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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

On the temporal development of a plasma sheath

This work studies a one-dimensional model for the time-dependent behavior caused by placing an uncharged conducting surface in contact with a uniform equilibrium plasma. Both the probe potential and plasma response are unknown a priori but are specified through a set of self-consistent model equations and boundary conditions. Some numerical and analytical consequences of this model are investigated. In particular, such issues are considered as (1) the formation and expansion of a quasi-neutral region connecting the non-neutral sheath to the distant undisturbed plasma; (2) the validity of assuming the existence of a sheath edge; and (3) the role of both static and dynamic Bohm criteria in the theory of unsteady sheath development.

Cipolla, J. W., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma Mirrors For High Power Lasers: A new approach for high repetition rates combined with realistic PIC simulations

We describe a research program to develop high quality plasma mirrors for use with high repetition rate, high power laser facilities to greatly facilitate experiments in high energy density physics, particularly when using solid density targets. A system delivering ultrathin, free standing liquid crystal films that could handle PW class laser pulses was developed that preserved the laser beam image quality and improved pulse contrast by over two orders of magnitude. The pulse contrast improvement was measured using a high dynamic range cross-correlation. The system operated at a repetition rate of several PMs formed in situ per minute. Extension to 1 Hz repetition rates should be possible. As a practical application, a PM system was used to separate laser accelerated electrons from the ultrashort pulse drive laser so that the electron beam emittance could be directly measured. The 20 nm thick PMs did not contribute significantly to emittance degradation. It was also demonstrated that the films could operate in the difficult plasma and laser environment present for GeV laser based electron acceleration. PM operation is still not well understood and much work with PMs is done empirically. Accordingly, we also demonstrated a particle-in-cell based simulation technique that would model PM operation, tracking the PM operation from cold, neutral atoms to a hot dense plasma by accounting for multiphoton ionization, plasma collisionality, and the dynamically changing index of refraction. Simulations in 3D were compared to a 2D based approach that was comparable. Finally, we developed a simpler model that can predict the intensity at which a plasma mirror will have its peak reflectivity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

Squalenes, phytanes and other isoprenoids as major neutral lipids of methanogenic and thermoacidophilic 'archaebacteria'

The neutral lipids from nine species of methanogenic bacteria (five methanobacilli, two methanococci, a methanospirillum and a methanosarcina) and two thermoacidophilic bacteria (Thermo-plasma and Sulfolobus) have been analyzed. The neutral lipids were found to comprise a wide range (C14 to C30) of polyisoprenyl hydrocarbons with varying degrees of saturation. The principal components represented the three major isoprenoid series (C20 phytanyl, C25 pentaisoprenyl, and C30 squalenyl), in contrast with the neutral lipids of extreme halophiles, which consist predominantly of C2O (phytanyl, geranylgeraniol), C30 (squalenes), C40 (carotenes) and C50 (bacterioruberins compounds), as reported by Kates (1978). These results, which indicate strong general similarities between genetically diverse organisms, support the classification of these organisms in a separate phylogenetic group. The occurrence of similar isoprenoid compounds in petroleum and ancient sediments and the fact that the methanogens, halophiles and thermoacidophiles live in conditions presumed to have prevailed in archaen times suggest that the isoprenoid compounds in petroleum compounds and sediment may have been directly synthesized by organisms of this type

Tornabene, T. G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Particle balance of deuterium during deuterium shattered pellet injection shutdown in DIII-D

A particle balance analysis was conducted during a deuterium (D 2 ) shattered pellet injection-induced plasma shutdown on the DIII-D tokamak to determine why less than 20% of the pellet material is assimilated into the core plasma by the mid-current quench (CQ). Initially, most of the D 2 is injected as frozen shards and ionized upon entering the vessel. During the thermal quench, ionized particles move to the divertors and subsequently to the center post (CP) walls, where they rapidly recycle and partially accumulate as neutrals without assimilating into the core plasma. In contrast, the particle flux to the outer midplane walls is negligible, despite being accompanied by hot plasma with electron temperatures exceeding 100 eV. During mid-CQ, volume recombination effects, although not large enough to impact overall particle balance, were significant enough to require accounting for accurate interpretation of fast-framing camera D-alpha signals and the estimation of the CP wall particle flux. In addition, toroidal asymmetries, observed in measurements of toroidal electron density perturbations and the phase of magnetohydrodynamic modes, are present throughout the shutdown and can account for a discrepancy in the assimilation rate for up to 50% of the observed D 2 particle inventory. These sources and sinks of particles and fluxes were identified using absolutely calibrated D-alpha brightness and Langmuir probes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1973

A theoretical and experimental investigation of the linear and nonlinear impulse responses from a magnetoplasma column

Linear and nonlinear responses of a magnetoplasma resulting from inhomogeneity in the background plasma density are studied. The plasma response to an impulse electric field was measured and the results are compared with the theory of an inhomogeneous cold plasma. Impulse responses were recorded for the different plasma densities, static magnetic fields, and neutral pressures and generally appeared as modulated, damped oscillations. The frequency spectra of the waveforms consisted of two separated resonance peaks. For weak excitation, the results correlate with the linear theory of a cold, inhomogeneous, cylindrical magnetoplasma. The damping mechanism is identified with that of phase mixing due to inhomogeneity in plasma density. With increasing excitation voltage, the nonlinear impulse responses display stronger damping and a small increase in the frequency of oscillation.

Grody, N. C.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Systematic study of plasma flow during plasma sheet thinnings

On the basis of a study of Imp 6 measurements of plasma flow, it is concluded that there is no clear indication of a predominance of tailward plasma flow beyond about X = -15 R sub E in the midnight sector of the plasma sheet during the expansive phase of a substorm. In fact, it is shown statistically that sunward plasma flow is more frequently observed in the midnight sector within about 30 R sub E from the earth than in any other direction during plasma sheet thinning at the substorm expansion. This result supports the conclusion that there is no definite evidence for the formation of a reconnection neutral line in the near-earth plasma sheet during most substorms.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A non-neutral generalized Ohm's law model for magnetohydrodynamics in the two-fluid regime

Here, a new non-neutral generalized Ohm's law (GOL) model for atomic plasmas is presented. This model differs from previous models of this type in that quasi-neutrality is not assumed at any point. Collisional effects due to ionization, recombination, and elastic scattering are included, and an expression for the associated plasma conductivity is derived. An initial set of numerical simulations are considered that compare the GOL model to a two-fluid model in the ideal (collisionless) case. The results demonstrate that solutions obtained from the two models are essentially indistinguishable in most cases when the ion–electron mass ratio is within the range of physical values for atomic plasmas. Additionally, some limitations of the model are discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Energetic particle beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer following substorm expansion - Simultaneous near-earth and distant tail observations

Simultaneous observations of ions and electron beams in the near-earth and deep magnetotail following the onset of substorm are analyzed in terms of the substorm neutral line model. The observations were collected on March 20, 1983 with ISSE 1 and 3. Energy fluxes and intensity-time profiles of protons and electrons are studied. The data reveal that the reconnection at the near-earth neutral line produces ions and electrons for the plasma sheet boundary layer. The maximum electric potential along the neutral line is evaluated.

Scholer, M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Charge exchange recombination spectroscopy at Wendelstein 7-X

The Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy (CXRS) diagnostic has become a routine diagnostic on almost all major high temperature fusion experimental devices. For the optimized stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), a highly flexible and extensive CXRS diagnostic has been built to provide high-resolution local measurements of several important plasma parameters using the recently commissioned neutral beam heating. This paper outlines the design specifics of the W7-X CXRS system and gives examples of the initial results obtained, to include typical ion temperature profiles for several common heating scenarios, toroidal flow and radial electric field derived from velocity measurements, beam attenuation via beam emission spectra, and normalized impurity density profiles under some typical plasma conditions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Examination of stiff ion temperature gradient mode physics in simulations of DIII-D H-mode transport

A systematic evaluation of gyrokinetic and gyrofluid model predictions of ion temperature gradient (ITG) stability and transport using parameters from DIII-D high confinement mode (H-mode) plasmas has been performed. The nonlinear CGYRO code is used to make the gyrokinetic predictions, and the quasilinear TGLF model for the corresponding gyrofluid predictions. The assessments are made at three radii (normalized toroidal flux ρtor = 0.4, 0.55, and 0.7) in three different plasma scenarios with varying levels of neutral beam heating and torque. For each of the nine cases (3 radii × 3 scenarios) considered, ITG turbulence is found to be the dominant long-wavelength instability and transport mechanism. The inclusions of both transverse magnetic fluctuations and dynamic fast beam ions are stabilizing for all cases considered, with strongest effects seen at ρor = 0.4 where the fast ion population and normalized plasma pressure β = 2μ0nT/B2 are highest. The further inclusion of parallel magnetic fluctuations does not have a meaningful impact on the ITG turbulence in these scenarios, but does destabilize (in combination with fast ions) new high-frequency instabilities at ρtor = 0.4 in the high power scenarios. In each case the linear and nonlinear ITG critical gradients are predicted to be lower than the measured ITG scale lengths and their associated uncertainties. Inclusion of equilibrium flow shear in the transport predictions generally leads to an upshift in effective critical gradient rather than a qualitative change in the predicted stiffness, with stronger responses typically seen in the gyrokinetic predictions than in the gyrofluid results. However, in most cases these upshifted gradients still remain below the measured values and their uncertainties. Although the predicted critical gradients are below the measured gradients, both models predicted flux-matching gradients consistent with measured values in six of the nine cases considered, with no clear systematic over- or underprediction. Thus, while the experimental ion temperature profiles do not appear to be closely pinned to the ITG critical gradient, both gyrokinetic and gyrofluid models are able to accurately match the measured gradients reasonably well in most cases.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1980

Plasma double-layers produced by ponderomotive force

Non-linear rectification of the RF electric fields excited in a convectively amplifying electron beam-plasma interaction results in a dc electric field, and a corresponding ponderomotive force acting on the charged particles to produce a space-charge separation, i.e. a type of plasma double-layer. This paper analyses the effect, taking into account plasma electron temperature and electron-neutral collisions. To measure such double-layers, an electron beam probe constitutes a convenient non-perturbing diagnostic technique, but great care is required in its calibration. An analysis is presented taking into account significant non-linear effects which had been neglected in previous work. The paper concludes with some preliminary experimental results illustrating the use of the technique in a beam-plasma interaction for which a weak double-layer electric field is predicted.

Levine, J. S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Overview of the MAST Upgrade physics programme: testing novel concepts at low aspect ratio to inform future devices

The research programme performed on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Upgrade experiment has made significant advances in developing the physics understanding of low aspect ratio tokamaks in support of the operation of ITER and design of fusion powerplants. High performance plasma scenarios have been developed to facilitate a broad programme of experiments, in which confinement is constrained by the presence of m/n = 2/1 modes that cause substantial losses of fast ions. The onset of these modes coincides with the q = 2 surface residing in a local minimum in the toroidal current density profile. The maximum electron temperature at the pedestal top, T e,ped is limited with gas fuelling to ∼350 eV to maintain regular ELMs; higher T e,ped results in a transition to a non-stationary ELM-free regime. The operational space of spherical tokamaks has been expanded into small and ELM-free regimes. Strong shaping of the last closed flux surface can induce a transition from large to small ELMs, and ELM suppression with resonant magnetic perturbations has been observed for the first time in a low aspect ratio tokamak. Negative triangularity shaping has induced a transition from ELMy H-mode to a high-performance L-mode regime for the first time in a low aspect ratio tokamak. In studies of fast ion confinement, losses of fast particles due to Global Alfvén Eigenmodes have been identified. Interactions between fast ions generated by off-axis neutral beam injection and thermal neutrals can result in significant losses of fast ions. Experiments with on- and off-axis neutral beam injection exhibit a flux pumping mechanism, where the central safety factor is held to ∼1 in the absence of sawteeth. In studies of pedestal physics, it has been found that elevated main chamber neutral pressures result in an increase in the electron density and reduction in the temperature at the pedestal top. Advances in understanding plasma exhaust include the integration of a high-performance plasma core with detached outer divertors in the X-point target configuration. A newly commissioned lower divertor cryopump reduces the lower divertor neutral pressure by up to 50%, with minimal effect on the main chamber or upper divertor. New measurements and SOLPS-ITER simulations emphasise the importance of plasma–neutral interactions on divertor detachment in the conditions accessible in experiments. Real-time control of the ionisation front location in both divertor chambers independently has been demonstrated in double null experiments, enabled by the tightly baffled divertor chambers.

MAST Upgrade↗
NASA NTRS2005

NASA GRC and MSFC Space-Plasma Arc Testing Procedures

Tests of arcing and current collection in simulated space plasma conditions have been performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, for over 30 years and at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, for almost as long. During this period, proper test conditions for accurate and meaningful space simulation have been worked out, comparisons with actual space performance in spaceflight tests and with real operational satellites have been made, and NASA has achieved our own internal standards for test protocols. It is the purpose of this paper to communicate the test conditions, test procedures, and types of analysis used at NASA GRC and MSFC to the space environmental testing community at large, to help with international space-plasma arcing-testing standardization. To be discussed are: 1.Neutral pressures, neutral gases, and vacuum chamber sizes. 2. Electron and ion densities, plasma uniformity, sample sizes, and Debuy lengths. 3. Biasing samples versus self-generated voltages. Floating samples versus grounded. 4. Power supplies and current limits. Isolation of samples from power supplies during arcs. 5. Arc circuits. Capacitance during biased arc-threshold tests. Capacitance during sustained arcing and damage tests. Arc detection. Prevention sustained discharges during testing. 6. Real array or structure samples versus idealized samples. 7. Validity of LEO tests for GEO samples. 8. Extracting arc threshold information from arc rate versus voltage tests. 9. Snapover and current collection at positive sample bias. Glows at positive bias. Kapon (R) pyrolisis. 10. Trigger arc thresholds. Sustained arc thresholds. Paschen discharge during sustained arcing. 11. Testing for Paschen discharge threshold. Testing for dielectric breakdown thresholds. Testing for tether arcing. 12. Testing in very dense plasmas (ie thruster plumes). 13. Arc mitigation strategies. Charging mitigation strategies. Models. 14. Analysis of test results. Finally, the necessity of testing will be emphasized, not to the exclusion of modeling, but as part of a complete strategy for determining when and if arcs will occur, and preventing them from occurring in space.

Ferguson, Dale C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Magnetic field effects on ionization inhomogeneities advected by motions of the neutral gas

A theory is developed for the ambipolar diffusion, drift, distortion, and production of ionization inhomogeneities within weakly ionized plasma in the presence of the geomagnetic field and motions of the neutral gas. The theory developed includes spatially varying velocity fields of the neutral gas, with a special emphasis on investigating the length scale restrictions necessary for the plasma to be treated as spatially homogeneous. Several effects of the magnetic field on ionization inhomogeneities are discussed. These include the anisotropy of ambipolar diffusion, the distortion and drift due to a gravitational field, the production of irregularities due to the turbulent acceleration field, the drift relative to the neutral gas, and the distortion of ionization inhomogeneities due to the effects of a uniform wind. Pertinent equations are derived for a multispecies plasma containing positive or negative ions, and for the case of electrons and one species of positive ions.

Hill, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Nature and location of the source of plasma sheet boundary layer ion beams

Onsager et al. (1991) have put forward a model of the formation of the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) which relies on a steady source of plasma from a spatially extended plasma sheet, together with steady equatorward and earthward ExB convection of field lines due to reconnection at a downtail neutral line. This model is a synthesis of earlier proposals and it explains such features as an electron layer exterior to the ion boundary layer, ion velocity dispersion, counter streaming beams, low-speed cutoffs in the beams. It also explains the apparent evolution of the ion beams through 'kidney bean' shaped velocity-space distributions toward quasi-isotropic shells without invoking pitch angle scattering or energy diffusion. In this paper we explore two ramifications of the model. In principle we can map, as a function of time, the downtail neutral line distance and establish whether or not it is retreating during substorm recovery. We can also reconstruct the plasma distribution function near the neutral line to see if it is most consistent with mantle or plasma sheet plasma. We perform this analysis using International Sun Earth Explorer (ISEE) Fast Plasma Experiment (FPE) data for two plasma sheet recovery events, one on March 1, 1978, and the other on April 18, 1978. On March 1, 1978, we find evidence for an initial retreat from around 110 to 160 R(sub E) in the first 15 min; little further retreat occurs thereafter. On April 18, 1978, the neutral line location ranges from as little as 40 R(sub E) tailward of the satellite to as much as 200 R(sub E), but there is no evidence for a systematic retreat. The reconstructed ion distributions for these events are most consistent with a plasma sheet origin for the March 1 case and possibly plasma mantle or low-latitude boundary layer for the April 18 case.

Elphic, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Molecular origin of Io's fast sodium

Neutral sodium emissions encircling Jupiter exhibit an intricate and variable structure that is well matched by a simple loss process from Io's atmosphere. These observations imply that fast neutral sodium is created locally in the Io plasma torus, both near Io and as much as 8 hours downstream. Sodium-bearing molecules may be present in Io's upper atmosphere, where thay are ionized by the plasma torus and swept downstream. The molecular ions dissociate and dissociatively recombine on a short time scale, releasing neutral fragments into escape trajectories from Jupiter. This theory explains a diverse set of sodium observations, and it implies that molecular reactions (particularly electron impact ionization and dissociation) are important at the top of Io's atmosphere.

Schneider, Nicholas M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low-Temperature Plasma Assisted Kinetics Study of Ethanol

Abstract: Non- equilibrium plasma assisted kinetics of ethanol at 0.5 atm over a temperature range of 523-1203 K were studied at stoichiometric conditions by using a plasma flow reactor (PFR). The effects of plasma chemistry on fuel and its influence on neutral chemistry is decoupled with both experimental and modelling efforts. Enhanced reactivity was observed experimentally in both plasma-assisted oxidation and pyrolysis cases with fuel consumption beginning at temperatures as low as 523 K. Absolute fuel consumption was observed at temperatures nearly 200 K earlier than pure thermal reactions highlighting the effectiveness of non-equilibrium plasma to promote reactivity. Modelling results illustrated the effect of electron impact reactions towards accelerating fuel consumption and promoting low temperature chemistry by generating excited state N2 and reactive O and OH radicals.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Understanding NBI heating and fueling in LTX-β tokamak

My work on the contract DE-SC=0023274 (July, 2022 - July, 2025) was focused on understanding the plasma fueling by NBI. On Dec. 1998 with Sergei Krasheninnikov (UCSD, San Diego, CA) we initiated the Li Wall Fusion (LiWFusion) as a new concept of magnetic fusion [1]. The new 1 2 plasma 3 4 5 6 2.1 Overview of rate coefficients, mean-free paths λH0 , and diffusions coefficients 6 2. GSV code for ⟨σv⟩ analysis of NBI fueling concept was a reaction of the lack of luck of tokamak fusion with QDT = 1 on TFTR and JET. We recognized the edge plasma cooling by recycling to be the route reason of the tokamak problems on the way to burning plasma. LiWFusion relies on plasma pumping by a lithium layer on the inner walls of the plasma chamber, combined with the plasma heating and fueling by the Neutral Beam Injection (NBI). These two innovations eliminate the route problem of the tokmak fusion. The concept became theoretically mature in 2006. In 2012, the technology of continuously Flowing Liquid Lithium (24/7-FLiLi) was invented by me for the future implementations of the LWFusion concept. At the same time, my every presentation on LiWFusion to International Symposium on Lithium Applications since 2010 was objected by some person with words “Everybody since the 1970s knows that plasma fueling by NBI is impossible”. I dropped the name of the author of this objection and ignored his views. My work on the current grant on NBI fueling of LTX-β not only clarified the issue but resolved it in an astonishing way. The NBI fueling was fully understood (thus humiliating the current dogmatic fusion community). The new future of LTX-β dedicated for decades to Li in tokamaks, as well as of the entire magnetic fusion program was envisioned, in sharp contrast with the fallure of OFES in the post-TFTR era of 21st century.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗