SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Electron Beam Modeling and Simulation”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 109 records · Page 6

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of laser-accelerated proton beams from a 0.5 kJ sub-picosecond laser for radiography applications

Laser-accelerated ion beams show promise for many applications, including high-resolution flash imaging of static or dynamic objects in next-generation radiography to probe materials and plasmas in extreme environments and inertial confinement fusion. To scale up ion beam production for radiography applications, we conducted experiments using sub-picosecond lasers up to 0.5 kJ at the OMEGA-EP facility to characterize proton beams from solid targets, primarily CH/CD sub-micron thin films from which ion beams were also used for static and dynamic radiography for the first time. For standalone sub-micron thin CH films, the highest detected proton energy is in the range of 72–97 MeV. Proton beams with highest energy near or above 60 MeV at full laser energy and similar beam profiles are also measured from low-density CD foams and flat CH foil target of micrometer-scale thickness. The ~ 700–800 nm CH/CD foils achieve the highest ion yield among the targets tested. For sub-micron thin films, the laser prepulse can expand the target and lead to complex interactions, which is simulated using coupled hydrodynamic and two-step kinetic models. Simulations suggest the presence of a micrometer-scale preplasma plateau with near-critical density and further indicate that target normal sheath acceleration, electron heating from Relativistic transparency in the preplasma plateau, and background proton reflection from carbon ion front at the rear side contribute to the resulting proton spectrum from these sub-micron thin targets at various stages. These proton beams show strong potential for radiography and for production of secondary sources.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Validating the simulation of beam-ion charge exchange in MAST Upgrade

Abstract Simulation of the impact of charge-exchange (CX) reactions on beam ions in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Upgrade was compared to measurements carried out with a fission chamber (neutron fluxes) and a fast ion deuterium-alpha (FIDA) diagnostic. A simple model was developed to reconstruct the outer-midplane neutral density based on measurements of deuterium-alpha emission from edge neutrals, and on Thomson scattering measurements of electron density and temperature. The main computational tools used were the ASCOT orbit-following code and the FIDASIM code for producing synthetic FIDA signals. The neutral density reconstruction agrees qualitatively with SOLPS-ITER modelling and yields a synthetic passive FIDA signal that is consistent with measurement. When CX losses of beam ions are accounted for, predicted neutron emission rates are quantitatively more consistent with measurement. It was necessary to account for CX losses of beam ions in simulations to reproduce the measured passive FIDA signal quantitatively and qualitatively. The results suggest that the neutral density reconstruction is a good approximation, that CX with edge neutrals causes significant beam-ion losses in MAST Upgrade, typically 20% of beam power, and that the ASCOT fast-ion CX model can be used to accurately predict the redistribution and loss of beam ions due to CX.

Physics↗

DOE OSTI2023

Time-dependent saturation and physics-based nonlinear model of cross-beam energy transfer

The nonlinear physics of cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) for multi-speckled laser beams is examined using large-scale particle-in-cell simulations for a range of laser and plasma conditions relevant to indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. The time-dependent growth and saturation of CBET involve complex, nonlinear ion and electron dynamics, including ion trapping-induced enhancement and detuning, ion acoustic wave (IAW) nonlinearity, oblique forward stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS), and backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (BSBS) in a CBET-amplified seed beam. Ion-trapping-induced detuning of CBET is captured in the kinetic linear response by a new δf-Gaussian-mixture algorithm, enabling an accurate characterization of trapping-induced non-Maxwellian distributions. Ion trapping induces nonlinear processes, such as changes to the IAW dispersion and nonlinearities (e.g., bowing and self-focusing), which, together with pump depletion, FSRS, and BSBS, determine the time-dependent nature and level of CBET gain as the system approaches a steady state. Using VPIC simulations at intensities at and above the onset threshold for ion trapping and the insight from the time-dependent saturation analyses, we construct a nonlinear CBET model from local laser and plasma conditions that predicts the CBET gain and the energy deposition into the plasma. This model is intended to provide a more accurate, physics-based description of CBET saturation over a wide range of conditions encountered in ICF hohlraums compared with linear CBET gain models with ad hoc saturation clamps often used in laser ray-based methods in multi-physics codes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Digital twins and deep learning segmentation of defects in monolayer MX 2 phases

Developing methods to understand and control defect formation in nanomaterials offers a promising route for materials discovery. Monolayer MX 2 phases represent a particularly compelling case for defect engineering of nanomaterials due to the large variability in their physical properties as different defects are introduced into their structure. However, effective identification and quantification of defects remain a challenge even as high-throughput scanning transmission electron microscopy methods improve. This study highlights the benefits of employing first principles calculations to produce digital twins for training deep learning segmentation models for defect identification in monolayer MX 2 phases. Around 600 defect structures were obtained using density functional theory calculations, with each monolayer MX 2 structure being subjected to multislice simulations for the purpose of generating the digital twins. Several deep learning segmentation architectures were trained on this dataset, and their performances evaluated under a variety of conditions such as recognizing defects in the presence of unidentified impurities, beam damage, grain boundaries, and with reduced image quality from low electron doses. Further, this digital twin approach allows benchmarking different deep learning architectures on a theory dataset, which enables the study of defect classification under a broad array of finely controlled conditions. It thus opens the door to resolving the underpinning physical reasons for model shortcomings and potentially chart paths forward for automated discovery of materials defect phases in experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Nonlinear models for coupling the effects of stimulated Raman scattering to inertial confinement fusion codes

Laser plasma instabilities (LPI) reduce driver-target coupling, alter implosion symmetry, and therefore can fundamentally limit fusion performance in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Developing a predictive modeling capability for LPI effects can critically advance the success of the field. We perform vector particle-in-cell simulations of multi-speckled laser beams undergoing stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) at various densities and intensities relevant to mainly indirectly driven and a subset of parameter space for directly driven ICF systems, focusing on the regimes with intensities above the onset of electron trapping. Based on the wavenumber of the SRS daughter electron plasma wave, we identify several regions with underpinning SRS saturation physics: the electron-trapping dominated region with intermediate kλD values, the strong Landau damping region at larger kλD values, and the region where the Langmuir decay instability arises at lower kλD values. We develop a nonlinear SRS reflectivity model that features the base trapping-dominated scaling of (kλD)−4 and its modifications. Electron trapping deforms the initialized electron distribution functions, and we have developed a new δf-Gaussian-mixture algorithm for an accurate characterization of the trapped hot electron population. With this SRS hot electron description, we construct a nonlinear energy deposition model and a hot electron source model—based on a modified Manley–Rowe relation—suitable for including SRS effects as a sub-grid module in a high-fidelity ICF design code.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Design and Analysis of an Integrated Additively Manufactured Test Article for Plasma-Facing Components

Current plasma-facing components (PFCs) used in helium-cooled divertor modules are complex structures with tungsten tile, steel sleeve components, and cartridges, all assembled in a helium-cooled multiple jet (HEMJ) structure. The goal of this project is to simplify the complex PFC design using additive manufacturing techniques to create a single integrated tungsten test article. Apart from the flexibility this opens up in exploring a wide array of geometries for the article, having a single integrated article significantly reduces the number of joints and parts in the article, thus reducing chances of leaks. A process called electron beam melting has shown to produce very high-density samples and unique geometries, enabling HEMJ or similar designs. To validate and optimize this novel design, the model underwent a series of computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis simulations to replicate steady-state heat flux in the divertors. The simulations presented in this study consider a steady-state base heat flux of 5 MW/m 2 , with water serving as the coolant. Future research will explore the use of helium as a coolant, simulate edge-localized-mode conditions, and include experimental validation. Since 3D-printed tungsten is anisotropic, the build direction versus build plane of the article are taken into consideration for the test article strength. Because of the high operating temperatures and low ductility of tungsten, thermal creep and brittle fracture are important failure mechanisms to consider. In conclusion, the cap is evaluated with various flow velocities and nozzle diameters, and an optimal design choice is made for which this cap will survive the divertor conditions with a conservative safety margin.

Divertor↗

DOE OSTI2023

Beam delivery and beamstrahlung considerations for ultra-high energy linear colliders

As part of the Snowmass'21 community planning excercise, the Advanced Accelerator Concepts (AAC) community proposed future linear colliders with center-of-mass energies up to 15 TeV and luminosities up to 50 × 1034 cm -2 s -1 in a compact footprint. In addition to being compact, these machines must also be energy efficient. We identify two challenges that must be addressed in the design of these machines. First, the Beam Delivery System (BDS) must not add significant length to the accelerator complex. Second, beam parameters must be chosen to mitigate beamstrahlung effects and maximize the luminosity-per-power of the machine. In this paper, we review advances in plasma lens technology that will help to reduce the length of the BDS system, and we detail new Particle-in-Cell simulation studies that will provide insight into beamstrahlung mitigation techniques. We apply our analysis to both $e$ + $e$ - and $γγ$ colliders. The challenges and solutions described in this paper are considered independently. In conclusion, a unified, self-consistent concept for a BDS system for a 15 TeV linear collider will be the subject of future work.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Aligning the Thomson scattering and charge exchange recombination diagnostics using neutral beam emission at DIII-D

This work addresses discrepancies in the alignment of the H-mode pedestal profiles of the electron and ion properties in the DIII-D tokamak as measured by Thomson Scattering (TS) and Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy (CER) diagnostics. While the alignment of these profiles is key for accurate studies of tokamak physics and plasma confinement, misalignments can occur due to inaccuracies, such as in magnetic equilibrium reconstructions required to map measurements in different poloidal and toroidal locations. Both FIDASIM, an established simulation package, and a simplified collisional radiative model are used to simulate neutral beam state densities and neutral beam emission. Simulated neutral beam emissions are calculated based on shifted TS profiles and compared to beam emission measurements from the Main Ion CER system to determine the best shift for aligning TS with CER. This analysis is performed on various DIII-D discharges.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Identification of localized radiation damage in power MOSFETs using EBIC imaging

The rapidly increasing use of electronics in high-radiation environments and the continued evolution in transistor architectures and materials demand improved methods to characterize the potential damaging effects of radiation on device performance. Here, electron-beam-induced current is used to map hot-carrier transport in model metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors irradiated with a 300 KeV focused He + beam as a localized line spanning across the gate and bulk Si. By correlating the damage to the electronic properties and combining these results with simulations, the contribution of spatially localized radiation damage on the device characteristics is obtained. Furthermore, this identified damage, caused by the He + beam, is attributed to localized interfacial P b centers and delocalized positive fixed-charges, as surmised from simulations. Comprehension of the long-term interaction and mobility of radiation-induced damage are key for future design of rad-hard devices.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Verification and benchmarking relativistic electron beam transport through a background gas

It is necessary to establish confidence in high-consequence codes containing an extensive suite of physics algorithms in the regimes of interest. Verification problems allow code developers to assess numerical accuracy and increase confidence that specific sets of model physics were implemented correctly in the code. The two main verification techniques are code verification and solution verification. In this work, we present verification problems that can be used in other codes to increase confidence in simulations of relativistic beam transport. Specifically, we use the general plasma code EMPIRE to model and compare with the analytical solution to the evolution of the outer radial envelope of a relativistic charged particle beam. Additionally, we also outline a benchmark test of a relativistic beam propagating through a vacuum and pressurized gas cell, and present the results between EMPIRE and the hybrid code GAZEL. Further, we discuss the subtle errors that were caught with these problems and detail lessons learned.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2026

Progress and innovations in the TCV tokamak research programme

Research on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable addresses a wide range of key questions relevant to ITER and future fusion power plants. Over the past two years, highly productive experimental campaigns have led to major advances across several areas: the ITER baseline scenario; pedestal properties in low-collisionality, peeling-limited conditions; and the development of high- β N , non-inductive regimes. Alternative high-confinement scenarios have likewise received significant attention, with remarkable progress in quasi-continuous exhaust operation, X-point radiator plasmas, and negative triangularity configurations. Substantial achievements were also made in the mitigation or benign termination of runaway electron beams, in elucidating fast-ion loss mechanisms, and in improving exhaust behaviour in both conventional and alternative divertor geometries. These experimental results have been strongly supported by advances in modelling and their direct application to the experiment, ranging from gyrokinetic simulations of core and pedestal turbulence to fluid-based studies of scrape-off layer and divertor physics in diverse geometries. Plasma control has taken on an increasingly important role, with model-based and data-driven approaches now closely intertwined with physics studies. This article provides a overview of these recent activities, together with a brief outlook on forthcoming upgrades and next steps.

EPFL↗

DOE OSTI2022

Beam delivery and final focus systems for multi-TeV advanced linear colliders

The Beam Delivery System (BDS) is a critical component of a high-energy linear collider. It transports the beam from the accelerator and brings it to a focus at the Interaction Point. The BDS system includes diagnostic sections for measuring the beam energy, emittance, and polarization, as well as collimators for machine protection. The length of the BDS increases with collision energy. Higher collision energies also require higher luminosities, and this is a significant constraint on the design for energy-frontier machines. Here, we review BDS designs based on traditional quadrupole magnets and examine the challenges involved in extending these to the Multi-TeV regime consistent with requirements for advanced accelerator concepts.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2021

SHarD: A beam dynamics simulation code for dielectric laser accelerators based on spatial harmonic field expansion

In order to demonstrate acceleration of electrons to relativistic scales by an on chip dielectric laser accelerator (DLA), a ponderomotive focusing scheme capable of capturing and transporting electrons through nanometer-scale apertures over extended interaction lengths has been proposed. Here we present a Matlab-based numerical code (SHarD) utilizing a spatial harmonic expansion of the fields within the dielectric structure to simulate the evolution of the beam phase space distribution in this scheme. The code can be used to optimize key-parameters for the accelerator performance such as the final energy, transverse spot size evolution and total number of electrons accelerated through currently fabricated structures. Eventually, the simulation model will be applied to inform the phase mask profile to be added to a pulse front tilt drive laser pulse using a liquid crystal mask in the experimental setup being assembled at UCLA Pegasus Laboratory.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2022

Hybrid particle-in-cell simulations of electromagnetic coupling and waves from streaming burst debris

Various systems can be modeled as a point-like explosion of ionized debris into a magnetized, collisionless background plasma-including astrophysical examples, active experiments in space, and laser-driven laboratory experiments. Debris streaming from the explosion parallel to the magnetic field may drive multiple resonant and non-resonant ion-ion beam instabilities, some of which can efficiently couple the debris energy to the background and may even support the formation of shocks. We present a large-scale hybrid (kinetic ions + fluid electrons) particle-in-cell simulation, extending hundreds of ion inertial lengths from a 3D explosion, that resolves these instabilities. We show that the character of these instabilities differs notably from the 1D equivalent by the presence of unique transverse structure. Additional 2D simulations explore how the debris beam length, width, density, and speed affect debris-background coupling, with implications for the generation of quasi-parallel shocks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Toroidal modeling of runaway electron loss due to 3-D fields in DIII-D and COMPASS

The 3-D field induced relativistic runaway electron (RE) loss has been simulated for DIII-D, COMPASS and ITER plasmas, utilizing the MARS-F code incorporated with the recently developed and updated RE orbit module (REORBIT). Modeling shows effectively 100% loss of a post-disruption, high-current runaway beam in DIII-D, due to the 1 kG level of magnetic field perturbation produced by a fast growing n = 1 resistive kink instability. The RE loss is shown to be independent of the particle energy or the initial location of particles in the configuration space. Applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields from in-vessel coils are not effective for RE beam mitigation in DIII-D, but do produce finite (>10%) RE loss in COMPASS, consistent with experimental observations in above two devices. The major reasons for this difference in RE control by RMP between these two devices are (i) the coil proximity to the RE beam and (ii) the effective coil current scaling versus the machine size and the toroidal magnetic field. About 10% RE loss fraction is also predicted for an ITER 15 MA scenario with pre-disruption plasma, highlighting the role of the plasma response. Up to 30% loss is computed, however, by artificially scaling the equilibrium pressure to zero. This is due to the more resistive plasma response and stronger resulting field line stochasticity. Distributions of the lost REs to the limiting surface show poloidally peaked profile near the high-field-side in both DIII-D and COMPASS, covering about 100o poloidal angle. Higher perturbation field level and/or higher particle energy also result in REs being lost to the low-field-side of the limiting surface of these two devices, increasing the effective wetted area. Finally, for the modeled ITER plasmas, the applied RMP field, with optimal poloidal spectrum that maximizes the edge localized mode control, leads to REs being lost to the lower divertor region of the limiting surface within a narrow poloidal band.

3-D field↗

DOE OSTI2021

Quasioptical propagation and absorption of electron cyclotron waves: simulations and experiment

Electron-cyclotron resonance heating is an essential tool for manipulating fusion plasmas and has been diligently studied for decades through numerical simulations and experiments. Here, we report the first comparison of simulations using the quasioptical code PARADE (PAraxial RAy DEscription) with experiments using a target-plate system on the Large Helical Device. We find that the numerical and experimental results agree qualitatively, which makes PARADE a promising code for modeling of electron-cyclotron wave beams in future experiments. The signature advantage of PARADE is its ability to capture both mode conversion and inhomogeneity of the dissipation rate across the beam cross section. Accounting for these effects, which can noticeably affect the power deposition, significantly improves the agreement between numerical results and experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Charging-driven coarsening and melting of a colloidal nanoparticle monolayer at an ionic liquid–vacuum interface

In this work, we induce and investigate the coarsening and melting dynamics of an initially static nanoparticle colloidal monolayer at an ionic liquid–vacuum interface, driven by a focused, scanning electron beam. Coarsening occurs through grain interface migration and larger-scale motions such as grain rotations, often facilitated by sliding dislocations. The progressive decrease in area fraction that drives melting of the monolayer is explained using an electrowetting model whereby particles at the interface are solvated once their accumulating charge recruits sufficient counterions to subsume the particle. Subject to stochastic particle removal from the monolayer, melting is recapitulated in simulations with a Lennard-Jones potential. This new driving mechanism for colloidal systems, whose dynamical timescales we show can be controlled with the accelerating voltage, opens the possibility to manipulate particle interactions dynamically without need to vary particle intrinsic properties or surface treatments. Furthermore, the decrease in particle size availed by electron imaging presents opportunities to observe force and time scales in a lesser-explored regime intermediate between typical colloidal and molecular systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Multi-messenger dynamic imaging of laser-driven shocks in water using a plasma wakefield accelerator

Understanding dense matter hydrodynamics is critical for predicting plasma behavior in environments relevant to laser-driven inertial confinement fusion. Traditional diagnostic sources face limitations in brightness, spatiotemporal resolution, and in their ability to detect relevant electromagnetic fields. In this work, we present a dual-probe, multi-messenger laser wakefield accelerator platform combining ultrafast X-rays and relativistic electron beams at 1 Hz, to interrogate a free-flowing water target in vacuum, heated by an intense 200 ps laser pulse. This scheme enables high-repetition-rate tracking the evolution of the interaction using both particle types. Betatron X-rays reveal a cylindrically symmetric shock compression morphology assisted by low-density vapor, resembling foam-layer-assisted fusion targets. The synchronized electron beam detects time-evolving electromagnetic fields, uncovering charge separation and ion species differentiation during plasma expansion – phenomena not captured by photons or hydrodynamic simulations. We show that combining both probes provides complementary insights spanning kinetic to hydrodynamic regimes, highlighting the need for hybrid physics models to accurately predict fusion-relevant plasma behavior.

imaging techniques↗