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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1974

Effect of anode ring arrangement on the spectroscopic characteristics of the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus plasma

The modified Penning discharge in the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus is normally produced by an anode ring at high voltage in each of the 12 magnetic mirror midplanes. For this investigation, the plasma was run with 12, 6, 3, and 1 anode rings. When 3 anode rings were used, the spectroscopically determined relative electron density and mean ion residence time increased by factors of 10 and 5, respectively, in one mode of operation. The discharge is observed to uniformly fill all bumps around the torus regardless of the anode arrangement and number. A plasma density on axis of 100 billion per cu cm is estimated for the 3-anode case in one mode of operation based on an observed discharge current to ion loss rate correlation and a measured mean ion residence time of .5 msec.

Richardson, R. W.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Yttrium Contenting Compositionally Complex Medium-Entropy Li-Garnet Electrolyte with Improved Ionic Conductivity

The compositionally complex medium/high-entropy design concept can greatly expand the categories and affect the properties of the materials. With such a designing concept, a medium-entropy Li-garnet electrolyte with appropriate yttrium content (formula Li 6.6 La 3 ZrNb 0.3 Ta 0.3 Hf 0.3 Y 0.1 O 12 ) shows a record-high ionic conductivity of ∼5.7 × 10 –4 S/cm, the highest reported for any single-site substituted high/medium-entropy Li-garnet. The assembled Li metal symmetric cells also show stable long-term cycling (0.1 mA/cm 2 for over 200 h). Neutron powder diffraction and Rietveld refinement results indicate that a competing conduction mechanism between (1) occupancy on high mobility of 96h sites and (2) the associated site vacancies and the bond length requires an appropriate content of Y for enhanced ionic conductivity. Li-ion hopping through the bottleneck can also contribute to the conductivity. Finally, density functional theory and Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations also indicate the high mobility and number of hopping transitions of Li ions, contributing to the high ionic conductivity.

Li-garnet↗

NASA NTRS1974

Effect of anode ring arrangement on the spectroscopic characteristics of the NASA Lewis bumpy torus plasma

The modified Penning discharge in the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus is normally produced by an anode ring at high voltage in each of the 12 magnetic mirror midplanes. For this investigation, the plasma was run with 12, 6, 3, and 1 anode rings. When 3 anode rings were used, the spectroscopically determined relative electron density and mean ion residence time increase by factors of 10 and 5, respectively, in one mode of operation. The discharge is observed to uniformly fill all bumps around the torus regardless of the anode arrangement and number. A plasma density on axis of 10 to the 11th power cm/3 is estimated for the 3 anode case in one mode of operation based on an observed discharge current to ion loss rate correlation and a measured mean ion residence time of .5 msec.

Richardson, R. W.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cumulants: it’s more than you think

Cumulants of baryon number are given considerable attention in analyses of heavy-ion collision experiments as possible signatures of the QCD critical point. In this work, we show that the values of the lowest three cumulants can also be utilized to recover information about the isothermal speed of sound and its logarithmic derivative with respect to the baryon number density. This result provides a new method for obtaining information about fundamental properties of nuclear matter studied in heavy-ion collisions, with consequences for both the search for the QCD CP and neutron star studies. While the approximations and the model comparison we considered apply to experiments at low energies, the approach itself can be used at any collision energy provided that measurements of cumulants of baryon number distribution aswell as their temperature dependence are available.

Sorensen, Agnieszka↗

NASA NTRS2011

Energetic O+ and H+ Ions in the Plasma Sheet: Implications for the Transport of Ionospheric Ions

The present study statistically examines the characteristics of energetic ions in the plasma sheet using the Geotail/Energetic Particle and Ion Composition data. An emphasis is placed on the O+ ions, and the characteristics of the H+ ions are used as references. The following is a summary of the results. (1) The average O+ energy is lower during solar maximum and higher during solar minimum. A similar tendency is also found for the average H+ energy, but only for geomagnetically active times; (2) The O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities are several times higher during solar maximum than during solar minimum; (3) The average H+ and O+ energies and the O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities all increase with geomagnetic activity. The differences among different solar phases not only persist but also increase with increasing geomagnetic activity; (4) Whereas the average H+ energy increases toward Earth, the average O+ energy decreases toward Earth. The average energy increases toward dusk for both the H+ and O+ ions; (5) The O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities increase toward Earth during all solar phases, but most clearly during solar maximum. These results suggest that the solar illumination enhances the ionospheric outflow more effectively with increasing geomagnetic activity and that a significant portion of the O+ ions is transported directly from the ionosphere to the near ]Earth region rather than through the distant tail.

Ohtani, S.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A pulsed electron-photon fluorescence diagnostic technique for temperature and specie concentration measurement at points in relatively dense, unseedded air flows

An analysis is presented on the use of the fluorescence stimulated by combined pulsed electron and photon beams for the study of gas flows up to densities equivalent to an altitude of about 20 km (number density of about 3 x 10 to the 18th/cu cm). The electron beam acts as a pump, requiring no seed gas, to provide a localized concentration of ions or excited state neutrals that can be probed by saturation optical pulses. A short pulse (10ns) electron beam can be used by itself to provide effectively quench-free emission up to number densities of around 10 to the 18th/cm, but is is difficult to maintain satisfactory spatial resolution at this high density. The use of a nearly simultaneous strong optical pulse increases the flexibility of the diagnostic technique, permitting use at densities greater than 10 to the 18th/cu cm with good spatial resolution. The use of flash X-ray sources combined with optical probing also appears promising for densities above 10 to the 19th/cu cm.

Muntz, E. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Kinetic plasma processes occurring in the outer plasmasphere

One area of data analysis work that was begun under this contract is the fitting of the perpendicular velocity distributions of equatorially trapped ions with a Kappa function. This type of characterization of the trapped ions will be very useful for comparison with velocity distributions produced by the model. A second area of data analysis is to study data from consecutive passes when DE 1's apogee was near the magnetic equator and the spacecraft was often skimming along nearly the same L shell. In 1982 three such periods occurred in May, June, and July. For these consecutive events we have Kp histories, density measurements from a number of sources (Whistler data, DE SFR, ISEE SFR) and consecutive samples of ion pitch angle distributions along field lines. It is clear from this data how the pitch angle distributions evolve during a flux tube refilling event. Our modeling of the flow of plasma along closed field lines is following two basic tracks. The first is a study of the basic refilling process without the effect of wave-particle heating near the equator or the effect of large or abrupt field-aligned electric potential drops. This model includes the effects of Coulomb self-collisions and collisions with the O+ ions in the topside ionosphere. The second track is a study of the effects of wave produced pitch-angle scattering and perpendicular heating occurring near the magnetic equator, in connection with the development of large potential drops that result from electron heating and the development of density gradients.

Wilson, Gordon R.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dislocation loop evolution in Kr-irradiated ThO 2

Here, the early stage of microstructural evolution of ThO 2 , under krypton irradiation at 600, 800, and 1000°C, was investigated using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dislocation loops grew faster, whereas their number density decreased with increasing irradiation temperature. Loop density was found to decrease with ion dose. Interstitial dislocation loops, including Frank loops with Burgers vector of $\textit{a}/3\langle111\rangle$ and perfect loops with Burgers vector of $\textit{a}/2\langle110\rangle$, were determined by traditional TEM and atomic resolution–scanning TEM techniques. Atomistic and mesoscale level modeling are performed to interpret experimental observations. The migration energy barriers of defects in ThO 2 were calculated using density-functional theory. The energetics of different dislocation loop types were studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Loop density and diameter were analyzed using a kinetic rate theory model that considers stoichiometric loop evolution. This analysis reveals that loop growth is governed by the mobility of cation interstitials, whereas loop nucleation is determined by the mobility of anion defects. Lastly, a rate theory model was used to extract the diffusion coefficients of thorium interstitials, oxygen interstitials, and vacancies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA NTRS1984

Venus dayside ionospheric conditions - Effects of ionospheric magnetic field and solar EUV flux

On the basis of in situ measurements of solar EUV flux, an investigation is conducted on the extent of EUV-contributed Venus dayside condition modulation as found in the Pioneer Venus Orbiter's Langmuir probe experiment. In addition, a novel method for Venus EUV flux measurement is introduced which relies on the Langmuir probe sensor's photoelectron emission in regions far above the ionosphere. It is found that while EUV flux strongly affects ionospheric number density, its electron temperature effects are minor. An examination of the role of ionospheric magnetic fields in dayside condition modulation shows that large scale horizontal field presence or absence has no effect on electron number density or temperature at these altitudes, due to the collision domination of ions and the fact that vertical diffusive transport is unimpeded by magnetic fields of the observed magnitudes.

Elphic, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Structure and Variability of the Martian Ion Composition Boundary Layer

A complex boundary layer with a variety of charged particle and electromagnetic field signatures, including a transition between plasma predominantly of solar wind origin and plasma of planetary origin, lies between the Martian bow shock and the ionosphere. In this paper, we develop and utilize algorithms to autonomously identify and characterize this ion composition boundary (ICB), using data from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. We find an asymmetric ICB with a larger average thickness, lower altitude, and lower velocity shear in the hemisphere where the solar wind motional electric field points outward, as a result of the asymmetry of the mass loading process. The ICB thickness scales with the magnetosheath proton gyroradius at the top of the boundary layer but does not clearly vary with external drivers. The ICB location varies with solar wind ram pressure and crustal magnetic field strength, but does not clearly respond to solar wind Mach number or extreme ultraviolet irradiance. The ICB represents a distinct boundary for ion density and flow speed, but the magnetic field strength and direction typically do not vary significantly across the ICB. The plasma density and flow speed at the ICB vary seasonally, likely in response to variations in the neutral exosphere and/or atmosphere. However, the ICB on average remains at or below the altitude where pressure balance is achieved between the piled up magnetic field (MPB) and the solar wind ram pressure, regardless of season or crustal magnetic field strength.

Electromagnetic↗

NASA NTRS1994

Relativistic particle acceleration in plerions

We discuss recent research on the structure and particle acceleration properties of relativistic shock waves in which the magnetic field is transverse to the flow direction in the upstream medium, and whose composition is either pure electrons and positrons or primarily electrons and positrons with an admixture of heavy ions. Particle-in-cell simulation techniques as well as analytic theory have been used to show that such shocks in pure pair plasmas are fully thermalized -- the downstream particle spectra are relativistic Maxwellians at the temperature expected from the jump conditions. On the other hand, shocks containing heavy ions which are a minority constituent by number but which carry most of the energy density in the upstream medium do put approximately 20% of the flow energy into a nonthermal population of pairs downstream, whose distribution in energy space is N(E) varies as E(exp -2), where N(E)dE is the number of particles with energy between E and E+dE. The mechanism of thermalization and particle acceleration is found to be synchrotron maser activity in the shock front, stimulated by the quasi-coherent gyration of the whole particle population as the plasma flowing into the shock reflects from the magnetic field in the shock front. The synchrotron maser modes radiated by the heavy ions are absorbed by the pairs at their (relativistic) cyclotron frequencies, allowing the maximum energy achievable by the pairs to be gamma(sub +/-)m(sub +/-)c squared = m(sub i)c squared gamma(sub 1)/Z(sub i), where gamma(sub 1) is the Lorentz factor of the upstream flow and Z(sub i) is the atomic number of the ions. The shock's spatial structure is shown to contain a series of 'overshoots' in the magnetic field, regions where the gyrating heavy ions compress the magnetic field to levels in excess of the eventual downstream value. This shock model is applied to an interpretation of the structure of the inner regions of the Crab Nebula, in particular to the 'wisps,' surface brightness enhancements near the pulsar. We argue that these surface brightness enhancements are the regions of magnetic overshoot, which appear brighter because the small Larmor radius pairs are compressed and radiate more efficiently in the regions of more intense magnetic field. This interpretation suggests that the structure of the shock terminating the pulsar's wind in the Crab Nebula is spatially resolved, and allows one to measure gamma(sub 1) and a number of other properties of the pulsar's wind. We also discuss applications of the shock theory to the termination shocks of the winds from rotation-powered pulsars embedded in compact binaries. We show that this model adequately accounts for (and indeed predicted) the recently discovered X-ray flux from PSR 1957+20, and we discuss several other applications to other examples of these systems.

Arons, Jonathan↗

NASA NTRS1998

Survey of the Polar Wind near 1 and 8Re with POLAR

Recent theoretical/modeling developments as well as measurements by Akebono and other spacecraft have created renewed interest in the polar wind. This interest arises generally from two principal aspects: (a) Understanding the physics of such plausible influences as photo-electron-driven parallel electric fields and convection-driven centrifugal acceleration on the polar wind transport; and (b) Understanding the intermediate fate of the polar wind--in particular, its contribution to the plasma content of such magnetospheric domains as the plasma sheet and tail lobes. In this talk, we will describe the results of a new survey of the intermediate(lR(sub E)) and high(8 R(sub E)) polar wind, based on high-resolution core ion measurements with the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment(TIDE) on POLAR. These new measurements of H(+), He(+), and O(+) densities, parallel flow velocities, Mach numbers and fluxes, and parallel and perpendicular temperatures, will be used to explore such issues as: (1) Supersonic vs. subsonic polar wind flows; (2) Upward and downward O(+) flows, and the origin of the polar cap ions; (3) Parallel flow speeds for various polar wind ion species in the context of various acceleration/transport mechanisms; and (4) Relationships of polar wind bulk parameters to solar zenith angle and to magnetospheric day-night distance, and their implications for the origin and transport of the polar wind.

Horwitz, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1973

The open-source neutral-mass spectrometer on Atmosphere Explorer-C, -D, and -E.

The open-source mass spectrometer will be used to obtain the number densities of the neutral atmospheric gases in the mass range 1 to 48 amu at the satellite location. The ion source has been designed to allow gas particles to enter the ionizing region with the minimum practicable number of prior collisions with surfaces. This design minimizes the loss of atomic oxygen and other reactive species due to reactions with the walls of the ion source. The principal features of the open-source spectrometer and the laboratory calibration system are discussed.

Nier, A. O.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Fluctuations and correlations of baryonic chiral partners

The exploration of critical phenomena in phase transitions of strongly interacting matter governed by quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is one of the goals of present ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collision experiments at BNL and CERN. The key research direction is to locate the putative critical point on the phase diagram of QCD linked to the chiral symmetry restoration at finite temperature and/or density. One of the main theoretical tools used for this purpose is the fluctuations of conserved charges, such as the net-baryon number. However, due to experimental limitations, analyses of heavy-ion collision data suffer from a very doubtful basing of the net-proton number being a proxy for the total net-baryon number fluctuations. In this work, we use the parity doublet model to investigate the fluctuations of the net-baryon number density in hot and dense hadronic matter. The model accounts for chiral criticality within the mean-field approximation. We focus on the qualitative properties and systematics of the first- and second-order susceptibility of the net-baryon number density, and their ratios for nucleons of positive and negative parity, as well as their correlator. We show that the fluctuations of the positive-parity nucleon do not necessarily reflect the fluctuations of the total net-baryon number density at the phase boundary of the chiral phase transition. We also investigate the nontrivial structure of the correlator. Furthermore, we discuss and quantify the differences between the fluctuations of the net-baryon number density in the vicinity of the chiral and liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter. We indicate a possible relevance of our results with the interpretation of the experimental data on net-proton number fluctuations in heavy-ion collisions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Accelerating kinetic plasma simulations with machine-learning-generated initial conditions

Computational models of plasma technologies often solve for the system operating conditions by time-stepping an initial value problem to a quasi-steady solution. However, the strongly nonlinear and multi-timescale nature of plasma dynamics often necessitate millions, or even hundreds of millions, of steps to reach convergence, reducing the effectiveness of these simulations for computer-aided engineering. We consider acceleration of kinetic plasma simulations via data-driven machine-learning-generated initial conditions, which initialize the simulations close to their final quasi-steady-state, thereby reducing the number of steps to reach convergence. Three machine-learning models are developed to predict the density and ion kinetic profiles of capacitively coupled plasma discharges relevant to the microelectronics industry. The models are trained on kinetic simulations over a range of device operating frequencies and pressures. Best performance was observed when simulations were initialized with ion kinetic profiles generated by a convolutional neural network, reducing the mean number of steps to reach convergence by 17.1× when compared to initialization with a zero-dimensional global model. We also outline a workflow for continuous data-driven model improvement and simulation speedup, with the aim of generating sufficient data for full device digital twins.

Artificial neural networks↗

NASA NTRS1993

Hybrid simulations of thin current sheets

A one-dimensional, hybrid simulation code is used to study current sheets with a nonzero normal magnetic field B(sub z) and a dawn-to-dusk electric field E(sub y). Such configurations are dependent upon only two parameters: we use the normalized normal magnetic field B-normalized (sub z) = B(sub z)/(4(pi)(n(sub b)) (v(exp 2 sub T))(exp 1/2) and normalized electric field V-normalized (sub D) = (1/V(sub T)(cE(sub y)/B(sub z)), where V(sub T) is the thermal velocity of ions prior to their interaction with the current sheet and n(sub b) is the number density outside the current sheet (at the simulation boundary). A third parameter that is relevant to the motion of particles in current sheets is kappa(sub A), the value of kappa = (R(sub min)/rho(sub max))(exp 1/2) for particles of average energy. We find that if either B-normalized (sub z) is close to or greater than 1, or if kappa(sub A) is close to 1, a rotational mode develops in which the z = 0 current rotates with the ion sense about the normal magnetic field, while for small values of both B-normalized (sub z) or kappa(sub A), the configuration is quasi-steady. To achieve values of kappa(sub A) of the order of or larger than 1, we decrease the value of V-normalized (sub D) uniformly. We find that the magnetic field fluctuations and particle distribution functions are similar in many respects to what was observed in the day 240, 1986, Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer (AMPTE)/CCE current disruption event, an event that appears to be located at the site of initiation of current disruption and related particle energization.

Burkhart, G. R.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Higher order cumulants of net baryon-number distributions at non-zero μ

Using recent results on higher order cumulants of conserved charge fluctuations from lattice QCD, we construct mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, hyper-skewness and hyper-kurtosis of net-baryon number distributions for small baryon chemical potentials μ B . For the strangeness neutral case ( μ S = 0) at fixed ratio of electric charge to baryon number density ( n Q n B = 0.4 ), which is appropriate for a comparison with heavy ion collisions, we present results for κ B σ 2 B , S B σ 3 B / M B , κ H B σ 4 B and S H B σ 5 B / M B on the crossover line for the chiral transition, T pc ( μ B ). Furthermore, continuum extrapolations for this pseudo-critical transition line have recently been reported by HotQCD up to baryon chemical potentials μ B ≃ 300 MeV [A. Bazavov, et al., Chiral crossover in QCD at zero and non-zero chemical potentials, Phys. Lett. B 795 (2019) 15–21. arXiv:1812.08235 .]. These cumulant ratios are of direct relevance for comparisons with corresponding ratios measured by STAR in the BES-I and II runs at beam energies s NN ≥ 20 GeV . In particular, we point out that recent high statistics results on skewness and kurtosis of net-baryon number distributions obtained by STAR at s NN = 54.4 GeV put strong constraints on freeze-out parameters and are consistent with predictions from thermal QCD.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1972

Low-frequency macroscopic instabilities of fully ionized magnetoplasma

Studies are described of low-frequency quasi-static instabilities in a fully ionized plasma. The plasma is assumed to be immersed in a uniform magnetic field, and is either uniform or has a number density gradient perpendicular to the magnetic field. A moment equation description of the ion and electron dynamics is used; collisions are assumed to have a strong effect on electron motion along the magnetic field. Before considering specific modes, a stability analysis is developed which allows a classification of wave growth characteristics to be made for a bounded system from solutions to the dispersion relation for an infinite system. Also, a method is given for calculating the normal mode frequencies and wave profiles by using the reflection coefficients at the boundaries. For wave propagation perpendicular to the magnetic field, the flute wave is studied in cylindrical geometry. The destabilizing effect of a radial electric field is considered by solving a differential equation.

Rognlien, T. D.↗