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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 1,333 records · Page 74
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Wave-particle interactions with parallel whistler waves: Nonlinear and time-dependent effects revealed by particle-in-cell simulations

We present a self-consistent Particle-in-Cell simulation of the resonant interactions between anisotropic energetic electrons and a population of whistler waves, with parameters relevant to the Earth's radiation belt. By tracking PIC particles and comparing with test-particle simulations, we emphasize the importance of including nonlinear effects and time evolution in the modeling of wave-particle interactions, which are excluded in the resonant limit of quasi-linear theory routinely used in radiation belt studies. In particular, we show that pitch angle diffusion is enhanced during the linear growth phase, and it rapidly saturates well before a single bounce period. This calls into question the widely used bounce average performed in most radiation belt diffusion calculations. Furthermore, we discuss how the saturation is related to the fact that the domain in which the particles pitch angle diffuses is bounded, and to the well-known problem of 90° diffusion barrier.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Temperature and compression effects on electron heat capacity and electron-phonon coupling in aluminum and beryllium: Insights from ab initio simulations

Ultrafast laser experiments on metals usually induce a high electron temperature and a low ion temperature and, thus, an energy relaxation process. The electron heat capacity and electron-phonon coupling factor are crucial thermal quantities to describe this process. We perform ab initio theoretical studies to determine these thermal quantities and their dependence on density and electron temperature for the metals aluminum and beryllium. The heat capacity shows an approximately linear dependence on the temperature, similar to free electron gas, and the compression only slightly affects the capacity. The electron-phonon coupling factor increases with both temperature and density, and the change observed for beryllium is more obvious than that for aluminum. The connections between thermal quantities and electronic/atomic structures are discussed in detail, and the different behaviors of aluminum and beryllium are well explained.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Aspects of collisionless magnetic reconnection in asymmetric systems

Asymmetric reconnection is being investigated by means of particle-in-cell simulations. The research has two foci: the direction of the reconnection line in configurations with nonvanishing magnetic fields; and the question why reconnection can be faster if a guide field is added to an otherwise unchanged asymmetric configuration. We find that reconnection prefers a direction, which maximizes the available magnetic energy, and show that this direction coincides with the bisection of the angle between the asymptotic magnetic fields. Regarding the difference in reconnection rates between planar and guide field models, we demonstrate that a guide field can provide essential confinement for particles in the reconnection region, which the weaker magnetic field in one of the inflow directions cannot necessarily provide.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Breakdown in helium in high-voltage open discharge with subnanosecond current front rise

Investigations of high-voltage open discharge in helium have shown a possibility of generation of current pulses with subnanosecond front rise, due to ultra-fast breakdown development. The open discharge is ignited between two planar cathodes with mesh anode in the middle between them. For gas pressure 6 Torr and 20 kV applied voltage, the rate of current rise reaches 500 A/(cm{sup 2} ns) for current density 200 A/cm{sup 2} and more. The time of breakdown development was measured for different helium pressures and a kinetic model of breakdown in open discharge is presented, based on elementary reactions for electrons, ions and fast atoms. The model also includes various cathode emission processes due to cathode bombardment by ions, fast atoms, electrons and photons of resonant radiation with Doppler shift of frequency. It is shown, that the dominating emission processes depend on the evolution of the discharge voltage during the breakdown. In the simulations, two cases of voltage behavior were considered: (i) the voltage is kept constant during the breakdown; (ii) the voltage is reduced with the growth of current. For the first case, the exponentially growing current is maintained due to photoemission by the resonant photons with Doppler-shifted frequency. For the second case, the dominating factor of current growth is the secondary electron emission. In both cases, the subnanosecond rise of discharge current was obtained. Also the effect of gas pressure on breakdown development was considered. It was found that for 20 Torr gas pressure the time of current rise decreases to 0.1 ns, which is in agreement with experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterization of thermal transport and evolution of Au plasma in ICF experiments by Thomson scattering

Here, this paper demonstrates the capability of optical Thomson scattering (OTS) to measure thermal transport, and provides support to radiation hydrodynamic and kinetic simulations of electron thermal transport and plasma evolution. OTS theory and plasma simulations are applied to the interpretation of experimental measurements of laser-produced plasma from spherical gold targets on the OMEGA laser facility. The dynamical form factor, S($\vec{k}$, ω), of electron density fluctuations that is used in the fitting of Thomson scattering spectra includes ion–ion collisions and effects of non-Maxwellian distribution functions. OTS measurements and their interpretation are consistent with the nonlocal transport model in radiation hydrodynamic simulations as well as with kinetic simulations in the second half of the probe pulse duration. In particular, the reversal of heat transport during cooling is observed to be consistent with simulations, while some discrepancies are noted during the initial heating of the Au targets.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of resistivity gradient on laser-driven electron transport and ion acceleration

The effect of resistivity gradient on laser-driven electron transport and ion acceleration is investigated using collisional particle-in-cell simulation. The study is motivated by recent proton acceleration experiments [Gizzi et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 14, 011301 (2011)], which showed significant effect of the resistivity gradient in layered targets on the proton angular spread. This effect is reproduced in the present simulations. It is found that resistivity-gradient generation of magnetic fields and inhibition of electron transport is significantly enhanced when the feedback interaction between the magnetic field and the fast-electron current is included. Filamentation of the laser-generated hot electron jets inside the target, considered as the origin of the nonuniform proton patterns observed in the experiments, is clearly suppressed by the resistive magnetic field. As a result, the electrostatic sheath field at the target back surface acquires a relatively smooth profile, which contributes to the superior quality of the proton beams accelerated off layered targets in the experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fast magnetic reconnection with large guide fields

In this letter, it is demonstrated using two-fluid simulations that low-β magnetic reconnection remains fast, regardless of the presence of fast dispersive waves, which have been previously suggested to play a critical role. To understand these results, a discrete model is constructed that offers scaling relationships for the reconnection rate and dissipation region (DR) thickness in terms of the upstream magnetic field and DR length. We verify these scalings numerically and show how the DR self-adjusts to process magnetic flux at the same rate that it is supplied to a larger region where two-fluid effects become important. The rate is therefore independent of the DR physics and is in good agreement with kinetic results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

A hybrid model for simulation of secondary electron emission in plasma immersion ion implantation under different pulse rise time

A hybrid fluid Particle in Cell–Monte Carlo Collision (PiC–MCC) model is presented to study the effect of secondary electron emission on the plasma immersion ion implantation process under different pulse rise time. The model describes the temporal evolution of various parameters of plasma such as ion density, ion velocity, secondary electron density, and secondary electron current for different rise times. A 3D–3 V PiC–MCC model is developed to simulate the secondary electrons which are emitted from the sample surface while the plasma ions and electrons are treated using a 1D fluid model. The simulation results indicate that the secondary electron density and secondary electron current increase as the rise time decreases. The main differences between the results for different rise times are found during the initial phase of the pulse. The results are explained through studying the fundamental parameters of plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

The onset of magnetic reconnection in three dimensions

The onset of collisionless magnetic reconnection in current sheets containing a localized enhancement of the initial normal magnetic field component is examined using 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations that treat a closed system. In the 2D case, the current sheet is found to remain stable for at least several hundred inverse ion cyclotron times. In 3D, however, the system is found to be unstable to a ballooning/interchange type of mode with wavenumber k{sub y}ρ{sub in}∼1 (where ρ{sub in} is the ion gyroradius in the normal field B{sub z}). These modes evolve to form intense “heads” of strongly enhanced B{sub z}; in the wake of the heads are regions of strongly reduced or reversed B{sub z}. These local field reversals lead to the onset of reconnection with reconnection electric fields several times more intense than typical values seen for 2D reconnection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effects of local defect growth in direct-drive cryogenic implosions on OMEGA

Spherically symmetric, low-adiabat (adiabat α ≲ 3) cryogenic direct-drive-implosion experiments on the OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1995)] yield less than 10% of the neutrons predicted in one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations suggest that this performance degradation can be explained assuming perturbations from isolated defects of submicron to tens-of-micron scale on the outer surface or inside the shell of implosion targets. These defects develop during the cryogenic filling process and typically number from several tens up to hundreds for each target covering from about 0.2% to 1% of its surface. The simulations predict that such defects can significantly perturb the implosion and result in the injection of about 1 to 2 μg of the hot ablator (carbon-deuterium) and fuel (deuterium-tritium) materials from the ablation surface into the targets. Both the hot mass injection and perturbations of the shell reduce the final shell convergence ratio and implosion performance. The injected carbon ions radiatively cool the hot spot, reducing the fuel temperature, and further reducing the neutron yield. The negative effect of local defects can be minimized by decreasing the number and size of these defects and/or using more hydrodynamically stable implosion designs with higher shell adiabat.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Using field emission to control the electron energy distribution in high-pressure microdischarges at microscale dimensions

Particle simulations of high-pressure microdischarges at gaps below 10 μm show that the electron energy distribution becomes non-continuous, with discrete peaks corresponding to specific inelastic collisions. The relative magnitude of these peaks and shape of the energy distribution can be directly controlled by the parameter pressure times distance (pd) and the applied potential across the gap. These parameters dictate inelastic collisions experienced by electrons and as both increase the distribution smooths into a Maxwellian-like distribution. By capitalizing on field emission at these dimensions, it is possible to control the energy distribution of free electrons to target specific, energy dependent reactions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Analysis of the effects of energy deposition on shock-driven turbulent mixing

We perform simulations of laser-driven turbulence experiments with energy deposition, modeling situations where energy is deposited in a mixing layer before or after it is reshocked. Such situations are experienced in, e.g., inertial confinement fusion capsules. We show that the timing of the energy deposition has a significant impact on the development of turbulent flow and corresponding turbulent material mixing. In particular, if the energy is deposited before the shock wave begins interacting with the mixing layer, the development of turbulence and turbulent mixing are inhibited. If, however, the energy is deposited after the shock wave has interacted with a portion of the mixing layer, turbulence generation and turbulent mixing are enhanced.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Comparison between hybrid and fully kinetic models of asymmetric magnetic reconnection: Coplanar and guide field configurations

Magnetic reconnection occurring in collisionless environments is a multi-scale process involving both ion and electron kinetic processes. Because of their small mass, the electron scales are difficult to resolve in numerical and satellite data, it is therefore critical to know whether the overall evolution of the reconnection process is influenced by the kinetic nature of the electrons, or is unchanged when assuming a simpler, fluid, electron model. This paper investigates this issue in the general context of an asymmetric current sheet, where both the magnetic field amplitude and the density vary through the discontinuity. A comparison is made between fully kinetic and hybrid kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection in coplanar and guide field systems. The models share the initial condition but differ in their electron modeling. It is found that the overall evolution of the system, including the reconnection rate, is very similar between both models. The best agreement is found in the guide field system, which confines particle better than the coplanar one, where the locality of the moments is violated by the electron bounce motion. It is also shown that, contrary to the common understanding, reconnection is much faster in the guide field system than in the coplanar one. Both models show this tendency, indicating that the phenomenon is driven by ion kinetic effects and not electron ones.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Apex Dips of Experimental Flux Ropes: Helix or Cusp?

We present a new theory for the presence of apex dips in certain experimental flux ropes. Previously such dips were thought to be projections of a helical loop axis generated by the kink instability. However, new evidence from experiments and simulations suggest that the feature is a 2D cusp rather than a 3D helix. The proposed mechanism for cusp formation is a density pileup region generated by nonlinear interaction of neutral gas cones emitted from fast-gas nozzles. The results indicate that density perturbations can result in large distortions of an erupting flux rope, even in the absence of significant pressure or gravitational forces. The density pileup at the apex also suppresses the m = 1 kink mode by acting as a stationary node. Consequently, more accurate density profiles should be considered when attempting to model the stability and shape of solar and astrophysical flux ropes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Two-dimensional electromagnetic quantum-hydrodynamic simulations of isochoric heating of a solid target by proton beams

Isochoric heating of an aluminum target by proton beams has been studied with a two-dimensional self-consistent electromagnetic quantum-hydrodynamic model, including the nonlinear quantum effects. It is shown that most protons deposit their energy within several micrometers near the surface, and the aluminum metal target is heated up to several electron volts in tens of Mbar pressure regime within one picosecond. Comparison between electrostatic and electromagnetic cases shows that the strength of electromagnetic field is much smaller than that of the electrostatic field at initial stage but increases more rapidly and becomes larger at later time. The results show that the time evolution of electric field has a significant influence on the interaction of intense beams with a solid target, while the effect of the self-magnetic field is small for non-relativistic beams considered here.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structure of wave-particle resonances and Alfvén mode saturation

The dynamics of beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes driven by anisotropic co-passing or counter-passing fast ions, in a low-shear magnetic equilibrium, is investigated by self-consistent hybrid MHD-particle simulations with the XHMGC code. Though the modes exhibit similar structure and frequency in both cases and the linear growth rate is 10% larger for counter-passing ions than for co-passing ions, the nonlinear saturation amplitude is much larger in co-passing case. Moreover, different scalings for the saturation amplitude with increasing growth rates are observed in the two cases. It is shown that these differences are caused by the different radial dependence of resonance frequencies of co-passing and counter-passing fast ions: flat in the former case, steep in the latter case, so that the resonance width is, respectively, larger (in the former case) or smaller (in the latter case) than the mode width.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Energy dynamics and current sheet structure in fluid and kinetic simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are performed with a fluid and a kinetic code. The initial condition is an ensemble of long-wavelength, counter-propagating, shear-Alfvén waves, which interact and rapidly generate strong MHD turbulence. The total energy is conserved and the rate of turbulent energy decay is very similar in both codes, although the fluid code has numerical dissipation, whereas the kinetic code has kinetic dissipation. The inertial range power spectrum index is similar in both the codes. The fluid code shows a perpendicular wavenumber spectral slope of k{sub ⊥}{sup −1.3}. The kinetic code shows a spectral slope of k{sub ⊥}{sup −1.5} for smaller simulation domain, and k{sub ⊥}{sup −1.3} for larger domain. We estimate that collisionless damping mechanisms in the kinetic code can account for the dissipation of the observed nonlinear energy cascade. Current sheets are geometrically characterized. Their lengths and widths are in good agreement between the two codes. The length scales linearly with the driving scale of the turbulence. In the fluid code, their thickness is determined by the grid resolution as there is no explicit diffusivity. In the kinetic code, their thickness is very close to the skin-depth, irrespective of the grid resolution. This work shows that kinetic codes can reproduce the MHD inertial range dynamics at large scales, while at the same time capturing important kinetic physics at small scales.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Experimental and numerical investigations of electron density in low-pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled oxygen discharges

The electron density is measured in low-pressure dual-frequency (2/60 MHz) capacitively coupled oxygen discharges by utilizing a floating hairpin probe. The dependence of electron density at the discharge center on the high frequency (HF) power, low frequency (LF) power, and gas pressure are investigated in detail. A (1D) particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo method is developed to calculate the time-averaged electron density at the discharge center and the simulation results are compared with the experimental ones, and general agreements are achieved. With increasing HF power, the electron density linearly increases. The electron density exhibits different changes with the LF power at different HF powers. At low HF powers (e.g., 30 W in our experiment), the electron density increases with increasing LF power while the electron density decreases with increasing LF power at relatively high HF powers (e.g., 120 W in our experiment). With increasing gas pressure the electron density first increases rapidly to reach a maximum value and then decreases slowly due to the combined effect of the production process by the ionization and the loss processes including the surface and volume losses.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗