Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “DRiFT”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

Three-dimensional coupling of electron cyclotron drift instability and ion–ion two stream instability

Electron cyclotron drift instability (ECDI) and ion–ion two stream instability (IITSI) are both kinetic instabilities that can be present in low-temperature, partially magnetized plasmas. The coupling of instabilities in a three-dimensional configuration leads to the existence of more than one unstable roots to the kinetic dispersion relation. In this paper, a generalized method has been developed for numerically evaluating solutions to the three-dimensional dispersion relation for coupled ECDI and IITSI, assuming cold singly and doubly charged ions and a Maxwellian velocity distribution function for the electrons. The present study demonstrates the coupling between ECDI and IITSI that affects the most unstable mode as a function of the wavenumbers in three dimensions and various plasma properties, including the applied electric field, magnetic field, electron temperature, ion velocities, and plasma density. One of the most notable results is that, while the most unstable mode with the largest growth rate is in the direction of the E×B drift in the two-dimensional cases, the most unstable mode for the three-dimensional configuration occurs in the oblique direction between the applied electric field and the E×B drift. Here, this agrees with experimental observations in cross field plasma sources using coherent Thomson scattering.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Numerical implications of including drifts in SOLPS-ITER simulations of EAST

The inclusion of drifts in plasma edge codes like SOLPS-ITER is required to match simulation data with experimental profiles. However, this remains numerically challenging. In this paper, the effect of some numerical factors on the final plasma solution is investigated. This study is performed on three EAST simulations in the upper single null configuration: an attached purely deuterium case, an attached case with limited Ne-seeding, and a detached Ne-seeded case. The effects of the anomalous conductivity and anomalous thermo-electric coefficient on the plasma potential are investigated. Next, the effect of the employed grids is shown. In order to investigate these effects, accurate drift simulations are needed. Therefore, the employed time step and numerical parameters are discussed for the three studied simulations. For all presented simulations, it is verified that the restriction of the grid to the first flux surface tangent to the main chamber wall is sufficient within the context of non-extended simulations. This means that the main power dissipation takes place inside the simulated domain, and only a small fraction of the power is leaving the B2.5 grid through the grid boundary closest to the first wall. Finally, the effect of drifts on the asymmetry between the inner and outer target for EAST simulations is demonstrated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Mitigation of resistive drift wave and ion temperature gradient instabilities by velocity shear

The effects of velocity shear on the resistive drift wave instability in the non-adiabatic limit and the toroidal ion temperature gradient instability are investigated for a plasma of inhomogeneous density/ion temperature, respectively. For the resistive drift wave, we find that the instability growth rate decreases monotonically with increasing magnitude of shear, but we find that complete stabilization is impossible. For the ion temperature gradient instability, we find that the standard WKB approximation is insufficient to describe the full behavior of the instability, and that an analysis of the localized eigenmode problem reveals two separate unstable solutions, which the WKB approximation does not predict. The impact of flow shear on these two new unstable solutions is discussed. In both resistive drift wave and ion temperature gradient instabilities, the sheared flow causes a shifting, tilting, and sharpening of the electrostatic potential eddies.

Physics↗

Toroidal modeling of energetic passing particle drift kinetic effects on tearing mode stability

Abstract Drift kinetic effects of the neutral beam injection induced passing energetic particles (EPs) on the linear stability of the n = 1 tearing mode (TM) (with the dominant poloidal harmonic of m = 2) are numerically investigated utilizing the MARS-K code (Liu et al 2008 Phys. Plasmas 15 112503), in a tokamak plasma with finite equilibrium pressure and anisotropic thermal transport. In the low plasma pressure regime, it is found that co- (counter-) passing EPs stabilize (destabilize) the TM, agreeing with previous studies. However, as the plasma pressure increases beyond a critical value, it is found that co-passing EPs also destabilize the mode. An in-depth analysis reveals that the net effect of co-passing EPs is a result of competition between the stabilizing contribution from the non-adiabatic drift kinetic terms and the destabilizing contribution associated with adiabatic terms, with the latter becoming more dominant at higher equilibrium pressure. Non-perturbative magnetohydrodynamic-kinetic hybrid modeling also finds that co- and counter-passing EPs modify the TM eigenfunction differently, with the counter-passing EPs enhancing the sideband harmonics. Furthermore, effects of the plasma resistivity and toroidal rotation, as well as that of the equilibrium distribution of EPs in the particle pitch angle space, are also investigated, showing asymmetric results on the TM stability between the co- and counter-passing EPs. The first order finite orbit width correction is found to be stabilizing with co-passing EPs and destabilizing with counter-passing particles. Finally, drift resonances between passing EPs and the TM induce finite frequency to the mode and generate finite net torques inside the plasma, due to the neoclassical toroidal viscosity and the Reynolds stress associated with 3D perturbations.

Physics↗

Commissioning of an MPGD-based Drift Chamber for Heavy-ion Tracking in FRIB's Sweeper magnet system

A newly developed drift chamber equipped with an innovative hybrid Micro-Pattern Gaseous Detector based readout was commissioned at FRIB. The detector consists of a Multi-layer Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (M-THGEM) mounted over a high-granularity, position-sensitive readout board. Denoted as the Micro-Pattern Drift Chamber (MPDC), the new device is used to provide tracking capability as part of the detectors of the Sweeper magnet system for neutron-invariant-mass spectrometry at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The localization of impinging ions in a 30 × 30 cm 2 drift area is derived by processing the charge-avalanche distribution induced on the segmented readout board. The signals induced on the readout pads are processed by a compact, multi-channel Data Acquisition System (DAQ) based on the Scalable Readout System (SRS). To facilitate synchronization with other detector systems of the Sweeper magnet system, the SRS has been configured to accept an external trigger.

Gaseous detectors↗

Understanding and mitigating process drift in aerosol jet printing

Aerosol jet printing offers a versatile, high-resolution prototyping capability for flexible and hybrid electronics. Despite its rapid growth in recent years, persistent problems such as process drift hinder the adoption of this technology in production environments. Here we explore underlying causes of process drift during aerosol jet printing and introduce an engineered solution to improve deposition stability. In this work it is shown that the ink level within the cartridge is a critical factor in determining atomization efficiency, such that the reduction in ink volume resulting from printing itself can induce significant and systematic process drift. By integrating a custom 3D-printed cartridge with an ink recirculation system, ink composition and level within the cartridge are better maintained. This strategy allows extended duration printing with improved stability, as evidenced by 30 h of printing over 5 production runs. This provides an important tool for extending the duration and improving reliability for aerosol jet printing, a key factor for integration in practical manufacturing operations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Casimir interactions between two parallel graphene sheets carrying steady-state drift currents

Here, we investigate the fluctuation-induced Casimir interactions between two parallel graphene sheets carrying steady-state drift currents. The graphene properties are modeled based on the shifted Fermi disk model to capture the nonequilibrium optical response of the system. We find that the drift current introduces a repulsive correction to the perpendicular to the layers Casimir interaction, thereby reducing the overall attractive force. Although the correction is repulsive, it does not overcome the underlying attraction between the layers. It also generates a lateral force that opposes the carrier flow direction. Both contributions are studied in terms of distance and drift velocity functionalities showing pathways for Casimir force control.

Ke, Modi [University of South Florida, Tampa, FL (↗

Electrical control of spin relaxation anisotropy during drift transport in a two-dimensional electron gas

Spin relaxation was studied in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a wide GaAs quantum well. Recently, the control of the spin relaxation anisotropy by diffusive motion was first shown in D. Iizasa et al., arXiv:2006.08253. Here, we demonstrate electrical control by drift transport in a system with two subbands occupied. The combined effect of in-plane and gate voltages was investigated using time-resolved Kerr rotation. Furthermore, the measured relaxation time presents strong anisotropy with respect to the transport direction. For an in-plane accelerating electric field along [110], the lifetime was strongly suppressed irrespective of the applied gate voltage. Remarkably, for transport along [$1\bara{1}0$], the data shows spin lifetime that was gate dependent and longer than in the [110] direction regardless of the in-plane voltage. In agreement, independent results of anisotropic spin precession frequencies are also presented. Nevertheless, the long spin lifetime, strong anisotropy and drift response seen in the data are beyond the existing models for spin drift and diffusion.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Protein drift-diffusion dynamics and phase separation in curved cell membranes and dendritic spines: Hybrid discrete-continuum methods

We develop methods for investigating protein drift-diffusion dynamics in heterogeneous cell membranes and the roles played by geometry, diffusion, chemical kinetics, and phase separation. Our hybrid stochastic numerical methods combine discrete particle descriptions with continuum-level models for tracking the individual protein drift-diffusion dynamics when coupled to continuum fields. We show how our approaches can be used to investigate phenomena motivated by protein kinetics within dendritic spines. The spine geometry is hypothesized to play an important biological role regulating synaptic strength, protein kinetics, and self-assembly of clusters. We perform simulation studies for model spine geometries varying the neck size to investigate how phase-separation and protein organization is influenced by different shapes. We also show how our methods can be used to study the roles of geometry in reaction-diffusion systems including Turing instabilities. Furthermore, our methods provide general approaches for investigating protein kinetics and drift-diffusion dynamics within curved membrane structures.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

First Evidence of Local E × B Drift in the Divertor Influencing the Structure and Stability of Confined Plasma near the Edge of Fusion Devices

The structure of the edge plasma in a magnetic confinement system has a strong impact on the overall plasma performance. Here we uncover for the first time a magnetic-field-direction dependent density shelf, i.e., local flattening of density radial profile near the magnetic separatrix, in high confinement plasmas with low edge collisionality in the DIII-D tokamak. The density shelf is correlated with a doubly peaked density profile near the divertor target plate, which tends to occur for operation with the ion BX∇B drift direction away from the X-point, as currently employed for DIII-D advanced tokamak scenarios. This double-peaked divertor plasma profile is connected via the EXB drifts, arising from a strong radial electric field induced by the radial electron temperature gradient near the divertor target. The drifts lead to the reversal of the poloidal flow above the divertor target, resulting in the formation of the density shelf. The edge density shelf can be also enhanced at higher heating power, preventing large, periodic bursts of the plasma, i.e. Edge-localized Modes, in the edge region, consistent with ideal magnetohydrodynamics calculations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

First Measurement of Drift-Alfvén Wave Polarization in Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas

Polarization of drift-Alfvén waves, defined as the ratio of electrostatic to electromagnetic fluctuations, has remained unmeasurable in fusion plasmas for decades, despite its pivotal role in understanding wave dynamics and their impact on plasmas. We report the first measurements of drift-Alfvén wave polarization in a hot, magnetically-confined plasma. Here, the breakthrough is enabled by a novel methodology developed from gyrokinetic theory, utilizing fluctuations of electron temperature and density. Analysis of data from the DIII-D tokamak reveals that the waves above the geodesic acoustic mode frequency exhibit dominant electromagnetic polarization, whereas lower frequency waves show a mix of electromagnetic and electrostatic polarization, indicating a strong coupling between shear Alfvén waves and drift-acoustic waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Scheme for quantitative description of longitudinal drifts in the Fermilab Linac and their correction

The Fermilab Linac accepts the 0.75 MeV H- ions from the front end and accelerates them to 400 MeV for injection into the Booster. Day-to-day drifts of the longitudinal trajectory in the Linac, reconstructed from phase readings of Beam Position Monitors, are at the level of several degrees. They are believed to cause additional losses both in the Linac and Booster, and are addressed by empirically adjusting the phases of Linac cavities. This work explores the option of expressing these drifts in terms of phase shifts in two cavities at the low-energy part of the Linac. Such a description allows for a simplified visual representation of the drifts, suggests a clear algorithm for their compensation, and provides a tool for estimating efficiency of such compensation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Anomalous Retrograde Drifts in Obstructed Magnetron Microdischarges: a Consequence of a Field Reversal in the Anode Sheath?

The goal of this project was to carry out experiments at the Plasma Collaborative Research Facility (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) aimed at confirming or refuting the hypothesis that an electric field reversal occurs in the near-anode region of a strongly obstructed planar magnetron microdischarges. Magnetron discharges are magnetized plasmas with E x B field topologies, and variants of such discharges are widely used in materials processing. The topologies are also similar to that of Hall thrusters used in space propulsion. Understanding the structure of these discharges will aid in developing reliable simulations that are intended to facilitate the further development of such technologies, as the field reversals, presumed to be due to strong axial-driven electron transport, provides further insight into transport properties. The possible existence of such a field reversal is hinted at because of the retrograde-propagating (i.e., negative E x B) spokes or gradient-driven drift instabilities seen in the high speed videos and segmented anode probing of the plasma. The presence of this field reversal should be reflected in the ion dynamics, particularly, in an ion drift towards the anode. The proposed experiments to be conducted at the PCRF are to characterize this anode-directed ion drift using state-of-the-art laser-induced fluorescence velocimetry. In particular, we seek to see if the near-anode ion velocity reverses direction when the external circuit is varied to alter the electron current demand imposed at the anode. Such an ion velocity reversal would confirm the mechanism, which is that the highly obstructed (small gapped) discharge produces strong axial gradients in plasma density, driving more electrons towards the anode then that demanded by the external circuit.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Quantitative Description and Correction of Longitudinal Drifts in the Fermilab Linac

The Fermilab Linac accepts the 0.75 MeV H- ions from the front end and accelerates them to 400 MeV for injection into the Booster. Day-to-day drifts of the longitudinal trajectory in the Linac, reconstructed from phase readings of Beam Position Monitors, are at the level of several degrees. They are believed to cause additional losses both in the Linac and Booster, and are addressed by empirically adjusting the phases of Linac cavities. This work explores the option of expressing these drifts in terms of phase shifts in two cavities at the low-energy part of the Linac. Such description allows for a simplified visual representation of the drifts, suggest a clear algorithm for their compensation, and provides a tool for estimating efficiency of such compensation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Unveiling the Significance of Correlations in K-Space and Configuration Space for Drift Wave Turbulence in Tokamaks

Turbulence and transport phenomena play a crucial role in the confinement and stability of tokamak plasmas. Turbulent fluctuations in certain physical quantities, such as density or temperature fluctuations, can have a wide range of spatial scales, and understanding their correlation length is important for predicting and controlling the behavior of the plasma. The correlation length in the radial direction is identified as the critical length in real space. The dynamics in real space are of significant interest because transport in configuration space is primarily focused on them. When investigating transport caused by the E×B drift, the correlation length in real space represents the size of E×B whirls. It was numerically discovered that in drift wave turbulence, this length is inversely proportional to the normalized mode number of the fastest growing mode relative to the drift frequency. Considerable time was required before a proper analytical derivation of this condition was accomplished. Therefore, a connection has been established between phenomena occurring in real space and those occurring in k-space. Although accompanied by a turbulent spectrum in k-space with a substantial width, transport in real space is uniquely determined by the correlation length, allowing for accurate transport calculations through the dynamics of a single mode. Naturally, the dynamics are subject to nonlinear effects, with resonance broadening in frequency being the most significant nonlinear effect. Thus, mode number space is once again involved. Resonance broadening leads to the detuning of waves from particles, permitting a fluid treatment. It should be emphasized that the consideration here involves the total electric field, including the induction part, which becomes particularly important at higher beta plasmas.

Weiland, Jan (ORCID:0000000253496025)↗

Yarkovsky Drift Detections for 247 Near-Earth Asteroids

The Yarkovsky effect is a thermal process acting upon the orbits of small celestial bodies, which can cause these orbits to slowly expand or contract with time. The effect is subtle (〈da/dt〉∼10{sup −4} au My{sup −1} for a 1 km diameter object) and is thus generally difficult to measure. We analyzed both optical and radar astrometry for 600 Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) for the purpose of detecting and quantifying the Yarkovsky effect. We present 247 NEAs with measured drift rates, which is the largest published set of Yarkovsky detections. This large sample size provides an opportunity to examine the Yarkovsky effect in a statistical manner. In particular, we describe two independent population-based tests that verify the measurement of Yarkovsky orbital drift. First, we provide observational confirmation for the Yarkovsky effect’s theoretical size dependence of 1/D, where D is diameter. Second, we find that the observed ratio of negative to positive drift rates in our sample is 2.34, which, accounting for bias and sampling uncertainty, implies an actual ratio of 2.7{sub −0.7}{sup +0.3}. This ratio has a vanishingly small probability of occurring due to chance or statistical noise. The observed ratio of retrograde to prograde rotators is two times lower than the ratio expected from numerical predictions from NEA population studies and traditional assumptions about the sense of rotation of NEAs originating from various main belt escape routes. We also examine the efficiency with which solar energy is converted into orbital energy and find a median efficiency in our sample of 12%. We interpret this efficiency in terms of NEA spin and thermal properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The DUNE Vertical Drift Photon Detection System

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to mainly investigate oscillation parameters, supernova physics and proton decay. Its far detector will be composed of four liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) underground modules, in South Dakota-USA, which will detect a neutrino beam produced at Fermilab, 1300 km away, where a near detector will be in place. The second DUNE far detector module, Vertical Drift, will be a single phase LArTPC with electron drift along the vertical axis with two volumes of 13.5 m x 6.5 m x 60 m dimensions separated by a cathode plane. The charge collection will be performed by two anode planes placed at the top and bottom of the module, each composed by stacked layers of a perforated PCB technology with electrode strips. The photon detection system (PDS) will make use of large size X-Arapuca tiles distributed over three detection planes. One plane will consist of a horizontal arrangement of double sided tiles installed on the high voltage cathode plane and two vertical planes, each placed on the longest cryostat membrane walls. A light active coverage of 14.8% over the cathode and 7.4% over the laterals should allow improvements in the low energy physics range that can be probed in DUNE, especially regarding supernova neutrinos (~10 MeV). We present the initial characterization of the Vertical Drift PDS using a Monte Carlo simulation and preliminary studies on its reconstruction capabilities at the MeV scale. The information obtained with the PDS alone should allow determination of a neutrino interaction region with a precision of at least 65 cm for events with deposited energy above 5 MeV and the deposited energy can be reconstructed with precision better than 10%, both at the center of the volume.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Time-drift Aware RF Optimization with Machine Learning Techniques

The Fermilab Linac delivers 400 MeV H- beam to the rest of the accelerator chain. Providing stable intensity, energy, and emittance is key since it directly affects downstream machines. To operate high current beam, accelerators must minimize uncontrolled particle loss; this can be accomplished by minimizing beam longitudinal emittance via RF parameter optimization. However, RF tuning is required daily since the resonance frequency of the accelerating cavities is affected by ambient temperature and humidity variations and thus drifts with time. In addition, the energy and phase space distribution of particles emerging from the ion source are subject to fluctuations. Such drift is not unique to Fermilab, but rather affects most laboratories. We are exploring machine learning (ML) algorithms for automated RF tuning for 2 objectives: optimization of Linac output energy and phase oscillation correction, with an emphasis on time-drift aware modeling that can account for conditions changing over time.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗