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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. If B(sup p)/B(sub t) is much greater than 1, it is an FRC; if B(sub p) approximately equals B(sub t), it is a Spheromak. A plasmoid thruster would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated to high velocity. The process is inductive, and the magnetic structure of the plasmoid suppresses thermal and mass losses, and improves detachment of the exhaust. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp in the range of 5,000 - 10,OOO seconds, with high thrust density. PTX is a device designed to study this concept. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil, driven by a 560 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank. Experiments conducted with a static-fill of propellant gas (6% H2 in He) demonstrated reliable ionization over a pressure range of 40 - 200 mTorr. A fast gas-puff valve to inject propellant has since been added, and a ringing pre-ionization circuit to independently control ionization has been tested. Hydrogen, deuterium, argon, and an N2/H2 mixture have been tried as propellants. Measurements of the plasmoid shape, mass, and velocity, using a variety of diagnostics will be presented,

Martin, Adam↗
DOE OSTI2020

Magnetic Field Optimization of an In-Vacuum Undulator at NSLS-II Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

A 3.0 m long In-Vacuum Undulator (IVU) is employed at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) for the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline providing structural and X-ray fluorescence imaging with world-leading spatial resolution. On July 1 st 2018 a gearbox shaft in the gap drive train assembly sheared due to corrosion fatigue caused by stress due to mechanical misalignment. Furthermore, the device was extracted from the storage ring and measured. The magnetic field measurements detected a degradation of the magnetic performance as well as a localized demagnetization of the magnetic modules of the first 3 upstream periods. We describe here the mechanical repairs and the magnetic phase shimming optimization implemented to restore the spectral performance of the device.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Particle acceleration in Saturn's outer magnetosphere - In memoriam Alois Schardt

Fluctuations in field strength and particle flux observed during the outbound pass of Voyager 2 through the Saturnian magnetosphere are discussed. The observations of injections of energetic electrons and ions, associated plasma wave activity, and magnetic field perturbations are described. These data imply the existence of an acceleration or heating site some distance from the Voyager 2. A correlation between impulsive injections of 0.35-2 MeV electrons, increase in the hot ion flux of 28-215 KeV, a dip in magnetic field magnitude, and a signal from the plasma wave instrument in the 562 Hz channel was detected. An explanation of these observations is provided.

Schardt, A. W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Magnetic Control of Solutal Buoyancy Driven Convection

Volumetric forces resulting from local density variations and gravitational acceleration cause buoyancy induced convective motion in melts and solutions. Solutal buoyancy is a result of concentration differences in an otherwise isothermal fluid. If the fluid also exhibits variations in magnetic susceptibility with concentration then convection control by external magnetic fields can be hypothesized. Magnetic control of thermal buoyancy induced convection in ferrofluids (dispersions of ferromagnetic particles in a carrier fluid) and paramagnetic fluids have been demonstrated. Here we show the nature of magnetic control of solutal buoyancy driven convection of a paramagnetic fluid, an aqueous solution of Manganese Chloride hydrate. We predict the critical magnetic field required for balancing gravitational solutal buoyancy driven convection and validate it through a simple experiment. We demonstrate that gravity driven flow can be completely reversed by a magnetic field but the exact cancellation of the flow is not possible. This is because the phenomenon is unstable. The technique can be applied to crystal growth processes in order to reduce convection and to heat exchanger devices for enhancing convection. The method can also be applied to impose a desired g-level in reduced gravity applications.

Ramachandran, N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mechanical Comparison of Short Models of Nb$_3$ Sn Low-$\beta$ Quadrupole for the Hi-Lumi LHC

MQXF is the Nb 3 Sn Low-β quadrupole magnet that the HL-LHC project is planning to install in the LHC interaction regions in 2026 to increase the LHC integrated luminosity. The magnet will be fabricated in two different lengths: 4.2 m for MQXFA, built in the US by the Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP), and 7.15 m for MQXFB, fabricated by CERN. In order to qualify the magnet design and characterize its performance with different conductors, cable geometries and pre-load configurations, five short model magnets, called MQXFS, were fabricated, assembled and tested. We compare the mechanical behavior of short model magnets using experimental data and new numerical models that take into account the measured coil sizes as a function of position.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS2008

What Might We Learn About Magnetospheric Substorms at the Earth from the MESSENGER Measurements at Mercury?

Satellite observations at the Earth, supported by theory and modeling, have established a close connection between the episodes of intense magnetospheric convection termed substorms and the occurrence of magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause results in strong energy input to the magnetosphere. This energy can either be stored or used immediately to power the magnetospheric convection that produces the phenomena that collectively define the 'substorm.' However, many aspects of magnetic reconnection and the dynamic response of the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system at the Earth during substorms remain poorly understood. For example, the rate of magnetic reconnection is thought to be proportional to the local Alfven speed, but the limited range of changes in this solar wind parameter at 1 AU have made it difficult to detect its influence over energy input to the Earth's magnetosphere. In addition, the electrical conductance of the ionosphere and how it changes in response to auroral charged particle precipitation are hypothesized to play a critical role in the development of substorms, but the nature of this electrodynamic interaction remain difficult to deduce from Earth observations alone. The amount of energy the terrestrial magnetosphere can store in its tail, the duration of the storage, and the trigger(s) for its dissipation are all thought to be determined by not only the microphysics of the cross-tail current layer, but also the properties of the coupled magnetosphere - ionosphere system. Again, the separation of microphysics effects from system response has proved very difficult using measurements taken only at the Earth. If MESSENGER'S charged particle and magnetic field measurements confirm the occurrence of terrestrial-style substorms in Mercury's miniature magnetosphere, then it may be possible to determine how magnetospheric convection, field-aligned currents, charged particle acceleration, reconnection, and tail energy storage are influenced by the intense magnetic reconnection expected to be associated with solar wind conditions at 0.3 - 0.5 AU from the Sun and the simplified electrodynamic feed-back anticipated for a planet lacking an ionosphere. MESSENGER observations from its 14 January 2008 Mercury flyby relevant to the occurrence of magnetic reconnection and substorms at Mercury will be discussed.

Slavin, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electron acceleration and radiation signatures in loop coronal transients

It is proposed that in loop coronal transients an erupting loop moves away from the solar surface, with a velocity exceeding the local Alfven speed, pushing against the overlying magnetic fields and driving a shock in the front of the moving part of the loop. Lower hybrid waves are excited at the shock front and propagate radially toward the center of the loop with phase velocity along the magnetic field that exceeds the thermal velocity. The lower hybrid waves stochastically accelerate the tail of the electron distribution inside the loop. The manner in which the accelerated electrons are trapped in the moving loop are discussed, and their radiation signature is estimated. It is suggested that plasma radiation can explain the power observed in stationary and moving type IV bursts.

Vlahos, L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Evidence for particle acceleration in AE Aqr from radio and X-ray observations

The novalike cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii shows evidence for radio synchrotron emission from expanding magnetized clouds. The radio and UV flare timescales are similar indicating that the central engine is located close to the white dwarf. A collisionless shock may develop above the polar cap, which may explain the observed temperature. Protons and ions accelerated up to energies of more than 1 TeV can diffuse away from the central engine, enter magnetized clouds, and generate waves which in turn heat and accelerate electrons. An embarrassing situation exists where reprocessed optical and X-ray pulsations (33 s) are observed, but the expected direct X-ray pulse from the white dwarf is absent. The standard theory for CVs cannot explain this, and one possible explanation is that a beam of relativistic protons and ions from the polar cap may give the observed reprocessed optical to X-rays in a thick target fixed in the system.

De Jager, O. C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Absolute magneto-optical measurement of magnetic field on a long pulse high electrical current driven solenoid

We describe a direct absolute magneto-optical approach to measuring the magnetic field driven by long pulse width (>5 ms) and high electrical current (∼kA) in a solenoidal coil. The magnetic field and electrical current are among the most important operating parameters in lightning research and electrical power distribution and are essential to understanding the properties of the radiation output in pulsed energy accelerators as well as other research platforms. However, accurately measuring these magnetic fields and electrical currents using conventional electrical diagnostics is difficult due to the strength of ionizing radiation and electromagnetic interference. Our approach uses a fiber coupled laser beam with a rare earth element material sensing crystal that is highly resistant to electromagnetic interference, allows for absolute measurement, and does not require an external calibration. Here, we focus on device theory, operating parameters, magneto-optical results from an experiment on a high current solenoid, and comparison with a calculation of the magnetic field and reference electrical current flowing downstream of the solenoid.

Owens, Israel [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-N↗
NASA NTRS1979

A new concept for the daytime magnetosphere of Venus

A different type of interaction between the solar wind and the ionosphere of a non-magnetized planet suggested by the Pioneer Venus magnetic field measurements is presented. They found that the magnetic field of the shocked solar wind does not penetrate the ionosphere, and it appears that the latter acts approximately as a superconductor, excluding any substantial penetration of interplanetary magnetic field. Just beyond the ionopause is a magnetized region with little plasma whose magnetic pressure is approximately equal to the impact pressure of the solar wind. This suggests an interaction where the current system associated with the enhanced magnetic field region flows along the ionopause and is closed by currents in the shocked solar wind plasma, where the J times B forces slow down the plasma approaching the stagnation region and accelerate the plasma flowing away from it. Thus, the lack of magnetic constraint in the ionosphere would allow ionospheric plasma to flow freely from the day to the night side, and this flow could probably maintain the nighttime ionosphere.

Johnson, F. S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Maximum Acceleration Recording Circuit

Coarsely digitized maximum levels recorded in blown fuses. Circuit feeds power to accelerometer and makes nonvolatile record of maximum level to which output of accelerometer rises during measurement interval. In comparison with inertia-type single-preset-trip-point mechanical maximum-acceleration-recording devices, circuit weighs less, occupies less space, and records accelerations within narrower bands of uncertainty. In comparison with prior electronic data-acquisition systems designed for same purpose, circuit simpler, less bulky, consumes less power, costs and analysis of data recorded in magnetic or electronic memory devices. Circuit used, for example, to record accelerations to which commodities subjected during transportation on trucks.

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Particle Acceleration and Pitch-angle Evolution in Relativistic Turbulence

Synchrotron radiation detected from relativistic astrophysical objects such as pulsar-wind nebulae and jets from active galactic nuclei depends on the magnetic fields and the distribution functions of energetic electrons in these systems. Relativistic magnetically dominated turbulence has been recognized as an efficient mechanism for structure formation and nonthermal particle acceleration in these environments. Recent numerical simulations of relativistic turbulence have provided insights into the energy distribution functions of accelerated electrons. Much less is currently understood about their pitch angle distributions, which are crucial for accurately interpreting the spectra of synchrotron radiation. We perform a detailed case study of the pitch angle distributions formed during the process of turbulent acceleration for B 0 /δB 0 = 10 and $\tilde{σ}$ 0 ~40, where B0 is the uniform component of the magnetic field, δB0 is the fluctuating component, and $\tilde{σ}$ 0 is the plasma magnetization based on the magnetic fluctuations. We find that even minimal numerical noise can cause substantial pitch angle scattering, but we demonstrate techniques for overcoming the numerical challenges associated with the evolution of very small pitch angles. Our numerical results are consistent with the phenomenological considerations found in C. Vega et al. (2024a, 2025).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Artificial Intelligence Guided Studies of van der Waals Magnets

A materials informatics framework to explore a large number of candidate van der Waals (vdW) materials is developed. In particular, in this study a large space of monolayer transition metal halides is investigated by combining high-throughput density functional theory calculations and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the discovery of stable materials and the prediction of their magnetic properties. Here, the formation energy is used as a proxy for chemical stability. Semi-supervised learning is harnessed to mitigate the challenges of sparsely labeled materials data in order to improve the performance of AI models. This approach creates avenues for the rapid discovery of chemically stable vdW magnets by leveraging the ability of AI to recognize patterns in data, to learn mathematical representations of materials from data and to predict materials properties. Using this approach, previously unexplored vdW magnetic materials with potential applications in data storage and spintronics are identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2023

Deriving Large Coronal Magnetic Loop Parameters Using LOFAR J Burst Observations

Large coronal loops around one solar radius in altitude are an important connection between the solar wind and the low solar corona. However, their plasma properties are ill-defined, as standard X-ray and UV techniques are not suited to these low-density environments. Diagnostics from type J solar radio bursts at frequencies above 10 MHz are ideally suited to understand these coronal loops. Despite this, J-bursts are less frequently studied than their type III cousins, in part because the curvature of the coronal loop makes them unsuited for using standard coronal density models. We used LOw-Frequency-ARray (LOFAR) and Parker Solar Probe (PSP) solar radio dynamic spectrum to identify 27 type III bursts and 27 J-bursts during a solar radio noise storm observed on 10 April 2019. We found that their exciter velocities were similar, implying a common acceleration region that injects electrons along open and closed magnetic structures. We describe a novel technique to estimate the density model in coronal loops from J-burst dynamic spectra, finding typical loop apex altitudes around 1.3 solar radius. At this altitude, the average scale heights were 0.36 solar radius, the average temperature was around 1 MK, the average pressure was 0.7mdyn cm -2 , and the average minimum magnetic field strength was 0.13 G. We discuss how these parameters compare with much smaller coronal loops.

Jinge Zhang↗
NASA NTRS2000

Magnetic Flux Compression Concept for Nuclear Pulse Propulsion and Power

The desire for fast, efficient interplanetary transport requires propulsion systems having short acceleration times and very high specific impulse attributes. Unfortunately, most highly efficient propulsion systems which are within the capabilities of present day technologies are either very heavy or yield very low impulse such that the acceleration time to final velocity is too long to be of lasting interest, One exception, the nuclear thermal thruster, could achieve the desired acceleration but it would require inordinately large mass ratios to reach the range of desired final velocities. An alternative approach, among several competing concepts that are beyond our modern technical capabilities, is a pulsed thermonuclear device utilizing microfusion detonations. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of an innovative magnetic flux compression concept for utilizing microfusion detonations, assuming that such low yield nuclear bursts can be realized in practice. In this concept, a magnetic field is compressed between an expanding detonation driven diamagnetic plasma and a stationary structure formed from a high temperature superconductor (HTSC). In general, we are interested in accomplishing two important functions: (1) collimation of a hot diamagnetic plasma for direct thrust production; and (2) pulse power generation for dense plasma ignition. For the purposes of this research, it is assumed that rnicrofusion detonation technology may become available within a few decades, and that this approach could capitalize on recent advances in inertial confinement fusion ICF) technologies including magnetized target concepts and antimatter initiated nuclear detonations. The charged particle expansion velocity in these detonations can be on the order of 10 (exp 6)- 10 (exp 7) meters per second, and, if effectively collimated by a magnetic nozzle, can yield the Isp and the acceleration levels needed for practical interplanetary spaceflight. The ability to ignite pure fusion micro-bursts with reasonable levels of input energy is an equally challenging scientific problem. It remains to be seen, however, whether an effective ignition driver can be developed which meets the requirements for practical spaceflight application (namely high power density, compactness, low weight, and low cost). In this paper, system level performance and design issues are examined including generator performance, magnetic flux compression processes, magnetic diffusion processes, high temperature superconductor (HTSC) material properties, plasmadynamic processes, detonation plasma expansion processes, magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, magnetic nozzle performance, and thrust production performance. Representative generator performance calculations based on a simplified skin layer formulation are presented as well as the results of exploratory small-scale laboratory experiments on magnetic flux diffusion in HTSC materials. In addition, planned follow-on scientific feasibility experiments are described which utilize high explosive detonations and high energy gas discharges to simulate the plasma conditions associated with thermonuclear micro-detonations.

Litchford, Ronald J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Flattening the field during injection in the Fermilab booster using dipole corrector magnets

The FNAL Booster is a fast cycling 15 Hz resonant circuit synchrotron accelerating proton beam from 400 MeV to 8 GeV. The linac pulse injected into the Booster is ~32 μsec long and fills the ring by multi-turn charge-exchange injection. As part of the PIP-II project, the Booster injection energy and repetition rate will be increased to 800 MeV and 20 Hz respectively. Due to much reduced average current in the new superconducting PIP-II linac, the injection time will increase to 550 μs. A shorter machine cycle coupled to a longer injection time make flattening the injection porch B-field during injection important requirement for successful PIP-II operation. We aim to achieve: (1) flattening of the net bending during injection using dipole correctors, and (2) using a new system based on an Altera FPGA board, reduction of the cycle-to-cycle bending field variation caused by current jitter in the Gradient Magnet Power Supply (GMPS). While the flat injection scheme is essential to future PIP-II operations, it should also noticeably improve efficiency for present HEP operations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Flattening the Field during Injection in the Fermilab Booster using Dipole Corrector Magnets

The FNAL Booster is a fast cycling 15 Hz resonant circuit synchrotron accelerating proton beam from 400 MeV to 8 GeV. The linac pulse injected into the Booster is ˜32 usec long and fills the ring by multi-turn charge-exchange injection. As part of the PIP-II project, the Booster injection energy and repetition rate will be increased to 800 MeV and 20 Hz respectively. Due to much reduced average current in the new superconducting PIP-II linac, the injection time will increase to 550us. A shorter machine cycle coupled to a longer injection time make flattening the injection porch B-field during injection important requirement for successful PIP-II operation. We aim to achieve: (1) flattening of the net bending during injection using dipole correctors, and (2) using a new system based on an Altera FPGA board, reduction of the cycle-to-cycle bending field variation caused by current jitter in the Gradient Magnet Power Supply (GMPS). While the flat injection scheme is essential to future PIP-II operations, it should also noticeably improve efficiency for present HEP operations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SUPERCONDUCTOR QUENCH PRECURSORS USING FREQUENCY DOMAIN FEATURE ANALYSIS

Superconducting magnets are important pieces of technology in the world of particle accelerators, allowing researchers to study atomic and subatomic phenomena, among other things. In some instances, superconductors can lose this non-resistive property in a phenomenon known as quenching, which can cause damage to the magnets. This potential danger prompts the introduction of systems to predict when a quench is imminent; one such implementation is through the use of acoustic sensors that detect vibrations within the magnet. Within these acoustic sensor signals, significantly above-noise disturbances (referred to as ”events”) can be identified. Our research applies the statistical framework of a permutation test to features calculated from the power spectral density (PSD) to distinguish between events far from the quench at the end of the signal to events at the start of the signal. We found that dividing the PSD into frequency bands produced a feature capable of distinguishing between events early in the signal and late in the signal leading up the quench, providing a promising starting place for future quench prediction systems.

Roehrig, Benjamin [Northern Illinois U.]↗