Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “PLASMA 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.

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

At least 1,459 records · Page 81
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Study of Rayleigh–Taylor growth in laser irradiated planar SiO{sub 2} targets at ignition-relevant conditions

Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) growth experiments were performed on the OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] using planar SiO{sub 2} targets seeded with a single mode 60-μm wavelength perturbation driven at peak laser intensities up to 9 × 10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2}. These are the first RT measurements in SiO{sub 2} at conditions relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion ignition. The measured average modulation growth rates agree with the 2-D hydrodynamics code DRACO, providing an important step in the development of target ablators that are robust to RT growth and hot- electron preheat considerations when driven at the intensities required to achieve thermonuclear ignition.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Parametric coupling of lower hybrid wave with gyrating ion beam driven ion cyclotron instability in a plasma

A lower hybrid wave, launched into a tokamak for supplementary heating in the presence of neutral beam turned gyrating ion beam, is seen to excite some prominent channels of parametric decay. The beam driven deuterium cyclotron mode is further destabilized by the lower hybrid pump through the nonlinear 4-wave coupling, involving higher and lower frequency lower hybrid sidebands, when ω{sub 0}/k{sub 0z}v{sub 0z}=(1−ω{sub LH}{sup 2}/ω{sub 0}{sup 2}) , where ω{sub LH} is the lower hybrid frequency, ω{sub 0} and k{sub 0z} are the frequency and parallel wave number of the pump wave, and v{sub 0z} is the velocity of ion beam parallel to the magnetic field. The growth rate increases with parallel wave number of the ion-cyclotron mode. The pump is also susceptible to parametric upconversion into an upper sideband shifted by the frequency of the negative energy deuterium cyclotron mode. For typical parameters, the growth rate of this channel is around one fiftieth of deuterium cyclotron frequency and falls off with the transverse wave number of the mode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Model for charged dust expansion across a magnetic field

Plasma fluctuations arise in the boundary region between charged dust clouds and background plasmas. A self-consistent computational model is developed to study expansion of a charged dust cloud across a magnetic field, creation of the inhomogeneous boundary layer and associated processes. The charging of the dust particulates produces a boundary layer and associated ambipolar electric field. This ambipolar field provides a source for low frequency dust acoustic waves in unmagnetized plasmas. A background magnetic field if sufficiently strong, may impact the dust acoustic wave evolution and dust density structures due to E×B and diamagnetic current generation. The dust acoustic density fluctuation generation across a strong magnetic field (ω{sub pe}/Ω{sub ce}≪1) may be suppressed as compared to an unmagnetized dusty plasma, which will be discussed. Fluctuations generated at longer timescales propagating along the dust boundary layer will also be investigated in the lower hybrid and dust lower hybrid frequency range. Applications to space and laboratory plasmas are discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Self-similar space-time evolution of an initial density discontinuity

The space-time evolution of an initial step-like plasma density variation is studied. We give particular attention to formulate the problem in a way that opens for the possibility of realizing the conditions experimentally. After a short transient time interval of the order of the electron plasma period, the solution is self-similar as illustrated by a video where the space-time evolution is reduced to be a function of the ratio x/t. Solutions of this form are usually found for problems without characteristic length and time scales, in our case the quasi-neutral limit. By introducing ion collisions with neutrals into the numerical analysis, we introduce a length scale, the collisional mean free path. We study the breakdown of the self-similarity of the solution as the mean free path is made shorter than the system length. Analytical results are presented for charge exchange collisions, demonstrating a short time collisionless evolution with an ensuing long time diffusive relaxation of the initial perturbation. For large times, we find a diffusion equation as the limiting analytical form for a charge-exchange collisional plasma, with a diffusion coefficient defined as the square of the ion sound speed divided by the (constant) ion collision frequency. The ion-neutral collision frequency acts as a parameter that allows a collisionless result to be obtained in one limit, while the solution of a diffusion equation is recovered in the opposite limit of large collision frequencies.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Plasmoid solutions of the Hahm–Kulsrud–Taylor equilibrium model

The Hahm–Kulsrud (HK) [T. S. Hahm and R. M. Kulsrud, Phys. Fluids 28, 2412 (1985)] solutions for a magnetically sheared plasma slab driven by a resonant periodic boundary perturbation illustrate fully shielded (current sheet) and fully reconnected (magnetic island) responses. On the global scale, reconnection involves solving a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium problem. In systems with a continuous symmetry, such MHD equilibria are typically found by solving the Grad–Shafranov equation, and in slab geometry the elliptic operator in this equation is the 2-D Laplacian. Thus, assuming appropriate pressure and poloidal current profiles, a conformal mapping method can be used to transform one solution into another with different boundary conditions, giving a continuous sequence of solutions in the form of partially reconnected magnetic islands (plasmoids) separated by Syrovatsky current sheets. The two HK solutions appear as special cases.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

The influence of the secondary electron induced asymmetry on the electrical asymmetry effect in capacitively coupled plasmas

In geometrically symmetric capacitive radio-frequency plasmas driven by two consecutive harmonics, a dc self-bias can be generated as a function of the phase shift between the driving frequencies via the Electrical Asymmetry Effect (EAE). Recently, the Secondary Electron Asymmetry Effect (SEAE) was discovered (Lafleur et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 46, 135201 (2013)): unequal secondary electron emission coefficients at both electrodes were found to induce an asymmetry in single-frequency capacitive plasmas. Here, we investigate the simultaneous presence of both effects, i.e., a dual-frequency plasma driven by two consecutive harmonics with different electrode materials. We find that the superposition of the EAE and the SEAE is generally non-linear, i.e., the asymmetries generated by each individual effect do not simply add up at all phases. The control ranges of the dc self-bias and the mean ion energy can be enlarged, if both effects are combined.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Bifurcation theory of a one-dimensional transport model for the L-H transition

Transitions between low and high-confinement (L-H transitions) in magnetically confined plasmas can appear as three qualitatively different types: sharp, smooth, and oscillatory. Bifurcation analysis unravels these possible transition types and how they are situated in parameter space. In this paper the bifurcation analysis is applied to a 1-dimensional model for the radial transport of energy and density near the edge of magnetically confined plasmas. This phenomenological L-H transition model describes the reduction of the turbulent transport by E×B-flow shear self-consistently with the evolution of the radial electric field. Therewith, the exact parameter space, including the threshold values of the control parameters, of the possible L-H transitions in the model is determined. Furthermore, a generalised equal area rule is derived to describe the evolution of the transport barrier in space and time self-consistently. Applying this newly developed rule to the model analysed in this paper reveals a naturally occurring transition to an extra wide transport barrier that may correspond to the improved confinement known as the very-high-confinement mode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Numerical study of compressibility effects on the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode in tokamak plasma

Compressibility effects on the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode in tokamak plasma are studied numerically. It is shown that compressibility is favorable for the existence of the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode even without the pressure gradient, and the frequency of the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode is modified by the geodesic frequency, which is consistent with an analytical theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Collisional effects on nonlinear ion drag force for small grains

The ion drag force arising from plasma flow past an embedded spherical grain is calculated self-consistently and non-linearly using particle in cell codes, accounting for ion-neutral collisions. Using ion velocity distribution appropriate for ion drift driven by a force field gives wake potential and force greatly different from a shifted Maxwellian distribution, regardless of collisionality. The low-collisionality forces are shown to be consistent with estimates based upon cross-sections for scattering in a Yukawa (shielded) grain field, but only if non-linear shielding length is used. Finite collisionality initially enhances the drag force, but only by up to a factor of 2. Larger collisionality eventually reduces the drag force. In the collisional regime, the drift distribution gives larger drag than the shift distribution even at velocities where their collisionless drags are equal. Comprehensive practical analytic formulas for force that fit the calculations are provided.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Why is Boris algorithm so good?

Due to its excellent long term accuracy, the Boris algorithm is the de facto standard for advancing a charged particle. Despite its popularity, up to now there has been no convincing explanation why the Boris algorithm has this advantageous feature. In this paper, we provide an answer to this question. We show that the Boris algorithm conserves phase space volume, even though it is not symplectic. The global bound on energy error typically associated with symplectic algorithms still holds for the Boris algorithm, making it an effective algorithm for the multi-scale dynamics of plasmas.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Dynamic dipole polarizabilities of H{sup −} and Ps{sup −} in weakly coupled plasmas

The effects of weakly coupled plasmas on the dynamic dipole polarizabilities of the H{sup −} and Ps{sup −} ions are investigated using highly correlated exponential wave functions. The Debye-Hückel shielding approach of plasma modeling is used to represent weakly coupled plasma environments. In free-atomic cases, results obtained from the present study for H{sup −} are in agreement with the available calculations and results for Ps{sup −} are reported for the first time. Frequency-dependent polarizabilities of H{sup −} and Ps{sup −} as functions of screening parameter are also presented for the first time.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Anomalous conductivity in Hall thrusters: Effects of the non-linear coupling of the electron-cyclotron drift instability with secondary electron emission of the walls

With the help of an implicit particle-in-cell code, we have shown in a previous paper that the electron-cyclotron drift instability was able to induce anomalous conductivity as well as anomalous heating. As such it can be a major actor among the mechanisms involved in the operation of Hall thrusters. However, experimental results show that the nature of wall material has a significant effect on the behavior of the thruster. The purpose of this paper is to study the plasma-wall interaction in the case where the plasma is heated self-consistently by electrostatic fluctuations induced by the electron-cyclotron drift instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ion-acoustic supersolitons in plasmas with two-temperature electrons: Boltzmann and kappa distributions

Acoustic supersolitons arise when a plasma model is able to support three consecutive local extrema of the Sagdeev pseudopotential between the undisturbed conditions and an accessible root. This leads to a characteristic electric field signature, where a simple bipolar shape is enriched by subsidiary maxima. Large-amplitude nonlinear acoustic modes are investigated, using a pseudopotential approach, for plasmas containing two-temperature electrons having Boltzmann or kappa distributions, in the presence of cold fluid ions. The existence domains for positive supersolitons are derived in a methodological way, both for structure velocities and amplitudes, in terms of plasma compositional parameters. In addition, typical pseudopotentials, soliton, and electric field profiles have been given to illustrate that positive supersolitons can be found in the whole range of electron distributions from Maxwellian to a very hard nonthermal spectrum in kappa. However, it is found that the parameter ranges that support supersolitons vary significantly over the wide range of kappa considered.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Estimations of Mo X-pinch plasma parameters on QiangGuang-1 facility by L-shell spectral analyses

Plasma parameters of molybdenum (Mo) X-pinches on the 1-MA QiangGuang-1 facility were estimated by L-shell spectral analysis. X-ray radiation from X-pinches had a pulsed width of 1 ns, and its spectra in 2–3 keV were measured with a time-integrated X-ray spectrometer. Relative intensities of spectral features were derived by correcting for the spectral sensitivity of the spectrometer. With an open source, atomic code FAC (flexible atomic code), ion structures, and various atomic radiative-collisional rates for O-, F-, Ne-, Na-, Mg-, and Al-like ionization stages were calculated, and synthetic spectra were constructed at given plasma parameters. By fitting the measured spectra with the modeled, Mo X-pinch plasmas on the QiangGuang-1 facility had an electron density of about 10{sup 21} cm{sup −3} and the electron temperature of about 1.2 keV.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Influence of plasma surface interactions on tokamak startup

The startup phase of a tokamak is a complex phenomenon involving burnthrough of the low-Z impurities and rampup of I{sub p}, the plasma current. The design considerations of a tokamak are closely connected with the startup modeling. Plasma evolution is analysed using a zero-dimensional model. The particle and energy balance is considered of two subclasses of plasmas which are penetrable by neutral gas, together with another component, neutrals trapped in the wall. The first subclass includes plasmas being penetrated by slow neutrals of (∼few eV) temperature. The second includes plasmas being penetrated only by fast neutrals having a temperature comparable to that of the ions. The impact of impurities on energy balance is considered through their generation by ion induced desorption of adsorbed oxygen on the first wall and physical and chemical sputtering of carbon. The paper demonstrates self-consistently that the evolution of initial phase of the discharge is intimately linked to the condition of the plasma facing components (PFCs) and the resultant plasma surface interactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of volume and surface charges on discharge structure of glow dielectric barrier discharge

The effect of volume and surface charges on the structure of glow dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has been investigated numerically by using two-dimensional (2D) fluid modeling. The local increase of volume or surface charges induces a kind of activation-inhibition effect, which enhances the local volume discharge and inhibits the discharge in neighborhoods, resulting in non-uniform discharge. The activation-inhibition effect due to the non-uniform volume and/or surface charges depends on the non-uniformity itself and the applied voltage. The activation-inhibition of non-uniform charges has different effects on the volume charges and the accumulated surface charges. The distribution of remaining free charges (seed electrons) in volume at the beginning of voltage pulse plays a key role for the glow DBD structure, resulting in a patterned DBD, when the seed electrons are non-uniform at higher frequency and moderate voltage or uniform DBD, when the seed electrons are uniform at lower frequency or high voltage. The distribution of surface charges is not the determining factor but a result of the formed DBD structure.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Monte Carlo implementation of a guiding-center Fokker-Planck kinetic equation

A Monte Carlo method for the collisional guiding-center Fokker-Planck kinetic equation is derived in the five-dimensional guiding-center phase space, where the effects of magnetic drifts due to the background magnetic field nonuniformity are included. It is shown that, in the limit of a homogeneous magnetic field, our guiding-center Monte Carlo collision operator reduces to the guiding-center Monte Carlo Coulomb operator previously derived by Xu and Rosenbluth [Phys. Fluids B 3, 627 (1991)]. Applications of the present work will focus on the collisional transport of energetic ions in complex nonuniform magnetized plasmas in the large mean-free-path (collisionless) limit, where magnetic drifts must be retained.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Propagation of ion acoustic shock waves in negative ion plasmas with nonextensive electrons

Nonlinear ion acoustic shocks (monotonic as well as oscillatory) waves in negative ion plasmas are investigated. The inertialess electron species are assumed to be nonthermal and follow Tsallis distribution. The dissipation in the plasma is considered via kinematic viscosities of both positive and negative ion species. The Korteweg-de Vries Burgers (KdVB) equation is derived using small amplitude reductive perturbation technique and its analytical solution is presented. The effects of variation of density and temperature of negative ions and nonthermal parameter q of electrons on the strength of the shock structures are plotted for illustration. The numerical solutions of KdVB equation using Runge Kutta method are obtained, and transition from oscillatory to monotonic shock structures is also discussed in detail for negative ions nonthermal plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗