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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Focussing Protons from a Kilojoule Laser for Intense Beam Heating using Proximal Target Structures

Proton beams driven by chirped pulse amplified lasers have multi-picosecond duration and can isochorically and volumetrically heat material samples, potentially providing an approach for creating samples of warm dense matter with conditions not present on Earth. Envisioned on a larger scale, they could heat fusion fuel to achieve ignition. We have shown in an experiment that a kilojoule-class, multi-picosecond short pulse laser is particularly effective for heating materials. The proton beam can be focussed via target design to achieve exceptionally high flux, important for the applications mentioned. The laser irradiated spherically curved diamond-like-carbon targets with intensity 4 × 10 18 W/cm 2 , producing proton beams with 3 MeV slope temperature. A Cu witness foil was positioned behind the curved target, and the gap between was either empty or spanned with a structure. With a structured target, the total emission of Cu Kα fluorescence was increased 18 fold and the emission profile was consistent with a tightly focussed beam. Transverse proton radiography probed the target with ps order temporal and 10 μm spatial resolution, revealing the fast-acting focussing electric field. Complementary particle-in-cell simulations show how the structures funnel protons to the tight focus. Here, the beam of protons and neutralizing electrons induce the bright Kα emission observed and heat the Cu to 100 eV.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

A laser parameter study on enhancing proton generation from microtube foil targets

Abstract The interaction of an intense laser with a solid foil target can drive $$\sim$$ ∼ TV/m electric fields, accelerating ions to MeV energies. In this study, we experimentally observe that structured targets can dramatically enhance proton acceleration in the target normal sheath acceleration regime. At the Texas Petawatt Laser facility, we compared proton acceleration from a $$1\, {\upmu }\hbox {m}$$ 1 μ m flat Ag foil, to a fixed microtube structure 3D printed on the front side of the same foil type. A pulse length (140–450 fs) and intensity ((4–10) $$\times 10^{20}$$ × 10 20 W/cm $$^2$$ 2 ) study found an optimum laser configuration (140 fs, 4 $$\times 10^{20}$$ × 10 20 W/cm $$^2$$ 2 ), in which microtube targets increase the proton cutoff energy by 50% and the yield of highly energetic protons ( $$>10$$ > 10 MeV) by a factor of 8 $$\times$$ × . When the laser intensity reaches $$10^{21}$$ 10 21 W/cm $$^2$$ 2 , the prepulse shutters the microtubes with an overcritical plasma, damping their performance. 2D particle-in-cell simulations are performed, with and without the preplasma profile imported, to better understand the coupling of laser energy to the microtube targets. The simulations are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results, and show that the prepulse is necessary to account for when the laser intensity is sufficiently high.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Host cell and viral protease targets of human SERPINs identified by in silico docking

Serine protease inhibitors (SERPINs) are involved in various physiological processes and diseases, such as inflammation, cancer metastasis, and neurodegeneration. Their role in viral infections is poorly understood, as their expression patterns during infection and the range of proteases they target have yet to be fully characterized. Here, we show widespread expression of human SERPINs in response to respiratory virus infections, both in bronchioalveolar lavages from COVID-19 patients and in polarized human airway epithelial cultures. Using in silico docking of 10 SERPINs to 48 host proteases, we confirm known targets and predict new interactions. Protease activity assays validated selected interactions, confirming the newly predicted host targets for PAI-1 (SERPINE1) and PAI-2 (SERPINB2). PAI-1 inhibits cathepsin L, essential for SARS-CoV-2 maturation, and suppresses multi-cycle replication of both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA-1 and its variant Omicron BA.1. In addition, we identify PAI-2 as an antiviral SERPIN that reduces infectivity of human adenovirus 5 by directly inhibiting the adenoviral protease. Our study leverages in silico docking using full-length 3D protein structures to uncover new SERPIN targets, offering a range of candidate targets for therapeutic interventions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tritium targets for use in solenoidal spectrometers

Nucleon adding and removing reactions are an ideal probe to study the single-particle foundations of nuclear structure. For experiments far away from the valley of stability, one needs to use radioactive beams in inverse kinematics. To maintain excellent resolution, solenoidal spectrometers like HELIOS at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), ISS at CERN or SOLARIS at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) are used. Typically, deuterated plastic foils are the targets of choice. Depending on the energy deposited, these targets might degrade quickly in beam. The potential of using tritium-implanted targets in conjunction with the solenoidal spectrometers was realized for access to even more exotic nuclei with outstanding resolving power. While no tritiated polyethylene is commercially available at the moment, tritium-containing titanium targets have been produced in the past. Unfortunately the loading fraction of tritium for the latter was often very low and not reproducible. The progress in the production of tritium-containing targets is presented, including the characterization of the foils.

Müller-Gatermann, Claus↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ion heating dynamics in solid buried layer targets irradiated by ultra-short intense laser pulses

We investigate bulk ion heating in solid buried layer targets irradiated by ultra-short laser pulses of relativistic intensities using particle-in-cell simulations. Our study focuses on a CD{sub 2}-Al-CD{sub 2} sandwich target geometry. We find enhanced deuteron ion heating in a layer compressed by the expanding aluminium layer. A pressure gradient created at the Al-CD{sub 2} interface pushes this layer of deuteron ions towards the outer regions of the target. During its passage through the target, deuteron ions are constantly injected into this layer. Our simulations suggest that the directed collective outward motion of the layer is converted into thermal motion inside the layer, leading to deuteron temperatures higher than those found in the rest of the target. This enhanced heating can already be observed at laser pulse durations as low as 100 fs. Thus, detailed experimental surveys at repetition rates of several ten laser shots per minute are in reach at current high-power laser systems, which would allow for probing and optimizing the heating dynamics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Instrument performance study on the short and long pulse options of the second Spallation Neutron Source target station

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is designed with an upgrade option for a future low repetition rate, long wavelength second target station. This second target station is intended to complement the scientific capabilities of the 1.4 MW, 60 Hz high power first target station. Two upgrade possibilities have been considered, the short and the long pulse options. In the short pulse mode, proton extraction occurs after the pulse compression in the accumulator ring. The proton pulse structure is thus the same as that for the first target station with a pulse width of ∼0.7 μs. In the long pulse mode, protons are extracted as they are produced by the linac, with no compression in the accumulator ring. The time width of the uncompressed proton pulse is ∼1 ms. This difference in proton pulse structure means that neutron pulses will also be different. Neutron scattering instruments thus have to be designed and optimized very differently for these two source options which will directly impact the overall scientific capabilities of the SNS facility. In order to assess the merits of the short and long pulse target stations, we investigated a representative suit of neutron scattering instruments and evaluated their performance under each option. Our results indicate that the short pulse option will offer significantly better performance for the instruments and is the preferred choice for the SNS facility.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of longitudinal proton acceleration in exploded targets irradiated by intense short-pulse laser

It was recently shown that a promising way to accelerate protons in the forward direction to high energies is to use under-dense or near-critical density targets instead of solids. Simulations have revealed that the acceleration process depends on the density gradients of the plasma target. Indeed, under certain conditions, the most energetic protons are predicted to be accelerated by a collisionless shock mechanism that significantly increases their energy. We report here the results of a recent experiment dedicated to the study of longitudinal ion acceleration in partially exploded foils using a high intensity (∼5 × 10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}) picosecond laser pulse. We show that protons accelerated using targets having moderate front and rear plasma gradients (up to ∼8 μm gradient length) exhibit similar maximum proton energy and number compared to proton beams that are produced, in similar laser conditions, from solid targets, in the well-known target normal sheath acceleration regime. Particle-In-Cell simulations, performed in the same conditions as the experiment and consistent with the measurements, allow laying a path for further improvement of this acceleration scheme.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Comparative study of radiation emission without and with target in a 2.2 kJ plasma focus device

The radiation emission in a 2.2 kJ Mather-type dense plasma focus device is investigated using a five channel BPX65 PIN diode spectrometer. Estimated X-ray associated with the hollow anode without and with target in Argon gas medium is compared. At optimum conditions, the radiation emission from the system is found to be strongly influenced with target in hollow anode and the filling gas pressure. The maximum X-ray yield in 4π sr was obtained in case of hollow anode in argon gas medium with target 'Lead' due to interaction of electron beam. Results indicated that an appropriate design of hollow anode with target could enhance the radiation emission by more intense interaction of expected electron beam with target. The outcomes are helpful in designing a plasma focus with enhanced X-ray radiation with improved shot to shot reproducibility in plasma focus device.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Active target studies of the αp-process at CRIB

The αp-process is a sequence of (α, p)(p, γ) reactions important to the nuclear trajectory to higher masses in type I X-ray bursts. Specifically, the αp-process is schematically pure helium-burning, and thus unlike pure hydrogen-burning processes, does not require slow β{sup +} decays. Explosive helium burning is responsible for the observed short rise-times of X-ray bursts but ultimately gives way to the rp-process as the Coulomb barrier increases. Because the stellar reaction rates of these (α, p) reactions are poorly known over the relevant astrophysical energies, we performed systematic studies of the {sup 18}Ne(α,p), {sup 22}Mg(α,p) and {sup 30}S(α,p) reactions at the Center for Nuclear Study (CNS) low-energy radioactive ion beam separator, called CRIB. We produce the radioactive beams in-flight and scan the center-of-mass energy down into the Gamow Window using a thick target in inverse kinematics. The helium target gas also serves as part of the detector system, an active target, which was newly designed for these measurements. The active target, which uses gas electron multiplier (GEM) foils, allows for higher beam injection rates than previous multi-sampling and tracking proportional counters (MSTPC). We present a summary of our recent results from these active target experiments at CRIB.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron spectra from beam-target reactions in dense Z-pinches

The energy spectrum of neutrons emitted by a range of deuterium and deuterium-tritium Z-pinch devices is investigated computationally using a hybrid kinetic-MHD model. 3D MHD simulations are used to model the implosion, stagnation, and break-up of dense plasma focus devices at currents of 70 kA, 500 kA, and 2 MA and also a 15 MA gas puff. Instabilities in the MHD simulations generate large electric and magnetic fields, which accelerate ions during the stagnation and break-up phases. A kinetic model is used to calculate the trajectories of these ions and the neutron spectra produced due to the interaction of these ions with the background plasma. It is found that these beam-target neutron spectra are sensitive to the electric and magnetic fields at stagnation resulting in significant differences in the spectra emitted by each device. Most notably, magnetization of the accelerated ions causes the beam-target spectra to be isotropic for the gas puff simulations. It is also shown that beam-target spectra can have a peak intensity located at a lower energy than the peak intensity of a thermonuclear spectrum. A number of other differences in the shapes of beam-target and thermonuclear spectra are also observed for each device. Finally, significant differences between the shapes of beam-target DD and DT neutron spectra, due to differences in the reaction cross-sections, are illustrated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Comparison of line x-ray emission from solid and porous nano-layer coated targets irradiated by double laser pulses

Enhancement of line x-ray emission from both solid and porous iron targets induced by irradiation of single and double laser pulses is studied numerically. The line emission from laser produced plasma is calculated within the extreme ultra-violet lithography wavelength range of 13.5–13.7 nm. The effects of pre-pulse intensity and delay time between two pulses (pre-pulse and main pulse) are examined. The results show that using double pulses irradiation in the conditions of porous target can reduce the x-ray enhancement. According to the results, the use of both pre-pulse and porous target leads to efficient absorption of the laser energy. Calculations also show that such enhanced laser absorption can ionize atoms of the target material to very high degrees of ionization, leading to decrease of the density of appropriate ions that are responsible for line emission in the selected wavelength region. By increasing the target porosity, x-ray yield was more reduced.

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

A spherical shell target scheme for laser-driven neutron sources

A scheme for neutron production is investigated in which an ultra-intense laser is irradiated into a two-layer (deuterium and aurum) spherical shell target through the cone shaped entrance hole. It is found that the energy conversion efficiency from laser to target can reach as high as 71%, and deuterium ions are heated to a maximum energy of several MeV from the inner layer surface. These ions are accelerated towards the center of the cavity and accumulated finally with a high density up to tens of critical density in several picoseconds. Two different mechanisms account for the efficient yield of the neutrons in the cavity: (1) At the early stage, the neutrons are generated by the high energy deuterium ions based on the “beam-target” approach. (2) At the later stage, the neutrons are generated by the thermonuclear fusion when the most of the deuterium ions reach equilibrium in the cavity. It is also found that a large number of deuterium ions accelerated inward can pass through the target center and the outer Au layer and finally stopped in the CD{sub 2} layer. This also causes efficient yield of neutrons inside the CD{sub 2} layer due to “beam-target” approach. A postprocessor has been designed to evaluate the neutron yield and the neutron spectrum is obtained.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of advanced nanowire-based targets in nanosecond laser-matter interaction (invited)

An experimental campaign aiming to investigate the effects of innovative nanostructured targets based on Ag nanowires on laser energy absorption in the ns time domain has been carried out at the Laser Energy for Nuclear Science laboratory of INFN-LNS in Catania. The tested targets were realized at INFN-Bologna by anodizing aluminium sheets in order to obtain layers of porous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} of different thicknesses, on which nanowires of various metals are grown by electro-deposition with different heights. Targets were then irradiated by using a Nd:YAG laser at different pumping energies. Advanced diagnostic tools were used for characterizing the plasma plume and ion production. As compared with targets of pure Al, a huge enhancement (of almost two order of magnitude) of the X-ray flux emitted by the plasma has been observed when using the nanostructured targets, with a corresponding decrease of the “optical range” signal, pointing out that the energetic content of the laser produced plasma was remarkably increased. This analysis was furthermore confirmed from time-of-flight spectra.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Enhanced proton acceleration by intense laser interaction with an inverse cone target

The generation and control of high-quality proton bunches using focused intense laser pulse on an inverse cone target is investigated with a set of particle-in-cell simulations. The inverse cone is a high atomic number conical frustum with a thin solid top and open base, where the laser impinges onto the top surface directly, not down the open end of the cone. Results are compared with a simple planar target, where the proton angular distribution is very broad because of transverse divergence of the electromagnetic fields behind the target. For a conical target, hot electrons along the cone wall surface induce a transverse focusing sheath field. This field can effectively suppress the spatial spreading of the protons, resulting in a high-quality small-emittance, low-divergence proton beam. A slightly lower proton beam peak energy than that of a conventional planar target was also found.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Understanding the effects of laser imprint on plastic-target implosions on OMEGA

Understanding the effects of laser imprint on target performance is critical to the success of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Directly measuring the disruption caused by laser imprints to the imploding shell and hot-spot formation, in comparison with multidimensional radiation–hydrodynamic simulations, can provide a clear picture of how laser nonuniformities cause target performance to degrade. With the recently developed x-ray self-emission imaging technique and the state-of-the-art physics models recently implemented in the two-dimensional hydrocode DRACO , a systematic study of laser-imprint effects on warm target implosions on OMEGA has been performed using both experimental results and simulations. By varying the laser-picket intensity, the imploding shells were set at different adiabats (from α = 2 to α = 6). As the shell adiabats decreased, it was observed that (1) the measured shell thickness at the time the hot spot lit up became larger than the uniform one-dimensional (1-D) predictions; (2) the hot-spot core emitted earlier than the corresponding 1-D predictions; (3) the measured neutron yield first increased then decreased as the shell adiabat α was reduced; and (4) the hot-spot size reduced as α decreased for cases where SSD (smoothing by spectral dispersion) was on but became larger for low-α shots in cases where SSD was off. Most of these experimental observations are well reproduced by DRACO simulations with laser imprints including modes up to λ max = 200. In addition, these studies identify the importance of laser imprint as the major source of degrading target performance for OMEGA implosions of adiabat α ≤ 3. Mitigating laser imprints is required to improve low-α target performance.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

A physics-based solver to optimize the illumination of cylindrical targets in spherically distributed high power laser systems

In recent years, our understanding of high energy density plasmas has played an important role in improving inertial fusion confinement and in emerging new fields of physics, such as laboratory astrophysics. Every new idea required developing innovative experimental platforms at high power laser facilities, such as OMEGA or NIF. These facilities, designed to focus all their beams onto spherical targets or hohlraum windows, are now required to shine them on more complex targets. While the pointing on planar geometries is relatively straightforward, it becomes problematic for cylindrical targets or target with more complex geometries. This publication describes how the distribution of laser beams on a cylindrical target can be done simply by using a set of physical laws as a pointing procedure. The advantage of the method is threefold. First, it is straightforward, requiring no mathematical enterprise besides solving ordinary differential equations. Second, it will converge if a local optimum exists. Finally, it is computationally inexpensive. Experimental results show that this approach produces a geometrical beam distribution that yields cylindrically symmetric implosions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Observation of impact of eddy current on laser targets in a strong fast rising magnetic field

Pulsed power generators are capable of producing strong magnetic fields. Foil laser targets for high intensity interactions with matter were characterized in a strong magnetic field produced by different types of loads. Longitudinal magnetic fields generated by coil loads were measured by Faraday rotation of the polarization plane of laser beams in a small glass sample at two wavelengths. Magnetic fields of 0.8–1.5 MG were measured in different coil loads at 1 MA current. For the first time, the impact of eddy current generated by the fast rising magnetic field with dB/dt= 10 9 T/s was observed in Al laser targets using shadowgraphy and interferometry. Material of the Al 10 μm foil target expanded from both sides at 0.1–0.2 mm. This effect was not observed in dielectric targets. The impact of eddy current on targets is important for designing experiments for laser plasma interactions in strong magnetic fields.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design of target irradiation and diagnostic chamber to study ps-laser generated plasma as a source of singly charged ions for external injection into an electron beam ion source

High repetition-rate (~10 kHz) ps-lasers are becoming available on the market with reasonable cost and may offer several advantages compared to ns-lasers by generating nearly continuous beams of singly charged ions appropriate for the “slow” injection mode into the Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS). To evaluate these advantages, we will perform studies of a ps-laser generated plasma using a laser with a pulse duration of 8 ps and energy up to 5 mJ per pulse. A vacuum chamber equipped with a 3D target positioner, a focusing lens, and a Faraday Cup has been designed and built for this study. Lens-to-target distance variations have been measured using a laser tracker over the whole range of horizontal and vertical translation for all five targets we will use. The variations were found to be within ±150 µm. This level of “target flatness” should be acceptable for our experimental conditions. Ion currents and ion pulse durations of various elements (from Al to Ta) will be measured for different target irradiation conditions (focal spot size and laser pulse energy). The results obtained will allow us to specify all parameters and geometry of a laser ion source based on a ps-laser to provide external ion injection into the relativistic heavy ion collider EBIS

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗