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At least 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Ion Fluxes and Neutral Gas Ionization Efficiency of the 100-kW Light-Ion Helicon Plasma Source Concept for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment

Linear plasma devices are cost-effective alternatives for testing materials under reactor-relevant divertor plasma conditions. In this work, we describe how an intense radio-frequency (RF) plasma source concept for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) is under development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The source concept, Proto-MPEX, aims to produce high-density background deuterium helicon plasmas ( n e > 3 × 10 19 m - 3 ) that are subsequently heated with additional RF and microwave systems to deliver reactor-relevant conditions for studies on plasma-material interaction. In this work, we focus on the plasma-producing stage and its effectiveness in converting input neutral gas into plasma, namely, the neutral gas ionization efficiency. We provide a direct quantitative measurement of the ionization efficiency by measuring the total ion flux arriving at the target region relative to the neutral gas injected at the source. Using 80 kW at 13.56 MHz and a source magnetic field of 0.05 T, the helicon plasma source delivers ion fluxes up to 1 × 10 24 m - 2 s - 1 and heat fluxes greater than 1 M W m - 2 to a target plate located 2 m away from the source. Under these conditions, we observe that the plasma source converts ~89% of the input neutral gas into plasma that arrives at the target as ion flux at a rate of 5 × 10 20 s - 1 . We demonstrate that because of the large pumping capacity of the plasma, neutral gas pumping systems are required only in the target region to maintain optimal plasma operation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tracing the outflow of a z = 0.334 FeLoBAL: New constraints from low-ionization absorbers in FBQS J1151+3822

We show for the first time that FBQS J1151+3822 is an iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar (FeLoBAL QSO), the second-brightest and second-closest known example of this class. He I* and Fe II together act as an effective analytical tool, allowing us to obtain useful kinematic constraints from photoionization models of the outflow without needing to assume any particular acceleration model. The main outflow's log ionization parameter is –1.5, the log hydrogen density (cm{sup –3}) 5.5-8, the log hydrogen column density (cm{sup –2}) 21.7-21.9, the absorption radius 7.2-127 pc, and the kinetic luminosity is 0.16%-4.5% of the bolometric luminosity. We obtain line-of-sight covering fractions of ∼0.25 for strong Fe II, ∼0.5 for He I*, and ∼0.6 for Mg II. Narrower and shallower absorption lines from weaker Fe II and Mn II with an outflow velocity of ∼3400 km s{sup –1} have appeared between 2005 and 2011, suggesting that dense cores may have condensed inside the main outflow. Consideration of the literature might suggest that the FBQS J1151+3822 outflow is a member of a rare and distinct subclass of FeLoBALs with high densities and correspondingly small absorption radii. We find, however, that such outflows are not necessarily a distinct subclass, and that their apparent rarity could be a symptom of selection bias in studies using density-sensitive lines.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ionized gas kinematics at high resolution. IV. Star formation and a rotating core in the Medusa (NGC 4194)

NGC 4194 is a post-merger starburst known as The Medusa for its striking tidal features. We present here a detailed study of the structure and kinematics of ionized gas in the central 0.65 kpc of the Medusa. The data include radio continuum maps with resolution up to 0.''18 (35 pc) and a 12.8 μm [Ne II] data cube with spectral resolution ∼4 km s{sup –1}: the first high-resolution, extinction-free observations of this remarkable object. The ionized gas has the kinematic signature of a core in solid-body rotation. The starburst has formed a complex of bright compact H II regions, probably excited by deeply embedded super star clusters, but none of these sources is a convincing candidate for a Galactic nucleus. The nuclei of the merger partners that created the Medusa have not yet been identified.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Weak and compact radio emission in early massive star formation regions: an ionized jet toward G11.11–0.12P1

We report 1.3 cm and 6 cm continuum observations toward the massive proto-stellar candidate G11.11–0.12P1 using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. We detect a string of four unresolved radio continuum sources coincident with the mid-infrared source in G11P1. The continuum sources have positive spectral indices consistent with a thermal (free-free) ionized jet. The most likely origins of the ionized gas are shocks due to the interaction of a stellar wind with the surrounding high-density material. We also present NIR United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) archival data that show an extended structure detected only at K band (2.2 μm), which is oriented perpendicular to the jet, and that may be scattered light from a circumstellar disk around the massive protostar. Our observations plus the UKIRT archival data thus provide new evidence that a disk/jet system is present in the massive proto-stellar candidate located in the G11.11–0.12P1 core.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

HST images flash ionization of old ejecta by the 2011 eruption of recurrent Nova T PYXIDIS

T Pyxidis is the only recurrent nova known to be surrounded by knots of material ejected in previous outbursts. Following the eruption that began on 2011 April 14.29, we obtained seven epochs (from 4 to 383 days after eruption) of Hubble Space Telescope narrowband Hα images of T Pyx. The ionizing flash of radiation from the nova event had no discernible effect on the surrounding ejecta until at least 55 days after the eruption began. Photoionization of hydrogen located north and south of the central star was seen 132 days after the beginning of the eruption. That photoionized hydrogen recombined in the following 51 days, allowing us to determine a hydrogen atom density of at least 7×10{sup 5} cm{sup −3}—at least an order of magnitude denser than the previously detected, unresolved [N ii] knots surrounding T Pyx. Material to the northwest and southeast was photoionized, and became bright between 132 and 183 days after the eruption began. Ninety-nine days later that northwest and southeast hydrogen had recombined. Both then (282 days after outburst) and 101 days later, we detected almost no trace of hydrogen emission around T Pyx. We determine that there is a large reservoir of previously unseen, cold diffuse hydrogen overlapping the previously detected, [N ii]-emitting knots of T Pyx ejecta. The mass of this newly detected hydrogen is model-dependent, but is is probably an order of magnitude larger than that of the [N ii] knots. We also determine that there is no significant reservoir of undetected hydrogen-rich ejecta, with density comparable to the flash-ionized ejecta we have detected, from the outer boundaries of the previously detected ejecta out to about twice that distance. The lack of distant ejecta is consistent with the Schaefer et al. scenario for T Pyx, in which the star underwent its first eruption within five years of 1866 after many millennia of quiescence, followed by the six observed recurrent nova eruptions since 1890. The lack of distant ejecta, demonstrated by our observations, is not consistent with scenarios in which T Pyx has been erupting continuously as a recurrent nova for many centuries or millennia.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MOLECULAR AND IONIZED HYDROGEN IN 30 DORADUS. I. IMAGING OBSERVATIONS

We present the first fully calibrated H{sub 2} 1–0 S(1) image of the entire 30 Doradus nebula. The observations were conducted using the NOAO Extremely Wide-field Infrared Imager (NEWFIRM) on the CTIO 4 m Blanco Telescope. Together with a NEWFIRM Brγ image of 30 Doradus, our data reveal the morphologies of the warm molecular gas and ionized gas in 30 Doradus. The brightest H{sub 2}-emitting area, which extends from the northeast to the southwest of R136, is a photodissociation region (PDR) viewed face-on, while many clumps and pillar features located at the outer shells of 30 Doradus are PDRs viewed edge-on. Based on the morphologies of H{sub 2}, Brγ, CO, and 8 μm emission, the H{sub 2} to Brγ line ratio, and Cloudy models, we find that the H{sub 2} emission is formed inside the PDRs of 30 Doradus, 2–3 pc to the ionization front of the H ii region, in a relatively low-density environment <10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}. Comparisons with Brγ, 8 μm, and CO emission indicate that H{sub 2} emission is due to fluorescence, and provide no evidence for shock excited emission of this line.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

STORAGE RING CROSS SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR ELECTRON IMPACT IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 7+}

We have measured electron impact ionization for Fe{sup 7+} from the ionization threshold up to 1200 eV. The measurements were performed using the TSR heavy ion storage ring. The ions were stored long enough prior to measurements to remove most metastables, resulting in a beam of 94% ground-level ions. Comparing with the previously recommended atomic data, we find that the Arnaud and Raymond cross section is up to about 40% larger than our measurement, with the largest discrepancies below about 400 eV. The cross section of Dere agrees to within 10%, which is about the magnitude of the experimental uncertainties. The remaining discrepancies between our measurement and the Dere calculations are likely due to shortcomings in the theoretical treatment of the excitation-autoionization contribution.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

IONIZED GAS KINEMATICS AT HIGH RESOLUTION. V. [Ne ii], MULTIPLE CLUSTERS, HIGH EFFICIENCY STAR FORMATION, AND BLUE FLOWS IN HE 2–10

We measured the 12.8 μm [Ne ii] line in the dwarf starburst galaxy He 2–10 with the high-resolution spectrometer TEXES on the NASA IRTF. The data cube has a diffraction-limited spatial resolution of ∼1″ and a total velocity resolution, including thermal broadening, of ∼5 km s{sup −1}. This makes it possible to compare the kinematics of individual star-forming clumps and molecular clouds in the three dimensions of space and velocity, and allows us to determine star formation efficiencies. The kinematics of the ionized gas confirm that the starburst contains multiple dense clusters. From the M/R of the clusters and the ≃30%–40% star formation efficiencies, the clusters are likely to be bound and long lived, like globulars. Non-gravitational features in the line profiles show how the ionized gas flows through the ambient molecular material, as well as a narrow velocity feature, which we identify with the interface of the H ii region and a cold dense clump. These data offer an unprecedented view of the interaction of embedded H ii regions with their environment.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electron-impact ionization of the N atom

Electron-impact ionization cross sections for the ground and excited states of the N atom are calculated using the non-perturbative R-matrix with pseudo-states and time-dependent close-coupling (TDCC) methods, as well as the perturbative distorted-wave method. The TDCC and distorted-wave results for the $1{{{\rm s}}^{2}}2{{{\rm s}}^{2}}2{{{\rm p}}^{2}}3l$ ($l=0-2$) excited configurations are much larger than for the ground configuration. In all cases the TDCC results are substantially lower than the distorted-wave results. The ionization cross section results will lead to a better understanding of moderately dense astrophysical and laboratory plasmas containing nitrogen.

Optics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Estimation of mean electron energy in helium surface ionization waves on dielectric substrates

Abstract The determination of basic plasma parameters in atmospheric pressure discharges is critical to advancing their use in applications. Atmospheric pressure plasma jets have found use in the fields of medicine, agriculture, material modification and others. Atmospheric pressure plasma jets often generate plasma surface ionization waves (SIW) which interact with and propagate over surfaces. Electrical diagnostics are challenging in SIW due to high collision frequencies and small scale of the plasma discharge. This work employs a passive optical emission line ratio technique to estimate the mean electron energy in SIW over planar dielectric substrates. The method uses an intensity ratio of two helium triplet lines: He( 3 3 S ) at 706.5 nm and He( 3 3 D ) at 587.56 nm. A collisional-radiative model is used to correlate line ratio to mean electron energy and determine dependencies on electron density and He/air gas mixture. Mean electron energies ranging from 3–8 eV are determined in He/air mixtures and are found to remain constant as the surface wave propagates radially. This work provides a 2D, time-resolved, mean electron energy diagnostic for surface ionization wave propagation and validation of numerical modeling in atmospheric pressure systems with spatially varying He/air gas mixtures. The model in question is designed for use with any He line ratio in the n = 3 excitation level.

Morsell, Joshua (ORCID:0000000331073002)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ionizing photon interactions modulate the optical properties of crystals with femtosecond scale temporal resolution

In this work, we continue our study of a new method for the detection of ionizing radiation with the potential for a dramatic improvement in coincidence time resolution (CTR) for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (ToF-PET) using the modulation of a material's optical properties instead of the scintillation mechanism. Our previous work has shown that for non-scintillation materials such as bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) and cadmium telluride (CdTe), their refractive index can be modulated by annihilation photon interactions. Additionally, the ultrafast nature of this process however remains unexplored. The ionizing radiation-induced charge carriers alter the local band structure in these materials, thus changing the complex refractive index. This mechanism is routinely used at the linac coherent light source (LCLS) facility of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to measure x-ray pulse arrival times with femtosecond scale resolution for photon energies between 0.5 and 10 keV. The method described here follows that example by using a frequency chirped visible continuum pulse to provide a monotonic wavelength-to-time mapping by which one can measure the time-dependent refractive index modulation. In addition, we describe an interference-based measurement setup that allows for significantly improved sensitivity while preserving a timing precision of approximately 10 fs (σ) when measuring the arrival time of below 10 keV x-ray pulses with yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal. The method is presented in the context of ToF-PET application with further discussions on the potential CTR achievable if a similar detection concept is adopted for detecting 511 keV photons. Semi-empirical analysis indicates that the predicted CTR achievable is on the order of 1 ps (FWHM).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Transverse phase space diagnostics for ionization injection in laser plasma acceleration using permanent magnetic quadrupoles

We report the transverse phase space diagnostics for electron beams generated through ionization injection in a laser-plasma accelerator. Single-shot measurements of both ultimate emittance and Twiss parameters are achieved by means of permanent magnetic quadrupole. Beams with emittance of μm rad level are obtained in a typical ionization injection scheme, and the dependence on nitrogen concentration and charge density is studied experimentally and confirmed by simulations. A key feature of the transverse phase space, matched beams with Twiss parameter α T ≃ 0, is identified according to the measurement. Lastly, numerical simulations that are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results reveal that a sufficient phase mixing induced by an overlong injection length leads to the matched phase space distribution.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Transient behavior of drift and ionization in atmospheric pressure nitrogen discharge

The fluid models are frequently used to describe a non-thermal plasma such as a streamer discharge. The required electron transport data and rate coefficients for the fluid model are parametrized using the local field approximation (LFA) in first order models and the local-mean-energy approximation (LMEA) in second order models. We performed Monte Carlo simulations in Nitrogen gas with step changes in the E/N (reduced electric field) to study the behavior of the transport properties in the transient phase. During the transient phase of the simulation, we extract the instantaneous electron mean energy, which is different from the steady state mean electron energy, and the corresponding transport parameters and rate coefficients. Our results indicate that the mean electron energy is not a suitable parameter for mobility/drift of electrons due to big difference in momentum relaxation and energy relaxation. Furthermore, the high energy threshold rates such as ionization show a strong correlation to mean electron energy. In second order models where the energy-balance equation is solved, we suggest that it would rather be appropriate to use the local electric field to find electron drift velocity in gases such as Nitrogen and the local mean electron energy to determine the ionization and excitation rates.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Surface ionization waves propagating over non-planar substrates: wavy surfaces, cut-pores and droplets

Atmospheric pressure plasmas intersecting with dielectric surfaces will often transition into surface ionization waves (SIWs). Several applications of these discharges are purposely configured to be SIWs. During propagation of an SIW over a dielectric surface, the plasma charges the surface while responding to changes in geometrical and electrical material properties. This is particularly important for non-planar surfaces where polarization of the dielectric results in local electric field enhancement. In this paper, we discuss results from computational investigations of negative and positive SIWs propagating over nonplanar dielectrics in three configurations—wavy surfaces, cuts through porous materials and water droplets on flat surfaces. Here we found that negative SIWs are particularly sensitive to the electric field enhancement that occurs at the crests of non-planar surfaces. The local increase in ionization rates by the electric field enhancement can result in the SIW detaching from the surface, which produces non-uniform plasma exposure of the surface. Positive SIWs tend to adhere to the surface to a greater degree. These trends indicate that treatment of pathogen containing droplets on surfaces may be best performed by positive SIWs. The same principles apply to the surfaces cut through pores. Buried pores with small openings to the SIW may be filled by plasma by either flow of plasma into the pore (large opening) or initiated by photoionization (small opening), depending on the size of the opening compared to the Debye length.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Measurement of scintillation and ionization yield with high-pressure gaseous mixtures of Xe and TMA for improved neutrinoless double beta decay and dark matter searches

The gaseous Xenon(Xe) time projection chamber (TPC) is an attractive detector technique for neutrinoless double beta decay and WIMP dark matter searches. While it is less dense compared to Liquid Xe detectors, it has intrinsic advantages in tracking capability and better energy resolution. The performance of gaseous Xe can be further improved by molecular additives such as trimethylamine(TMA), which is expected to (1) cool down the ionization electrons, (2) convert Xe excitation energy to TMA ionizations through Penning transfer, and (3) produce scintillation and electroluminescence light in a more easily detectable wavelength (300 nm). In order to test the feasibility of the performance improvements with TMA, in this paper we made the first direct measurement of Penning and fluorescence transfer efficiency with gaseous mixtures of Xe and TMA. While we observed a Penning transfer efficiency up to ~35%, we found strong suppression of primary scintillation light with TMA. We also found that the primary scintillation light with Xe and TMA mixture can be well characterized by ~3% fluorescence transfer from Xe to TMA, with further suppression due to TMA self-quenching. No evidence of the scintillation light produced by recombination of TMA ions was found. This strong suppression of scintillation light makes dark matter searches quite challenging, while the possibility of improved neutrinoless double beta decay searches remains open. Finally, this work has been carried out within the context of the NEXT collaboration.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ionization electron signal processing in single phase LArTPCs. Part I. Algorithm Description and quantitative evaluation with MicroBooNE simulation

Here, we describe the concept and procedure of drifted-charge extraction developed in the MicroBooNE experiment, a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). This technique converts the raw digitized TPC waveform to the number of ionization electrons passing through a wire plane at a given time. A robust recovery of the number of ionization electrons from both induction and collection anode wire planes will augment the 3D reconstruction, and is particularly important for tomographic reconstruction algorithms. A number of building blocks of the overall procedure are described. The performance of the signal processing is quantitatively evaluated by comparing extracted charge with the true charge through a detailed TPC detector simulation taking into account position-dependent induced current inside a single wire region and across multiple wires. Some areas for further improvement of the performance of the charge extraction procedure are also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hybrid methods for muon accelerator simulations with ionization cooling

Muon ionization cooling involves passing particles through solid or liquid absorbers. Careful simulations are required to design muon cooling channels. New features have been developed for inclusion in the transfer map code COSY Infinity to follow the distribution of charged particles through matter. To study the passage of muons through material, the transfer map approach alone is not sufficient. The interplay of beam optics and atomic processes must be studied by a hybrid transfer map-Monte-Carlo approach in which transfer map methods describe the deterministic behavior of the particles, and Monte-Carlo methods are used to provide corrections accounting for the stochastic nature of scattering and straggling of particles. The advantage of the new approach is that the vast majority of the dynamics are represented by fast application of the high-order transfer map of an entire element and accumulated stochastic effects. The gains in speed are expected to simplify the optimization of cooling channels which is usually computationally demanding. In conclusion, progress on the development of the required algorithms and their application to modeling muon ionization cooling channels is reported.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Unconventional ideas for ionization cooling of muons

Small muon beams increase the luminosity of a muon collider. Reducing the momentum and position spreads of muons reduces emittance and leads to small, cool beams. Ionization cooling has been observed at the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment. 6D emittance reduction by a factor of 100, 000 has been achieved in simulation. Another factor of 5 in cooling would meet the basic requirements of a high luminosity muon collider. In this paper we compare, for the first time, the amount of RF needed in a cooling channel to previous linacs. Here, we also outline three methods aimed to help achieve a final factor of 5 in 6D cooling.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗