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At least 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Simulation of current-filament dynamics and relaxation in the Pegasus Spherical Tokamak

Nonlinear numerical computation is used to investigate the relaxation of non-axisymmetric current-channels from washer-gun plasma sources into 'tokamak-like' plasmas in the Pegasus toroidal experiment [Eidietis et al. J. Fusion Energy 26, 43 (2007)]. Resistive MHD simulations with the NIMROD code [Sovinec et al. Phys. Plasmas 10(5), 1727-1732 (2003)] utilize ohmic heating, temperature-dependent resistivity, and anisotropic, temperature-dependent thermal conduction corrected for regions of low magnetization to reproduce critical transport effects. Adjacent passes of the simulated current-channel attract and generate strong reversed current sheets that suggest magnetic reconnection. With sufficient injected current, adjacent passes merge periodically, releasing axisymmetric current rings from the driven channel. The current rings have not been previously observed in helicity injection for spherical tokamaks, and as such, provide a new phenomenological understanding for filament relaxation in Pegasus. After large-scale poloidal-field reversal, a hollow current profile and significant poloidal flux amplification accumulate over many reconnection cycles.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

A real two-phase submarine debris flow and tsunami

The general two-phase debris flow model proposed by Pudasaini is employed to study subaerial and submarine debris flows, and the tsunami generated by the debris impact at lakes and oceans. The model, which includes three fundamentally new and dominant physical aspects such as enhanced viscous stress, virtual mass, and generalized drag (in addition to buoyancy), constitutes the most generalized two-phase flow model to date. The advantage of this two-phase debris flow model over classical single-phase, or quasi-two-phase models, is that the initial mass can be divided into several parts by appropriately considering the solid volume fraction. These parts include a dry (landslide or rock slide), a fluid (water or muddy water; e.g., dams, rivers), and a general debris mixture material as needed in real flow simulations. This innovative formulation provides an opportunity, within a single framework, to simultaneously simulate the sliding debris (or landslide), the water lake or ocean, the debris impact at the lake or ocean, the tsunami generation and propagation, the mixing and separation between the solid and fluid phases, and the sediment transport and deposition process in the bathymetric surface. Applications of this model include (a) sediment transport on hill slopes, river streams, hydraulic channels (e.g., hydropower dams and plants); lakes, fjords, coastal lines, and aquatic ecology; and (b) submarine debris impact and the rupture of fiber optic, submarine cables and pipelines along the ocean floor, and damage to offshore drilling platforms. Numerical simulations reveal that the dynamics of debris impact induced tsunamis in mountain lakes or oceans are fundamentally different than the tsunami generated by pure rock avalanches and landslides. The analysis includes the generation, amplification and propagation of super tsunami waves and run-ups along coastlines, debris slide and deposition at the bottom floor, and debris shock waves. It is observed that the submarine debris speed can be faster than the tsunami speed. This information can be useful for early warning strategies in the coastal regions. These findings substantially increase our understanding of complex multi-phase systems and multi-physics and flows, and allows for the proper modeling of landslide and debris induced tsunami, the dynamics of turbidity currents and sediment transport, and the associated applications to hazard mitigation, geomorphology and sedimentology.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Super-radiant backward-wave oscillators with enhanced power conversion

We propose a method for a very significant increase of the peak power of a backward-wave electron oscillator operating in the non-stationary regime of the super-radiation of short rf pulses. This method is based on sectioning: a regular self-oscillator section is supported with a section providing amplification of the super-radiant pulse. Profiling of a resonant parameter in the amplifying section is used to avoid the parasitic self-excitation and to increase the efficiency of the electron-wave interaction. In such systems, the conversion factor (the ratio between the rf pulse power and the electron beam power) can achieve a few hundred percent.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Magnetic instability in a dilute circular rarefaction wave

The growth of magnetic fields in the density gradient of a rarefaction wave has been observed in simulations and in laboratory experiments. The thermal anisotropy of the electrons, which gives rise to the magnetic instability, is maintained by the ambipolar electric field. This simple mechanism could be important for the magnetic field amplification in astrophysical jets or in the interstellar medium ahead of supernova remnant shocks. The acceleration of protons and the generation of a magnetic field by the rarefaction wave, which is fed by an expanding circular plasma cloud, is examined here in form of a 2D particle-in-cell simulation. The core of the plasma cloud is modeled by immobile charges, and the mobile protons form a small ring close to the cloud's surface. The number density of mobile protons is thus less than that of the electrons. The protons of the rarefaction wave are accelerated to 1/10 of the electron thermal speed, and the acceleration results in a thermal anisotropy of the electron distribution in the entire plasma cloud. The instability in the rarefaction wave is outrun by a TM wave, which grows in the dense core distribution, and its magnetic field expands into the rarefaction wave. This expansion drives a secondary TE wave.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Shock waves in a Z-pinch and the formation of high energy density plasma

A Z-pinch liner, imploding onto a target plasma, evolves in a step-wise manner, producing a stable, magneto-inertial, high-energy-density plasma compression. The typical configuration is a cylindrical, high-atomic-number liner imploding onto a low-atomic-number target. The parameters for a terawatt-class machine (e.g., Zebra at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Terawatt Facility) have been simulated. The 2-1/2 D MHD code, MACH2, was used to study this configuration. The requirements are for an initial radius of a few mm for stable implosion; the material densities properly distributed, so that the target is effectively heated initially by shock heating and finally by adiabatic compression; and the liner's thickness adjusted to promote radial current transport and subsequent current amplification in the target. Since the shock velocity is smaller in the liner, than in the target, a stable-shock forms at the interface, allowing the central load to accelerate magnetically and inertially, producing a magneto-inertial implosion and high-energy density plasma. Comparing the implosion dynamics of a low-Z target with those of a high-Z target demonstrates the role of shock waves in terms of compression and heating. In the case of a high-Z target, the shock wave does not play a significant heating role. The shock waves carry current and transport the magnetic field, producing a high density on-axis, at relatively low temperature. Whereas, in the case of a low-Z target, the fast moving shock wave preheats the target during the initial implosion phase, and the later adiabatic compression further heats the target to very high energy density. As a result, the compression ratio required for heating the low-Z plasma to very high energy densities is greatly reduced.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Implementation of focal zooming on the Nike KrF laser

In direct drive inertial confinement laser fusion, a pellet containing D-T fuel is imploded by ablation arising from absorption of laser energy at its outer surface. For optimal coupling, the focal spot of the laser would continuously decrease to match the reduction in the pellet's diameter, thereby minimizing wasted energy. A krypton-fluoride laser ({lambda}= 248 nm) that incorporates beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence has the ability to produce a high quality focal profile whose diameter varies with time, a property known as focal zooming. A two-stage focal zoom has been demonstrated on the Nike laser at the Naval Research Laboratory. In the experiment, a 4.4 ns laser pulse was created in which the on-target focal spot diameter was 1.3 mm (full width at half maximum) for the first 2.4 ns and 0.28 mm for the final 2 ns. These two diameters appear in time-integrated focal plane equivalent images taken at several locations in the amplification chain. Eight of the zoomed output beams were overlapped on a 60 {mu}m thick planar polystyrene target. Time resolved images of self-emission from the rear of the target show the separate shocks launched by the two corresponding laser focal diameters.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of a cold-neutron imaging detector based on thick gaseous electron multiplier

We present the results of our recent studies on a cold-neutron imaging detector prototype based on THick Gaseous Electron Multiplier (THGEM). The detector consists of a thin Boron layer, for neutron-to-charged particle conversion, coupled to two THGEM electrodes in cascade for charge amplification and a position-sensitive charge-readout anode. The detector operates in Ne/(5%)CF{sub 4}, at atmospheric pressure, in a stable condition at a gain of around 10{sup 4}. Due to the geometrical structure of the detector elements (THGEM geometry and charge read-out anode), the image of detector active area shows a large inhomogeneity, corrected using a dedicated flat-filed correction algorithm. The prototype provides a detection efficiency of 5% and an effective spatial resolution of the order of 1.3 mm.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Multi-soliton propagation in a generalized inhomogeneous nonlinear Schroedinger-Maxwell-Bloch system with loss/gain driven by an external potential

In this paper, we introduce a system of the nonlinear Schroedinger-Maxwell-Bloch equation with variable coefficients which represents the propagation of optical pulses in an inhomogeneous erbium doped fiber with loss/gain driven by an external potential. The one and two soliton solutions in explicit forms are generated by using the Darboux transformation and the associated Lax pair. We consider the distributed amplification system, and some main features of the solutions are demonstrated graphically. We also consider the concept of soliton propagation in a dispersion managed erbium doped fiber and through symbolic computation, we have carried out our study from an analytic viewpoint.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

The mitigating effect of magnetic fields on Rayleigh-Taylor unstable inertial confinement fusion plasmas

Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities at interfaces of disparate mass densities have long been known to generate magnetic fields during inertial confinement fusion implosions. An externally applied magnetic field can also be efficiently amplified by RT instabilities. The focus here is on magnetic field generation and amplification at the gas-ice interface which is RT unstable during the deceleration phase of the implosion. RT instabilities lead to undesirable mix of hot and cold plasmas which enhances thermal energy loss and tends to produce a more massive warm-spot instead of a hot-spot. Two mechanisms are shown here to mitigate the thermal energy loss from the hot-spot. The first mechanism is the reduction of electron thermal conductivity with interface-aligned magnetic fields. This can occur through self-generated magnetic fields via the Biermann battery effect as well as through externally applied magnetic fields that undergo an exponential growth via the stretch-and-fold magnetohydrodynamic dynamo. Self-generated magnetic fields during RT evolution can result in a factor of 2−10 decrease in the electron thermal conductivity at the gas-ice interface, while externally applied magnetic fields that are compressed to 6–1000 T at the onset of deceleration (corresponding to pre-implosion external fields of 0.06–10 T) could result in a factor of 2–500 reduction in electron thermal conductivity at the gas-ice interface. The second mechanism to mitigate thermal energy loss from the hot-spot is to decrease the interface mixing area between the hot and cold plasmas. This is achieved through large external magnetic fields of 1000 T at the onset of deceleration which damp short-wavelength RT modes and long-wavelength Kelvin-Helmholtz modes thus significantly slowing the RT growth and reducing mix.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Performance of a hybrid pyroelectric LiNbO{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} nanotubes X-ray source

Effects of crystal length and temperature on performance and degradation properties of LiNbO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} pyroelectric/nanotube X-ray source were studied. Such hybrid LiNbO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} X-ray source was fabricated by bonding electrochemically grown TiO{sub 2} nanotubes on −z face of pyroelectric LiNbO{sub 3} crystal. In particular, it was found that maximum accelerated electron energy increased with height for both pure and hybrid LiNbO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} system for both heating and cooling cycles. For example, for 2 cm long hybrid structure the resulting maximum energy during heating cycle was 97 keV as compared to 74 keV for 1 cm long structure. The maximum energy for the pure sample without nanotubes increased from 45 keV to 66 keV. Increased endpoint energy of nanotube based X-ray source is attributed to electric field amplification on nanotube tips increasing the efficiency of residual gas ionization, leading to improved charge carrier transmission efficiency. The degradation properties were studied by performing multiple thermal cycles and results revealed that cluster nanotips erode over time. After 20 cycles they become flat as was evidenced from scanning electron microscope analysis.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Validation of single-fluid and two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic models of the helicity injected torus spheromak experiment with the NIMROD code

We present a comparison study of 3-D pressureless resistive MHD (rMHD) and 3-D presureless two-fluid MHD models of the Helicity Injected Torus with Steady Inductive helicity injection (HIT-SI). HIT-SI is a current drive experiment that uses two geometrically asymmetric helicity injectors to generate and sustain toroidal plasmas. The comparable size of the collisionless ion skin depth d{sub i} to the resistive skin depth predicates the importance of the Hall term for HIT-SI. The simulations are run with NIMROD, an initial-value, 3-D extended MHD code. The modeled plasma density and temperature are assumed uniform and constant. The helicity injectors are modeled as oscillating normal magnetic and parallel electric field boundary conditions. The simulations use parameters that closely match those of the experiment. The simulation output is compared to the formation time, plasma current, and internal and surface magnetic fields. Results of the study indicate 2fl-MHD shows quantitative agreement with the experiment while rMHD only captures the qualitative features. The validity of each model is assessed based on how accurately it reproduces the global quantities as well as the temporal and spatial dependence of the measured magnetic fields. 2fl-MHD produces the current amplification (I{sub tor}/I{sub inj}) and formation time τ{sub f} demonstrated by HIT-SI with similar internal magnetic fields. rMHD underestimates (I{sub tor}/I{sub inj}) and exhibits much a longer τ{sub f}. Biorthogonal decomposition (BD), a powerful mathematical tool for reducing large data sets, is employed to quantify how well the simulations reproduce the measured surface magnetic fields without resorting to a probe-by-probe comparison. BD shows that 2fl-MHD captures the dominant surface magnetic structures and the temporal behavior of these features better than rMHD.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effects of unresolved satellite lines on lasing of extreme ultraviolet light with nitrogen plasma in a recombining phase

Satellite lines with a high-lying spectator electron give unresolved spectral feature with respect to a parent resonance line. In our previous study [T. Ozawa et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 063302 (2012)], population inversion between 3l and 2l of hydrogenlike nitrogen in a recombining phase was quantitatively estimated and the dielectronic-capture ladderlike processes, which implicitly include such doubly excited states as nln′l′ (n=2−4,n′≫n), were found to be indispensable in the estimation of a gain. In this study, the population densities of the doubly excited states are explicitly calculated by a time-dependent collisional-radiative model with desired plasma conditions for the lasing of nitrogen Balmer-α, which is a parent resonance line of unresolved satellite lines 3ln′l′→2ln′l′. The stimulated emission of the unresolved satellite lines caused by Balmer-α is found to reduce the population inversion between 3l and 2l, leading to essential saturation of the amplification of Balmer-α laser light.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Microsecond ramp compression of a metallic liner driven by a 5 MA current on the SPHINX machine using a dynamic load current multiplier pulse shaping

SPHINX is a 6 MA, 1-μs Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) operated by the CEA Gramat (France) and primarily used for imploding Z-pinch loads for radiation effects studies. Among the options that are currently being evaluated to improve the generator performances are an upgrade to a 20 MA, 1-μs LTD machine and various power amplification schemes, including a compact Dynamic Load Current Multiplier (DLCM). A method for performing magnetic ramp compression experiments, without modifying the generator operation scheme, was developed using the DLCM to shape the initial current pulse in order to obtain the desired load current profile. In this paper, we discuss the overall configuration that was selected for these experiments, including the choice of a coaxial cylindrical geometry for the load and its return current electrode. We present both 3-D Magneto-hydrodynamic and 1D Lagrangian hydrodynamic simulations which helped guide the design of the experimental configuration. Initial results obtained over a set of experiments on an aluminium cylindrical liner, ramp-compressed to a peak pressure of 23 GPa, are presented and analyzed. Details of the electrical and laser Doppler interferometer setups used to monitor and diagnose the ramp compression experiments are provided. In particular, the configuration used to field both homodyne and heterodyne velocimetry diagnostics in the reduced access available within the liner's interior is described. Current profiles measured at various critical locations across the system, particularly the load current, enabled a comprehensive tracking of the current circulation and demonstrate adequate pulse shaping by the DLCM. The liner inner free surface velocity measurements obtained from the heterodyne velocimeter agree with the hydrocode results obtained using the measured load current as the input. An extensive hydrodynamic analysis is carried out to examine information such as pressure and particle velocity history profiles or magnetic diffusion across the liner. The potential of the technique in terms of applications and achievable ramp pressure levels lies in the prospects for improving the DLCM efficiency through the use of a closing switch (currently under development), reducing the load dimensions and optimizing the diagnostics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Large spin accumulation near a resistive interface due to spin-charge coupling

We experimentally and theoretically investigate large spin signals in special nonlocal spin valves, where a vacuum break-junction is formed between the ferromagnetic spin detector and the nonmagnetic channel. The spin signals are clearly nonlocal and can be either non-inverted (meaning high nonlocal resistance for parallel states and low resistance for antiparallel states) or inverted. The magnitudes are significantly larger than those of standard metallic nonlocal devices with similar dimensions. The magnitudes and the signs can be understood by a theory of spin-charge coupling. The coupling between spin accumulation and charge accumulation across a resistive break junction leads to a large interfacial spin accumulation and thereby large spin signals. By analyzing the profiles of electrochemical potentials near the interface, we show that the sign of the spin signal depends on the values of spin-dependent conductivities, diffusion constants, and densities of states. The magnitude of the spin accumulation in the ferromagnetic spin detector can be higher than that in the nonmagnetic channel, enabling a rare amplification effect for spin accumulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Resonance enhancement of electron-phonon interaction in nanostructures

The theory of electron-phonon interaction in quantum well is developed taking into account the influence of interface optical phonons. A detailed analysis of the dependence of polaron effective mass on the quantum well size and dielectric characteristics of barrier material is performed. It is shown that quasi-two-dimensional polaron may arise in narrow quantum wells. However, the interaction parameters are determined by effective mass of carriers in the quantum well and interface optical phonons frequencies. If the barriers are made of non-polar material, the polaron effective mass depends on the quantum well width. By increasing the quantum well width, a new mechanism of amplification of the electron-phonon interaction is realized. It occurs in the case of coincidence of the optical phonon energy with the energy of one of the electronic transitions. This leads to a nonmonotonic dependence of polaron effective mass on the quantum well width.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

A bootstrapped, low-noise, and high-gain photodetector for shot noise measurement

We presented a low-noise, high-gain photodetector based on the bootstrap structure and the L-C (inductance and capacitance) combination. Electronic characteristics of the photodetector, including electronic noise, gain and frequency response, and dynamic range, were verified through a single-frequency Nd:YVO{sub 4} laser at 1064 nm with coherent output. The measured shot noise of 50 μW laser was 13 dB above the electronic noise at the analysis frequency of 2 MHz, and 10 dB at 3 MHz. And a maximum clearance of 28 dB at 2 MHz was achieved when 1.52 mW laser was illuminated. In addition, the photodetector showed excellent linearities for both DC and AC amplifications in the laser power range between 12.5 μW and 1.52 mW.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Irreversible modification of magnetic properties of Pt/Co/Pt ultrathin films by femtosecond laser pulses

Annealing ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt films with single femtosecond laser pulses leads to irreversible spin-reorientation transitions and an amplification of the magneto-optical Kerr rotation. The effect was studied as a function of the Co thickness and the pulse fluence, revealing two-dimensional diagrams of magnetic properties. While increasing the fluence, the creation of two branches of the out-of-plane magnetization state was found.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ionization dynamics and radiative behavior of a betatron driven gold atom

The study of inner-shell transitions induced by an intense (>10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}) ultrashort (∼5 fs) x-ray pulse provides a challenging opportunity to investigate the behavior and dynamics of hollow atoms and to explore the feasibility of creating population inversions in some of the inner-shell states that may lead to a variety of amplifications and gains in the x-ray regime. In this paper, we investigate the interaction through inner-shell photoionizations of a spectrally broad femtosecond pulse of betatron x-ray radiation incident on a gold atom. The level populations of Pt-like Au and Ir-like Au are described by non-(local thermodynamic equilibrium) inner-shell dynamics and compared and contrasted with the level populations created by a 'single' frequency x-ray laser pulse. Gain coefficients for a variety of transitions are calculated. It is found that long wavelength x-rays must be filtered from the betatron spectrum before any population inversions can be generated.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗