhanced energy reach may be obtained by an all-optical approach, which employs a laser-driven high gradient accelerator based on inverse free electron laser (IFEL), followed by a collision point for inverse Compton scattering (ICS), a scheme where a laser is used to provide undulator fields. We present an experimental proof-of-principle of this approach, where a TW-class CO 2 laser pulse is split in two, with half used to accelerate a high quality electron beam up to 84 MeV through the IFEL interaction, and the other half acts as an electromagnetic undulator to generate up to 13 keV X-rays via ICS. These results demonstrate the feasibility of this scheme, which can be joined with other techniques such as laser recirculation to yield very compact photon sources, with both high peak and average brilliance, and with energies extending from the keV to MeV scale. Further, use of the IFEL acceleration with the ICS interaction produces a train of high intensity X-ray pulses, thus enabling a unique tool synchronized with a laser pulse for ultra-fast strobe, pump-probe experimental scenarios.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Laser based 100 GeV electron acceleration scheme for muon production

High energy muons, due to their unique ability to penetrate deeply into matter, can enable radiography of structures that cannot be probed by other forms of radiation. Current terrestrial sources of muons require conventional GeV-TeV particle accelerators which are hundreds to thousands of meters in size. Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) can achieve acceleration gradients of two-to-three orders of magnitude greater than conventional accelerators, thus shrinking the accelerator to a number of meters. We propose a concept for a compact muon source based on the first self-consistent PIC simulations of an all optical LWFA that uses a guiding channel to achieve electron energies of 100 GeV in a distance of 6 m with a driving laser energy of 300 J in a single stage. From the resulting electron energy spectrum we estimate muon production for this source. We show that this accelerator, coupled with high average power laser driver technology, provides the basis for a high energy and high flux muon source.

laser-produced plasmas↗
DOE OSTI2012

Quasi-monoenergetic protons accelerated by laser radiation pressure and shocks in thin gaseous targets

Recent experiments and simulations have demonstrated effective CO{sub 2} laser acceleration of quasi-monoenergetic protons from thick gaseous hydrogen target (of thickness tens of laser wavelengths) via hole boring and shock accelerations. We present here an alternative novel acceleration scheme by combining laser radiation pressure acceleration with shock acceleration of protons in a thin gaseous target of thickness several laser wavelengths. The laser pushes the thin gaseous plasma forward while compressing it with protons trapped in it. We demonstrated the combined acceleration with two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and obtained quasi-monoenergetic protons {approx}44 MeV in a gas target of thickness twice of the laser wavelength irradiated by circularly polarized CO{sub 2} laser with normalized laser amplitude a{sub 0}=10.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Kr II laser-induced fluorescence for measuring plasma acceleration

We present the application of laser-induced fluorescence of singly ionized krypton as a diagnostic technique for quantifying the electrostatic acceleration within the discharge of a laboratory cross-field plasma accelerator also known as a Hall effect thruster, which has heritage as spacecraft propulsion. The 728.98 nm Kr II transition from the metastable 5d{sup 4}D{sub 7/2} to the 5p{sup 4}P{sub 5/2}{sup Ring-Operator} state was used for the measurement of laser-induced fluorescence within the plasma discharge. From these measurements, it is possible to measure velocity as krypton ions are accelerated from near rest to approximately 21 km/s (190 eV). Ion temperature and the ion velocity distributions may also be extracted from the fluorescence data since available hyperfine splitting data allow for the Kr II 5d{sup 4}D{sub 7/2}-5p{sup 4}P{sub 5/2}{sup Ring-Operator} transition lineshape to be modeled. From the analysis, the fluorescence lineshape appears to be a reasonable estimate for the relatively broad ion velocity distributions. However, due to an apparent overlap of the ion creation and acceleration regions within the discharge, the distributed velocity distributions increase ion temperature determination uncertainty significantly. Using the most probable ion velocity as a representative, or characteristic, measure of the ion acceleration, overall propellant energy deposition, and effective electric fields may be calculated. With this diagnostic technique, it is possible to nonintrusively characterize the ion acceleration both within the discharge and in the plume.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

The acceleration of electrons at perpendicular shocks and its implication for solar energetic particle events

We present a study of the acceleration of electrons at a perpendicular shock that propagates through a turbulent magnetic field. The energization process of electrons is investigated by utilizing a combination of hybrid (kinetic ions and fluid electron) simulations and test-particle electron simulations. In this method, the motions of the test-particle electrons are numerically integrated in the time-dependent electric and magnetic fields generated by two-dimensional hybrid simulations. We show that large-scale magnetic fluctuations effect electrons in a number of ways and lead to efficient and rapid energization at the shock front. Since the electrons mainly follow along magnetic lines of force, the large-scale braiding of field lines in space allows the fast-moving electrons to interact with the shock front and get accelerated multiple times. Ripples in the shock front occurring at various scales will also contribute to the acceleration by mirroring the electrons. Our calculation shows that this process favors electron acceleration at perpendicular shocks. The acceleration efficiency is critically dependent on the turbulence amplitude and coherence length. We also discuss the implication of this study for solar energetic particles (SEPs) by comparing the acceleration of electrons with that of protons. Their correlation indicates that perpendicular shocks play an important role in SEP events.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electron acceleration by Z-mode and whistler-mode waves

We carried out a series of particle simulations to study electron acceleration by Z-mode and whistler-mode waves generated by an electron ring distribution. The electron ring distribution leads to excitations of X-mode waves mainly in the perpendicular direction, Z-mode waves in the perpendicular and parallel directions, and whistler-mode waves mainly in the parallel direction. The parallel Z- and whistler-mode waves can lead to an effective acceleration of ring electrons. The electron acceleration is mainly determined by the wave amplitude and phase velocity, which in turn is affected by the ratio of electron plasma to cyclotron frequencies. For the initial kinetic energy ranging from 100 to 500 keV, the peak energy of the accelerated electrons is found to reach 2–8 times the initial kinetic energy. We further study the acceleration process by test-particle calculations in which electrons interact with one, two, or four waves. The electron trajectories in the one-wave case are simple diffusion curves. In the multi-wave cases, electrons are accelerated simultaneously by counter-propagating waves and can have a higher final energy.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electrostatic acceleration of helicon plasma using a cusped magnetic field

The electrostatic acceleration of helicon plasma is investigated using an electrostatic potential exerted between the ring anode at the helicon source exit and an off-axis hollow cathode in the downstream region. In the downstream region, the magnetic field for the helicon source, which is generated by a solenoid coil, is modified using permanent magnets and a yoke, forming an almost magnetic field-free region surrounded by an annular cusp field. Using a retarding potential analyzer, two primary ion energy peaks, where the lower peak corresponds to the space potential and the higher one to the ion beam, are detected in the field-free region. Using argon as the working gas with a helicon power of 1.5 kW and a mass flow rate of 0.21 mg/s, the ion beam energy is on the order of the applied acceleration voltage. In particular, with an acceleration voltage lower than 150 V, the ion beam energy even exceeds the applied acceleration voltage by an amount on the order of the electron thermal energy at the exit of the helicon plasma source. The ion beam energy profile strongly depends on the helicon power and the applied acceleration voltage. Since by this method the whole working gas from the helicon plasma source can, in principle, be accelerated, this device can be applied as a noble electrostatic thruster for space propulsion.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Plasma acceleration using a radio frequency self-bias effect

In this work plasma acceleration using a RF self-bias effect is experimentally studied. The experiments are conducted using a novel plasma accelerator system, called Neptune, consisting of an inductively coupled plasma source and a RF-biased set of grids. The plasma accelerator can operate in a steady state mode, producing a plasma flow with separately controlled plasma flux and velocity without any magnetic configuration. The operating pressure at the source output is as low as 0.2 mTorr and can further be decreased. The ion and electron flows are investigated by measuring the ion and electron energy distribution functions both space resolved and with different orientations with respect to the flow direction. It is found that the flow of electrons from the source is highly anisotropic and directed along the ion flow and this global flow of accelerated plasma is well localized in the plasma transport chamber. The maximum flux is about 7.5·10{sup 15} ions s{sup −1} m{sup −2} (at standard conditions) on the axis and decreasing to almost zero at a radial distances of more than 15 cm from the flow axis. Varying the RF acceleration voltage in the range 20–350 V, the plasma flow velocity can be changed between 10 and 35 km/s. The system is prospective for different technology such as space propulsion and surface modification and also interesting for fundamental studies for space-related plasma simulations and investigation of the dynamo effect using accelerated rotating plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Stable radiation pressure acceleration of ions by suppressing transverse Rayleigh-Taylor instability with multiple Gaussian pulses

In the case of a thin plasma slab accelerated by the radiation pressure of an ultra-intense laser pulse, the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) will destroy the acceleration structure and terminate the acceleration process much sooner than theoretical limit. In this paper, a new scheme using multiple Gaussian pulses for ion acceleration in a radiation pressure acceleration regime is investigated with particle-in-cell simulation. We found that with multiple Gaussian pulses, the instability could be efficiently suppressed and the divergence of the ion bunch is greatly reduced, resulting in a longer acceleration time and much more collimated ion bunch with higher energy than using a single Gaussian pulse. An analytical model is developed to describe the suppression of RTI at the laser-plasma interface. The model shows that the suppression of RTI is due to the introduction of the long wavelength mode RTI by the multiple Gaussian pulses.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

A proposal for antiparallel acceleration of positrons using CEBAF

Here, we present a scheme for positron beam acceleration in CEBAF antiparallel to the normal electron path, requiring no change in polarity of the magnet systems. This feature is essential to the principal benefit: enabling extremely simple configuration changes between conventional (clockwise) e - acceleration and counter clockwise e + acceleration. Additionally, it appears possible to configure the accelerating cavity phases to support concurrent acceleration of the electron and positron beams. The last mode also may enable use of the higher peak current electron beam for system diagnostics. The inherent penalty of the concurrent mode in acceleration efficiency and increased energy spread may render this a commissioning-only diagnostic option, but the possibility appears worthy of consideration.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ab-initio Cu alloy design for high-gradient accelerating structures

Operation of normal conducting accelerator structures at high accelerating gradients is beneficial for many accelerator applications in basic science, industry, medicine, and National Security. RF breakdown is the major factor that limits the achievable accelerating gradients. Previous experiments on copper (Cu) have demonstrated that RF breakdown probability can be significantly decreased by hardening the material and alloying Cu with solutes such as silver (Ag). In this paper, we propose a figure-of-merit (FOM) that characterizes the ability of Cu alloys to withstand high-gradients. The FOM represents a trade-off between hardening through solid solution strengthening and the additional thermal stress induced by incremental RF pulse heating resulting from changes in electronic properties induced by alloying. We performed high-throughput ab initio calculations and computed the FOM for a large number of binary Cu alloys. Several promising candidate alloys for high-gradient accelerating structures were identified, such as CuAg, CuCd, CuHg, CuAu, CuIn, and CuMg. CuAg alloys have previously exhibited low RF breakdown rates in experiments. The results provide guidance for selecting alloys for the future high-gradient normal conducting accelerating structures operating at very high gradients.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

ACCELERATION OF TYPE II SPICULES IN THE SOLAR CHROMOSPHERE

A 2.5D, time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic model is used to test the proposition that observed type II spicule velocities can be generated by a Lorentz force under chromospheric conditions. It is found that current densities localized on observed space and time scales of type II spicules and that generate maximum magnetic field strengths {<=}50 G can generate a Lorentz force that accelerates plasma to terminal velocities similar to those of type II spicules. Maximum vertical flow speeds are {approx}150-460 km s{sup -1}, horizontally localized within {approx}2.5-10 km from the vertical axis of the spicule, and comparable to slow solar wind speeds, suggesting that significant solar wind acceleration occurs in type II spicules. Horizontal speeds are {approx}20 times smaller than vertical speeds. Terminal velocity is reached {approx}100 s after acceleration begins. The increase in the mechanical and thermal energy of the plasma during acceleration is (2-3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 22} ergs. The radial component of the Lorentz force compresses the plasma during the acceleration process by factors as large as {approx}100. The Joule heating flux generated during this process is essentially due to proton Pedersen current dissipation and can be {approx}0.1-3.7 times the heating flux of {approx}10{sup 6} ergs cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} associated with middle-upper chromospheric emission. About 84%-94% of the magnetic energy that accelerates and heats the spicules is converted into bulk flow kinetic energy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE ROLE OF PRESSURE ANISOTROPY ON PARTICLE ACCELERATION DURING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION

Voyager spacecraft observations have revealed that contrary to expectations, the source of anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) is not at the local termination shock. A possible mechanism of ACR acceleration is magnetic reconnection in the heliosheath. Using a particle-in-cell code, we investigate the effects of {beta} on reconnection-driven particle acceleration by studying island growth in multiple interacting Harris current sheets. Many islands are generated, and particles are dominantly heated through Fermi reflection in contracting islands during island growth and merging. There is a striking difference between the heating of electrons versus the heating of ions. There is a strong dependence of {beta} on electron heating, while the ion heating is insensitive to {beta}. Anisotropies develop with T {sub Parallel-To} {ne} T for both electrons and ions. The electron anisotropies support the development of a Weibel instability that suppresses the Fermi acceleration of the electrons. Since the Weibel instability develops at a larger T {sub Parallel-To }/T in lower {beta} systems, electrons are able to accelerate more efficiently by the Fermi mechanism at low {beta}. The variance in anisotropy implies less electron acceleration in higher {beta} systems, and thus less heating. This study sheds light on particle acceleration mechanisms within the sectored magnetic field regions of the heliosheath and the dissipation of turbulence such as that produced by the magnetorotational instability in accreting systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF NONLINEAR PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN PARALLEL TRANS-RELATIVISTIC SHOCKS

We present results from a Monte Carlo simulation of a parallel collisionless shock undergoing particle acceleration. Our simulation, which contains parameterized scattering and a particular thermal leakage injection model, calculates the feedback between accelerated particles ahead of the shock, which influence the shock precursor and 'smooth' the shock, and thermal particle injection. We show that there is a transition between nonrelativistic shocks, where the acceleration efficiency can be extremely high and the nonlinear compression ratio can be substantially greater than the Rankine-Hugoniot value, and fully relativistic shocks, where diffusive shock acceleration is less efficient and the compression ratio remains at the Rankine-Hugoniot value. This transition occurs in the trans-relativistic regime and, for the particular parameters we use, occurs around a shock Lorentz factor γ{sub 0} = 1.5. We also find that nonlinear shock smoothing dramatically reduces the acceleration efficiency presumed to occur with large-angle scattering in ultra-relativistic shocks. Our ability to seamlessly treat the transition from ultra-relativistic to trans-relativistic to nonrelativistic shocks may be important for evolving relativistic systems, such as gamma-ray bursts and Type Ibc supernovae. We expect a substantial evolution of shock accelerated spectra during this transition from soft early on to much harder when the blast-wave shock becomes nonrelativistic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Particle acceleration at quasi-perpendicular shock waves: Theory and observations at 1 AU

The injection of particles into the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism at highly perpendicular (where θ {sub Bn} > 70°) interplanetary shocks is investigated. This extends the previous study of Neergaard Parker and Zank which focused on the injection problem at quasi-parallel interplanetary shocks. We use observations at 1 AU to construct upstream Maxwellian and κ-distributions that are then diffusively accelerated by the shock, thus yielding the downstream accelerated particle distribution. We compare the theoretical accelerated particle distribution to observations at 1 AU using Advanced Composition Explorer data. We classify our results for quasi-perpendicular shocks into three subcategories: those with ratios of the theoretical spectral index to observed power law of >1, ∼ 1, and <1, and compare the magnetic power spectral density plots of these categories. We find that in general the assumed upstream particle distribution that best fits the energetic particle observations is best represented by a κ-distribution, with κ = 4. The magnetic field fluctuations were representative of quasi-perpendicular shocks and showed no particular bias toward our spectral ratio subcategories. The subcategory with spectral ratio <0.9 yielded the largest injection energies for all groups. In all but two of the cases in this study, there were enough particles in the solar wind thermal core to account for the accelerated distribution, thereby giving a lower limit to the required injection energy needed to diffusively accelerate particles at a quasi-perpendicular interplanetary shock. In the remaining two cases, an additional population of particles was required to match the appropriate amplitude of the spectral index. For these cases, we used a low energy (1-50 keV) v {sup –5} spectrum advocated by Fisk and Gloeckler.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Test-particle acceleration in a hierarchical three-dimensional turbulence model

The acceleration of charged particles is relevant to the solar corona over a broad range of scales and energies. High-energy particles are usually detected in concomitance with large energy release events like solar eruptions and flares. Nevertheless, acceleration can occur at smaller scales, characterized by dynamical activity near current sheets. To gain insight into the complex scenario of coronal charged particle acceleration, we investigate the properties of acceleration with a test-particle approach using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. These are obtained from direct solutions of the reduced MHD equations, well suited for a plasma embedded in a strong axial magnetic field, relevant to the inner heliosphere. A multi-box, multiscale technique is used to solve the equations of motion for protons. This method allows us to resolve an extended range of scales present in the system, namely, from the ion inertial scale of the order of a meter up to macroscopic scales of the order of 10 km (1/100th of the outer scale of the system). This new technique is useful to identify the mechanisms that, acting at different scales, are responsible for acceleration to high energies of a small fraction of the particles in the coronal plasma. We report results that describe acceleration at different stages over a broad range of time, length, and energy scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Multi-wavelength emission from the Fermi bubbles. I. Stochastic acceleration from background plasma

We analyze processes of electron acceleration in the Fermi bubbles in order to define parameters and restrictions of the models, which are suggested for the origin of these giant radio and gamma-ray structures. In the case of the leptonic origin of the nonthermal radiation from the bubbles, these electrons should be produced somehow in situ because of the relatively short lifetime of high-energy electrons, which lose their energy by synchrotron and inverse-Compton processes. It has been suggested that electrons in bubbles may be accelerated by shocks produced by tidal disruption of stars accreting onto the central black hole or a process of re-acceleration of electrons ejected by supernova remnants. These processes will be investigated in subsequent papers. In this paper, we focus on in situ stochastic (Fermi) acceleration by a hydromagnetic/supersonic turbulence, in which electrons can be directly accelerated from the background plasma. We showed that the acceleration from the background plasma is able to explain the observed fluxes of radio and gamma-ray emission from the bubbles, but the range of permitted parameters of the model is strongly restricted.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Universality of the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of a rapidly rotating neutron star

On the surface of a rapidly rotating neutron star, the effective centrifugal force decreases the effective acceleration due to gravity (as measured in the rotating frame) at the equator while increasing the acceleration at the poles due to the centrifugal flattening of the star into an oblate spheroid. We compute the effective gravitational acceleration for relativistic rapidly rotating neutron stars and show that for a star with mass M, equatorial radius R{sub e} , and angular velocity Ω, the deviations of the effective acceleration due to gravity from the nonrotating case take on a universal form that depends only on the compactness ratio M/R{sub e} , the dimensionless square of the angular velocity Ω{sup 2}R{sub e}{sup 3}/GM, and the latitude on the star's surface. This dependence is universal, in that it has very little dependence on the neutron star's equation of state. The effective gravity is expanded in the slow-rotation limit to show the dependence on the effective centrifugal force, oblate shape of the star, and the quadrupole moment of the gravitational field. In addition, an empirical fit and simple formula for the effective gravity is found. We find that the increase in the acceleration due to gravity at the poles is of the same order of magnitude as the decrease in the effective acceleration due to gravity at the equator for all realistic value of mass, radius, and spin. For neutron stars that spin with frequencies near 600 Hz, the difference between the effective gravity at the poles and the equator is about 20%.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗