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At least 829 records · Page 46

A Generic Multivector Model Predictive Control With Symmetric Pulse Pattern for Hybrid Multilevel Converters

This article presents a generic multivector model predictive control (MV-MPC) method that has the potential to be applied to all hybrid multilevel converters (HMCs). It first locates the reference voltage vector in the 120° oblique coordinate to select the three adjacent voltage vectors to be applied over one control cycle. Then, the current tracking is guaranteed through duty cycle optimization and dc capacitor voltages are balanced by evaluating possible switching sequences that belong to the voltage vectors with optimal duty cycles. At last, the optimal switching sequence with a symmetric five- or seven-segment pulse pattern is generated using an external modulator. Here, the proposed generic MV-MPC can significantly improve the quality of the output current, while achieving a constant equivalent switching frequency at the same time. Experimental studies on an all silicon carbide HMC prototype, i.e., an active neutral point clamped converter with cascaded H-bridge, are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed MV-MPC strategy.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NSTX-U theory, modeling and analysis results

Here, the mission of the low aspect ratio spherical tokamak NSTX-U is to advance the physics basis and technical solutions required for optimizing the configuration of next-step steady-state tokamak fusion devices. NSTX-U will ultimately operate at up to 2 MA of plasma current and 1 T toroidal field on axis for 5 s, and has available up to 15 MW of neutral beam injection power at different tangency radii and 6 MW of high harmonic fast wave heating. With these capabilities NSTX-U will develop the physics understanding and control tools to ramp-up and sustain high performance fully non-inductive plasmas with large bootstrap fraction and enhanced confinement enabled via the low aspect ratio, high beta configuration. With its unique capabilities, NSTX-U research also supports ITER and other critical fusion development needs. Super-Alfvénic ions in beam-heated NSTX-U plasmas access energetic particle (EP) parameter space that is relevant for both α-heated conventional and low aspect ratio burning plasmas. NSTX-U can also generate very large target heat fluxes to test conventional and innovative plasma exhaust and plasma facing component solutions. This paper summarizes recent analysis, theory and modelling progress to advance the tokamak physics basis in the areas of macrostability and 3D fields, EP stability and fast ion transport, thermal transport and pedestal structure, boundary and plasma material interaction, RF heating, scenario optimization and real-time control.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Comprehensive Characterization of Water Group Ion Composition and Distributions in Saturn's Magnetosphere With Cassini Plasma Spectrometer Data

Saturn's magnetosphere is continuously supplied with neutrals from the Enceladus plume and the icy rings, which undergo ionization and charge-exchange to form a complex water-group plasma environment. While the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) instrument has provided extensive compositional information, detailed separation of individual water-group ion species in time-of-flight (TOF) data has not previously been achieved. In this study, we perform forward modeling of CAPS-IMS energy-per-charge (E/Q) and TOF spectra obtained between 2004 and 2012 to resolve O + , OH + , H 2 O + , and H 3 O + and to characterize their plasma properties, including number density, temperature, and thermodynamic κ. Our results demonstrate that O + is the dominant thermal ion species throughout Saturn's magnetosphere, comprising up to ∼70% of the total ion population beyond ∼5 Saturn radii (R S ). In contrast, molecular ions such as OH + , H 2 O + , and H 3 O + dominate closer to Enceladus but rapidly dissociate into atomic ions between ∼5 and 10 R S . This radial region is also characterized by the steepest increase in plasma flow speed, which rises from ∼40% to ∼80% of rigid corotation. Simultaneously, ion velocity distributions approach Maxwell–Boltzmann equilibrium, as indicated by high kappa values. These findings provide new constraints on the ion–neutral chemistry that regulates the balance between molecular and atomic ions in Saturn's magnetosphere. They also emphasize the critical role of the 5–10 R S region as a transition zone for both plasma composition and dynamics. Our results refine previous CAPS-based studies and underscore the need to incorporate seasonal variability and ionospheric coupling into future global models of Saturn's plasma environment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Downstream Separation of Formic Acid with Anion-Exchange Resin from Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Conversion: Adsorption, Kinetics, and Equilibrium Modeling

The electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) that produces liquid formic acid (FA) is one potential route to minimize the CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere by utilizing CO 2 as a feedstock. However, one of the main disadvantages of this route is the high energy demand required for purification through conventional distillation. This method of purification has been shown to result in a large carbon footprint in life-cycle analysis (LCA). Therefore, finding an alternative purification technique that can integrate with an electrochemical CO 2 RR process with the potential to lower the carbon footprint would be of great interest. Under the experimental conditions of the CO 2 RR, FA remains in its basic form as the formate anion in the catholyte. Anion exchange resins with their basic properties can separate the formate anion from the catholyte mixture as an alternative to energy intensive distillation. In this work, three anion exchange resins with increasing basicity order: Amberlite IRA-96 < Amberlite IRA-910 < Ambersep 900 are tested to separate FA in the presence of aqueous solution of potassium bicarbonate catholyte with varying levels of resin and FA. Kinetics and equilibrium studies data for the FA adsorption are interpreted using several kinetics and isotherm models. The kinetics data fit well with a pseudo-first-order model at high initial FA concentrations and a pseudo-second-order model at low initial FA concentrations. The experimental data can be best explained with the Freundlich isotherm model. The fitted results show that strongly basic Ambersep 900 is more effective at separating FA, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 336.7 mg/g compared to Amberlite IRA-96 (275.2 mg/g) and Amberlite IRA-910 (209.2 mg/g) in neutral water. However, weakly basic Amberlite IRA-96 (110.8 mg/g) can separate FA more efficiently from potassium bicarbonate catholyte than Amberlite IRA-910 (99.9 mg/g) and Ambersep 900 (40.0 mg/g). As a result, competitive adsorption occurs in the presence of potassium bicarbonate catholyte, but the formic acid adsorption capacity is still sufficient for adequate separation.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Protonation State Dependence of Glutamic Acid Transport through a Cyclic Peptide Nanotube

The effect of the protonation state of glutamic acid on its translocation through cyclic peptide nanotubes (CPNs) was assessed by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Anionic (GLU–), neutral zwitterionic (GLU0), and cationic (GLU+) forms of glutamic acid were selected as three different protonation states for an analysis of energetics and diffusivity for acid transport across a cyclic decapeptide nanotube. Based on the solubility-diffusion model, permeability coefficients for the three protonation states of the acid were calculated and compared with experimental results for CPN-mediated glutamate transport through CPNs. Potential of mean force (PMF) calculations reveal that, due to the cation-selective nature of the lumen of CPNs, GLU–, so-called glutamate, shows significantly high free energy barriers, while GLU+ displays deep energy wells and GLU0 has mild free energy barriers and wells inside the CPN. The considerable energy barriers for GLU– inside CPNs are mainly attributed to unfavorable interactions with DMPC bilayers and CPNs and are reduced by favorable interactions with channel water molecules through attractive electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Unlike the distinct PMF curves, position-dependent diffusion coefficient profiles exhibit comparable frictional behaviors regardless of the charge status of three protonation states due to similar confined environments imposed by the lumen of the CPN. The calculated permeability coefficients for the three protonation states clearly demonstrate that glutamic acid has a strong protonation state dependence for its transport through CPNs, as determined by the energetics rather than the diffusivity of the protonation state. In addition, the permeability coefficients also imply that GLU– is unlikely to pass through a CPN due to the high energy barriers inside the CPN, which is in disagreement with experimental measurements, where a considerable amount of glutamate permeating through the CPN was detected. To resolve the discrepancy between this work and the experimental observations, several possibilities are proposed, including a large concentration gradient of glutamate between the inside and outside of lipid vesicles and bilayers in the experiments, the glutamate activity difference between our MD simulations and experiments, an overestimation of energy barriers due to the artifacts imposed in MD simulations, and/or finally a transformation of the protonation state from GLU– to GLU0 to reduce the energy barriers. Altogether, our study demonstrates that the protonation state of glutamic acid has a strong effect on the transport of the acid and suggests a possible protonation state change for glutamate permeating through CPNs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Time-resolved momentum imaging of UV photodynamics in structural isomers of iodopropane probed by site-selective XUV ionization

The photodynamics of 1- and 2-iodopropane (1 and 2-IP) were studied in a time-resolved scheme incorporating ultraviolet (UV) excitation and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) probing, which initiates photoionization selectively from the I 4d core orbital. UV absorption in the A-band of both isomers leads to prompt C–I bond fission, with significant disposal of internal energy into the propyl radical product. Site-selective ionization enables a range of charge transfer (CT) processes between the nascent highly charged iodine ions and neutral propyl radicals, dependent on the interfragment distance at the instant of ionization. Subtle differences in the dynamics of these CT processes between the two isomers are observed. In 1-IP, the kinetic energies of iodine ions produced by UV photodissociation and subsequent XUV multiple ionization increased notably over the first few hundred femtoseconds, which could be understood in terms of differing gradients along the photodissociation coordinates of the neutral and polycationic states involved in the pump and probe steps, respectively. Led by a recent report of HI elimination in UV photoexcited 2-IP [Todt et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 22(46), 27338 (2020)], we also model the most likely signatures of this process in the present experiment, and can identify signal in the 2-IP data (that is absent or significantly weaker in the data from the unbranched 1-IP isomer) that is consistent with such a process occurring on ultrafast timescales.

Allum, Felix [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DE↗

Inverse design of pore wall chemistry and topology through active learning of surface group interactions

Design of next-generation membranes requires a nanoscopic understanding of the effect of biologically inspired heterogeneous surface chemistries and topologies (roughness) on local water and solute behavior. In particular, the rejection of small, neutral solutes, such as boric acid, poses a heretofore unsolved challenge. In prior work, a computational inverse design technique using an evolutionary optimization successfully uncovered new surface design strategies for optimized transport of water over solutes in smooth, model pores consisting of two surface chemistries. However, extending such an approach to more complex (and realistic) scenarios involving many surface chemistries as well as surface roughness is challenging due to the expanded design space. In this work, we develop a new approach that uses active learning to optimize in a reduced feature space of surface group interactions, finding parameters that lead to their assembly into ordered, optimal patterns. This approach rapidly identifies novel surface functionalizations that maximize the difference in water and boric acid transport through the nanopore. Moreover, we find that the roughness of the nanopore wall, independent of its chemistry, can be leveraged to enhance transport selectivity: oscillations in the pore wall diameter optimally inhibit boric acid transport by creating energetic wells from which the solute must escape to transport down the pore. Furthermore, this proof-of-concept demonstrates the potential for active learning strategies, in concert with molecular simulations, to rapidly navigate complex design spaces of aqueous interfaces and is promising as a tool for engineering water-mediated surface interactions for a broad range of applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

In-medium changes of nucleon cross sections tested in neutrino-induced reactions

Historically, studied in the context of heavy-ion collisions, the extent to which free nucleon-nucleon cross sections are modified in-medium remains undetermined by these data sets. Therefore, we investigate the impact of N N in-medium modifications on neutrino-nucleus cross section predictions using the GiBUU transport model. We find that including an in-medium lowering of the N N cross section and density dependence on Δ excitation improves agreement with MicroBooNE neutrino-argon scattering data. This is observed for both proton and neutral pion spectra in charged-current muon neutrino and neutral-current single pion production data sets. The impact of collision broadening of the Δ resonance is also investigated. The absence of Δ broadening is slightly favored, but the larger uncertainties on the pion production data prevent definitive conclusions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Bogart, B. (ORCID:0000000305588934)↗

The role of electron-scale turbulence in the JET tokamak: experiments and modelling

Dedicated electron heat transport experiments have been carried out in L- and H-mode Deuterium plasmas of the JET-ILW tokamak to identify the amount of electron heat carried by electron-scale electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes. Ion cyclotron resonance heating at different positions has been used to probe the response of the electron temperature inverse gradient length R/L Te to changes in electron heat flux qe, while different amounts of neutral beam heating allowed to scan the ratio of ion to electron temperature T e /T i , which is a key parameter for the onset of ETGs. Results indicate a steepening of the normalized qe vs R/L Te curve above R/LT e ~ 8 for T e /T i ≤ 1, suggestive of the ETG onset. Ion-scale gyro-kinetic (GK) simulations match the ion heat flux and the low-R/L Te part of the qe curve, but do not reproduce such steepening at high R/L Te . Multi-scale GK simulations covering both ion and electron scales and including one impurity bundling light and heavy species indicate an ETG contribution only for R/L Te values larger than the experimental ones. Sensitivity studies of such result are difficult to achieve due to limitation in numerical resources. The quasi-linear TGLF model has been used for sensitivity studies. With the same bundled impurity as the GK multi-scale, TGLF shows the qe steepening at much larger R/L Te values than in experiment, but when using the real mix of light impurities neglecting the heavy impurities, TGLF gets closer to the experimental results. Profile simulations with TGLF including both light and heavy impurities show over-prediction of T e profiles and in some cases also of density, but good T i predictions, confirming issues with the model electron stiffness for these plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Advances in physics understanding of high poloidal beta regime toward steady-state operation of CFETR

Experimental and modeling investigations of the high βp scenarios on the DIII-D and EAST tokamaks show advantages in high energy confinement, avoidance of n = 1 MHD, and core-edge integration with reduced heat flux, making this scenario an attractive option for CFETR steady-state operation. Experiments show that plasmas with high confinement and high density can be achieved with neutral beam injection on DIII-D (β p ~ 2.2, β N ~ 3.5, f BS ~ 50%, f Gw ~ 1.0, H 98y2 ~ 1.5) and pure RF power on EAST (β P ~ 2.0, β N ~ 1.6, f BS ~ 50%, f Gw ~ 0.8, H 98y2 > 1.3). By tailoring the current density profile, a q-profile with local (off-axis) negative shear is achieved that yields improved confinement and MHD stability. Transport analysis and simulation suggest that the combination of high density gradient and high Shafranov shift allows turbulence stabilization and higher confinement. Using on-axis ECH injection, tungsten accumulation is avoided on EAST, and this is reproduced in modeling. Reduced heat flux (by >40%) and maintenance of high core confinement is achieved with active feedback control of the radiated divertor, an important result for long pulse operation in tokamaks. In conclusion, the improved physics understanding and validated modeling tools are used to design a 1GW steady-state scenario for CFETR.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Heavy Neutral Leptons from Stopped Muons and Pions

Stopped muons, which are generic in pion-at-rest experiments, can shed light on heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) in unexplored parameter spaces. If the HNL is lighter than the muon, the HNL can be produced from decays of muons and pions. The HNL will travel from the production location and decay into visible Standard Model (SM) modes, leaving signals inside downstream detectors. We find that in the case that the HNL dominantly mixes with muon neutrinos, the LSND constraint on the mixing angle squared is stronger than all the previous constraints by more than an order of magnitude. In this study, we recast the LSND measurement of the ν – e scattering. Future experiments such as PIP2-BD could further improve the sensitivity, provided they can distinguish the HNL events from backgrounds induced by the SM neutrinos.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Basal Plane Doping to Activate Colloidal MoS 2 Nanosheets for Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of para- Cresol

The valorization of biomass into biofuels is a critical process for producing renewable fuels. Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), particularly over doped molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material, is a common representative catalytic reaction system for converting biomass-derived materials into useful hydrocarbons. However, the location and role of dopants, such as Co, in HDO is not fully understood. The effects of dopant location and oxidation state are often precluded by inhomogeneity in the ensemble properties of nanosheet size and dopant dispersion, as well as difficulty in observing the behavior of atomic site behavior directly. Using a colloidal approach to synthesize cobalt-doped MoS 2 nanosheets with controlled dopant concentration, combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we determine that basal plane doped Co (25% Co:Mo mole ratio) shows peak catalytic activity in HDO of para-cresol, a model biomass-derived compound, and that basal Co sites are demonstrably more active than edge sites. By observing these doping effects in MoS 2 catalysts for HDO, we can further optimize not only the production of carbon-neutral fuels but also direct the tailoring of doped TMD catalysts toward their intended applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comprehensive analysis of disruption mitigation methods using gas and pellet-like injections in ITER-like Tokamaks

Abstract Inert-gas shielding could be an effective mechanism for protection of plasma facing surfaces (PFS) against plasma particles impact and photon radiation heat loads during transient events in fusion devices. Neutral gas injection is one promising way to mitigate erosion of tokamak components and contamination. The objective of this work is to study and optimize mitigation methods using neutral gas and pellet-like injections to decrease the heat load to the divertor surfaces and to prevent vaporization of the various internal surfaces due to transient events in ITER-like devices. The integrated self-consistent models implemented in the HEIGHTS package was used for detailed analysis of the potential secondary plasma generation from the injected inert gas, its radiative characteristics, and shielding effectiveness. We varied the density, size, and location of an argon gas cloud to minimize the disruption energy deposited into the divertor components. We also investigated innovative ways for minor changes in ITER-like internal design to mitigate disruptions. We found the optimum parameters to fully protect ITER tokamak surfaces from erosion and vaporization during plasma instabilities. This preliminary analysis showed that using Ar gas injection methods could lead to enhancement in components lifetime in ITER-like and future DEMO devices with minor design changes.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Separating divertor closure effects on divertor detachment and pedestal shape in DIII-D

Comparison between an open divertor and a more-closed divertor in DIII-D demonstrates detachment at an up to 40% lower pedestal density (n e,ped ) in the closed divertor, due to a combination of decreased fueling of the pedestal and increased dissipation in the scrape off layer (SOL) in the closed divertor, both resulting from increased neutral trapping in the divertor. Predicting whether the relationship between divertor closure and detachment will hold for an opaque SOL, in which the contribution of ionizing neutrals to fueling the pedestal is lessened, requires separating out the different mechanisms contributing to the density difference at detachment. A series of experiments on DIII-D characterizes matched discharges using various divertor configurations to isolate the effects of divertor closure. These experiments show detachment at up to 25% lower n e,sep in the closed divertor than the open, supported by simulations showing increased neutral trapping, and hence increased dissipation, in the closed divertor. A difference in n e,ped /n e,sep is also seen: for matched n e,sep , the closed divertor has up to 20% lower ne,ped, consistent with modeling showing a smaller ionization fraction inside the separatrix in this case. Understanding how these pieces fit together will help in develop of predictive models of pedestal density and detached divertors compatible with a high-performance core.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Study of synchronous RF pulsing in dual frequency capacitively coupled plasma

Low-pressure multi-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) are used for numerous etch and deposition applications in the semiconductor industry. Pulsing of the radio-frequency (RF) sources enables control of neutral and charged species in the plasma on a millisecond timescale. The synchronous (i.e. simultaneous, in-phase) pulsing of both power sources in a dual frequency CCP is examined in this article. Due to the low gas pressure, modeling has been done using the electrostatic particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision method. Here, the objective of this work is to investigate the sensitivity of the plasma properties to small changes in timing during synchronous pulsing of the two RF sources. It is demonstrated that small deviations in the on and off times of the two RF sources can lead to major changes in the plasma characteristics. This high sensitivity is of concern for process repeatability but can be utilized to enable better control of the dynamics of plasma-surface interaction. In the simulations, the pulsing parameters (on and off times and ramp rates) are varied and the temporal evolution of plasma characteristics such as electron density (n e ), species current at the electrode, and electron temperature are examined. It is demonstrated that if the low-frequency (LF) source is turned off a few μs before (or after) the high-frequency source, n e during the off-state is significantly higher (or lower) due to the frequency coupling effect. Similarly, turning on the LF source with a small delay results in a sharp increase in the plasma density when the RF sources are turned on.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Increased radiation due to non-coronal effects on DIII-D and MAST-U with varying input power

Through SOLPS-ITER simulations of DIII-D and MAST-U, an X-divertor (XD) on DIII-D and a super X-divertor (SXD) on MAST-U were shown to have increased carbon emissivity (P Rad /n e n I ) over corresponding standard divertors (SD) at similar degrees of partial detachment. The reasons behind the increased emissivity in the DIII-D XD and SXD are analyzed using a simple 0D transport model. From the transport model, it is seen that a major cause of the increased emissivity in the XD and SXD over the SDs is a shorter impurity confinement time. An additional cause (for the SXD) is an increase in the ratio of neutral hydrogen to electron density. The input power (P in ) was varied and the XD had a higher emissivity at the higher P in , unlike the SDs which had the emissivity decrease with increasing P in . A basic geometrical reason is given to explain both the benefits of the XD over the SD as well as the increase in the XD's emissivity with P in .

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Askival: An altered feldspathic cumulate sample in Gale crater

Askival is a light-toned, coarsely crystalline float rock, which was identified near the base of Vera Rubin Ridge in Gale crater. We have studied Askival, principally with the ChemCam instrument but also using APXS compositional data and MAHLI images. Askival and an earlier identified sample, Bindi, represent two rare examples of feldspathic cumulate float rocks in Gale crater with >65% relict plagioclase. Bindi appears unaltered whereas Askival shows textural and compositional signatures of silicification, along with alkali remobilization and hydration. Askival likely experienced multiple stages of alteration, occurring first through acidic hydrolysis of metal cations, followed by deposition of silica and possible phyllosilicates at low T and neutral-alkaline pH. Through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy compositional analyses and normative calculations, we suggest that an assemblage of Fe-Mg silicates including amphibole and pyroxene, Fe phases, and possibly Mg-rich phyllosilicate are present. Thermodynamic modeling of the more pristine Bindi composition predicts that amphibole and feldspar are stable within an upper crustal setting. This is consistent with the presence of amphibole in the parent igneous rocks of Askival and suggests that the paucity of amphiboles in other known Martian samples reflects the lack of representative samples of the Martian crust rather than their absence on Mars.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Neutral Mode Dominates the Forced Global and Regional Surface Temperature Response in the Past and Future

Abstract Using a large suite of Green's function perturbation experiments, we construct the emergent dynamical operator for surface temperature and extract the most excitable mode. The leading mode turns out to be the most dominant mode excited by the climate forcing of doubling CO 2 , alone capturing 56% of the total spatial variances of the surface temperature response. The pattern of the leading mode is partly organized by the atmospheric annular modes in both hemispheres, and further modulated by the feedbacks from ocean circulations. Though derived from a single model, the leading mode can capture the spatio‐temporal variabilities of the global mean surface temperature over the past century in both the CMIP6 model simulations and observations. Moreover, the leading mode is most efficiently excited by radiative forcings from the midlatitude bands centered around 45°N and 25°S, where most human activities take place, suggesting the potency of human influence on the climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗