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DOE OSTI2012

CORONAL HEATING BY SURFACE ALFVEN WAVE DAMPING: IMPLEMENTATION IN A GLOBAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS MODEL OF THE SOLAR WIND

The heating and acceleration of the solar wind is an active area of research. Alfven waves, because of their ability to accelerate and heat the plasma, are a likely candidate in both processes. Many models have explored wave dissipation mechanisms which act either in closed or open magnetic field regions. In this work, we emphasize the boundary between these regions, drawing on observations which indicate unique heating is present there. We utilize a new solar corona component of the Space Weather Modeling Framework, in which Alfven wave energy transport is self-consistently coupled to the magnetohydrodynamic equations. In this solar wind model, the wave pressure gradient accelerates and wave dissipation heats the plasma. Kolmogorov-like wave dissipation as expressed by Hollweg along open magnetic field lines was presented in van der Holst et al. Here, we introduce an additional dissipation mechanism: surface Alfven wave (SAW) damping, which occurs in regions with transverse (with respect to the magnetic field) gradients in the local Alfven speed. For solar minimum conditions, we find that SAW dissipation is weak in the polar regions (where Hollweg dissipation is strong), and strong in subpolar latitudes and the boundaries of open and closed magnetic fields (where Hollweg dissipation is weak). We show that SAW damping reproduces regions of enhanced temperature at the boundaries of open and closed magnetic fields seen in tomographic reconstructions in the low corona. Also, we argue that Ulysses data in the heliosphere show enhanced temperatures at the boundaries of fast and slow solar wind, which is reproduced by SAW dissipation. Therefore, the model's temperature distribution shows best agreement with these observations when both dissipation mechanisms are considered. Lastly, we use observational constraints of shock formation in the low corona to assess the Alfven speed profile in the model. We find that, compared to a polytropic solar wind model, the wave-driven model with physical dissipation mechanisms presented in this work is more aligned with an empirical Alfven speed profile. Therefore, a wave-driven model which includes the effects of SAW damping is a better background to simulate coronal-mass-ejection-driven shocks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Theoretical Research at the High Energy Frontier: Cosmology, Neutrinos, and Beyond

The DOE theory group grew from 2009-2012 from a single investigator, Lawrence Krauss, the PI on the grant, to include 3 faculty (with the addition of Maulik Parikh and Tanmay Vachaspati), and a postdoc covered by the grant, as well as partial support for a graduate student. The group has explored issues ranging from gravity and quantum field theory to topological defects, energy conditions in general relativity, primordial magnetic fields, neutrino astrophysics, quantum phases, gravitational waves from the early universe, dark matter detection schemes, signatures for dark matter at the LHC, and indirect astrophysical signatures for dark matter. In addition, we have run active international workshops each year, as well as a regular visitor program. As well, the PI's outreach activities, including popular books and articles, and columns for newspapers and magazines, as well as television and radio appearances have helped raise the profile of high energy physics internationally. The postdocs supported by the grant, James Dent and Roman Buniy have moved on successfully to a faculty positions in Louisiana and California.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Scale selection and feedback loops for patterns in drift wave-zonal flow turbulence

The scale selection and feedback loops for the formation and sustainment of a mesoscopic staircase profile structure are investigated for drift wave-zonal flow turbulence. A mean field model derived from the Hasegawa-Wakatani system and including the evolution of mean density, mean vorticity and perturbed potential enstrophy (PE), is used. Here, it is found that a quasi-periodic zonal staircase forms from self-sharpening of modulation. The principle feedback loop is through the nonlinear dependence of mixing length on electron density gradient, which enters by way of the potential vorticity (PV) gradient. Counterintuitively, E×B shearing is not effective. Moreover, the number of steps in the staircase is sensitive to both the drive (production rate of PE and initial density gradient) and damping (flow viscosity and collisional diffusivity) factors. The minimal step scale is selected by competition between the initial density gradient and diffusive dissipation. Finite turbulence spreading is necessary to form the staircase, but moderate enhancement of turbulence spreading tends to wash out the pattern. The staircase retains a memory of its initial state. Both the mean E×B shear and zonal shear affect the staircase evolution. A strong mean shear quenches the pattern by suppressing the drift wave turbulence. Lastly, the implications of these findings are also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cosmology on a cosmic ring

We derive the modified Friedmann equations for a generalization of the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) model in which the brane has one additional compact dimension. The main new feature is the emission of gravitational waves into the bulk. We study two classes of solutions: first, if the compact dimension is stabilized, the waves vanish and one exactly recovers DGP cosmology. However, a stabilization by means of physical matter is not possible for a tension-dominated brane, thus implying a late time modification of 4D cosmology different from DGP. Second, for a freely expanding compact direction, we find exact attractor solutions with zero 4D Hubble parameter despite the presence of a 4D cosmological constant. The model hence constitutes an explicit example of dynamical degravitation at the full nonlinear level. Without stabilization, however, there is no 4D regime and the model is ruled out observationally, as we demonstrate explicitly by comparing to supernova data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Gravitational waves and stability of cosmological solutions in the theory with anomaly-induced corrections

The dynamics of metric perturbations is explored in the gravity theory with anomaly-induced quantum corrections. Our first purpose is to derive the equation for gravitational waves in this theory on the general homogeneous and isotropic background, and then verify the stability of such background with respect to metric perturbations. The problem under consideration has several interesting applications. Our first purpose is to explore the stability of the classical cosmological solutions in the theory with quantum effects taken into account. There is an interesting literature about stability of Minkowski and de Sitter spaces and here we extend the consideration also to the radiation and matter dominated cosmologies. Furthermore, we analyze the behavior of metric perturbations during inflationary period, in the stable phase of the Modified Starobinsky inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Spin induced multipole moments for the gravitational wave amplitude from binary inspirals to 2.5 Post-Newtonian order

Using the NRGR effective field theory formalism we calculate the remaining source multipole moments necessary to obtain the spin contributions to the gravitational wave amplitude to 2.5 Post-Newtonian (PN) order. We also reproduce the tail contribution to the waveform linear in spin at 2.5PN arising from the nonlinear interaction between the current quadrupole and the mass monopole.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the spontaneous emission of electromagnetic radiation in the CSL model

Spontaneous photon emission in the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is studied one more time. In the CSL model each particle interacts with a noise field that induces the collapse of its wave function. As a consequence of this interaction, when the particle is electrically charged, it radiates. As discussed in Adler (2013) the formula for the emission rate, to first perturbative order, contains two terms: one is proportional to the Fourier component of the noise field at the same frequency as that of the emitted photon and one is proportional to the zero Fourier component of the noise field. As discussed in previous works, this second term seems unphysical. In Adler (2013) it was shown that the unphysical term disappears when the noise is confined to a bounded region and the final particle’s state is a wave packet. Here we investigate the origin of this unphysical term and why it vanishes according to the previous prescription. We will see that perturbation theory is formally not valid in the large time limit since the effect of the noise accumulates continuously in time. Therefore either one performs an exact calculation (or at least in some way includes higher order terms) as we do here, or one finds a way to make a perturbative calculation meaningful, e.g., by confining the system as in Adler (2013). -- Highlights: •We compute the electromagnetic radiation emission in collapse models. •Under only the dipole approximation, the equations of motion are solved exactly. •The electromagnetic interaction must be treated exactly. •In order to obtain the correct emission rate the particle must be bounded.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

A high precision, compact electromechanical ground rotation sensor

We present a mechanical rotation sensor consisting of a balance pivoting on a tungsten carbide knife edge. These sensors are important for precision seismic isolation systems, as employed in land-based gravitational wave interferometers and for the new field of rotational seismology. The position sensor used is an air-core linear variable differential transformer with a demonstrated noise floor of 1 × 10{sup −11}m/√( Hz ). We describe the instrument construction and demonstrate low noise operation with a noise floor upper bound of 5.7 × 10{sup −9} rad /√( Hz ) at 10 mHz and 6.4 × 10{sup −10} rad /√( Hz ) at 0.1 Hz. The performance of the knife edge hinge is compatible with a behaviorur free of noise from dislocation self-organized criticality.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

General formulation for magnetohydrodynamic wave propagation, fire-hose, and mirror instabilities in Harris-type current sheets

Harris-type current sheets with the magnetic field model of B-vector=B{sub x}(z)x-caret+B{sub y}(z)y-caret have many important applications to space, astrophysical, and laboratory plasmas for which the temperature or pressure usually exhibits the gyrotropic form of p{r_reversible}=p{sub Parallel-To }b-caretb-caret+p{sub Up-Tack }(I{r_reversible}-b-caretb-caret). Here, p{sub Parallel-To} and p{sub Up-Tack} are, respectively, to be the pressure component along and perpendicular to the local magnetic field, b-caret=B-vector/B. This study presents the general formulation for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave propagation, fire-hose, and mirror instabilities in general Harris-type current sheets. The wave equations are expressed in terms of the four MHD characteristic speeds of fast, intermediate, slow, and cusp waves, and in the local (k{sub Parallel-To },k{sub Up-Tack },z) coordinates. Here, k{sub Parallel-To} and k{sub Up-Tack} are, respectively, to be the wave vector along and perpendicular to the local magnetic field. The parameter regimes for the existence of discrete and resonant modes are identified, which may become unstable at the local fire-hose and mirror instability thresholds. Numerical solutions for discrete eigenmodes are shown for stable and unstable cases. The results have important implications for the anomalous heating and stability of thin current sheets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modeling of high harmonic fast wave current drive on EAST tokamak

High harmonic fast waves (HHFW) are among the candidates for non-inductive current drive (CD), which is essential for long-pulse or steady-state operation of tokamaks. Current driven with HHFW in EAST tokamak plasmas is numerically studied. The HHFW CD efficiency is found to increase non-monotonically with the wave frequency, and this phenomenon is attributed to the multi-pass absorption of HHFW. The sensitivity of CD efficiency to the value of the parallel refraction index of the launched wave is confirmed. The quasilinear effects, assessed as significant in HHFW current drive with the GENRAY/CQL3D package, cause a significant increase in CD efficiency as RF power is increased, which is very different from helicon current drive. Simulations for a range of toroidal dc electric fields, in combination with a range of fast wave powers, are also presented and indicate that the presence of the DC field can also enhance the CD efficiency.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

37 Years with the light scalar mesons. The learned lessons

Attention is paid to the production mechanisms of light scalars that reveal their nature. We reveal the chiral shielding of the σ(600) meson. We show that the kaon loop mechanism of the ϕ radiative decays, ratified by experiment, is four-quark transition and points to the four-quark nature of light scalars. We show also that the light scalars are produced in the two photon collisions via four-quark transitions in contrast to the classic P wave tensor qq̅ mesons that are produced via two-quark transitions γγ → qq̅. We study the mechanism of production of the light scalar mesons in the D{sup +}{sub s }→ π{sup +}π{sup −} e {sup +}ν decays: D{sup +}{sub s }→ ss̅e {sup +}ν → [σ(600) + f {sub 0}(980)]e {sup +}ν → π{sup +}π{sup −} e {sup +}ν, and compare it with the mechanism of production of the light pseudoscalar mesons in the D{sup +}{sub s }→ (η/η′)e {sup +}ν decays: D{sup +}{sub s }→ ss̅e {sup +}ν → (η/η′)e {sup +}ν. As a result we find support to four-quark nature of light scalars. In the end, we outline the future research program.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Point-like pulse-periodic UV radiation source with a short pulse duration

The radiation of discharge plasma was investigated in the nanosecond breakdown of short interelectrode gaps in a nonuniform electric field. Voltage pulses with an incident wave amplitude of {approx}10 kV, a FWHM duration of {approx}1 ns, and a rise time of {approx}200 ps were used. X-ray radiation from the discharge gap was recorded for an interelectrode gap of 0.5 mm, which confirms the generation of runaway electrons in the discharge formation. In the pulse-periodic air breakdown of a 0.5-mm wide gap at atmospheric pressure, the lines of electrode materials and the continuum were shown to make the main contribution to the plasma emission; the highest radiation intensity fell on the 200 - 300 nm region, which accounted for {approx}40% of the total emission energy.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

High-frequency solitons in media with induced scattering from damped low-frequency waves with nonuniform dispersion and nonlinearity

The dynamics of high-frequency field solitons is considered using the extended nonhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation with induced scattering from damped low-frequency waves (pseudoinduced scattering). This scattering is a 3D analog of the stimulated Raman scattering from temporal spatially homogeneous damped low-frequency modes, which is well known in optics. Spatial inhomogeneities of secondorder linear dispersion and cubic nonlinearity are also taken into account. It is shown that the shift in the 3D spectrum of soliton wavenumbers toward the short-wavelength region is due to nonlinearity increasing in coordinate and to decreasing dispersion. Analytic results are confirmed by numerical calculations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Tailoring terahertz plasmons with silver nanorod arrays

Plasmonic materials that strongly interact with light are ideal candidates for designing subwavelength photonic devices. We report on direct coupling of terahertz waves in metallic nanorods by observing the resonant transmission of surface plasmon polariton waves through lithographically patterned films of silver nanorod (100 nm in diameter) micro-hole arrays. The best enhancement in surface plasmon resonant transmission is obtained when the nanorods are perfectly aligned with the electric field direction of the linearly polarized terahertz wave. This unique polarization-dependent propagation of surface plasmons in structures fabricated from nanorod films offers promising device applications. We conclude that the anisotropy of nanoscale metallic rod arrays imparts a material anisotropy relevant at the microscale that may be utilized for the fabrication of plasmonic and metamaterial based devices for operation at terahertz frequencies.

METAMATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ultimate response time of high electron mobility transistors

We present theoretical studies of the response time of the two-dimensional gated electron gas to femtosecond pulses. Our hydrodynamic simulations show that the device response to a short pulse or a step-function signal is either smooth or oscillating time-decay at low and high mobility, μ, values, respectively. At small gate voltage swings, U{sub 0} = U{sub g} − U{sub th}, where U{sub g} is the gate voltage and U{sub th} is the threshold voltage, such that μU{sub 0}/L < v{sub s}, where L is the channel length and v{sub s} is the effective electron saturation velocity, the decay time in the low mobility samples is on the order of L{sup 2}/(μU{sub 0}), in agreement with the analytical drift model. However, the decay is preceded by a delay time on the order of L/s, where s is the plasma wave velocity. This delay is the ballistic transport signature in collision-dominated devices, which becomes important during very short time periods. In the high mobility devices, the period of the decaying oscillations is on the order of the plasma wave velocity transit time. Our analysis shows that short channel field effect transistors operating in the plasmonic regime can meet the requirements for applications as terahertz detectors, mixers, delay lines, and phase shifters in ultra high-speed wireless communication circuits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Non-thermal electron acceleration in low Mach number collisionless shocks. II. Firehose-mediated Fermi acceleration and its dependence on pre-shock conditions

Electron acceleration to non-thermal energies is known to occur in low Mach number (M{sub s} ≲ 5) shocks in galaxy clusters and solar flares, but the electron acceleration mechanism remains poorly understood. Using two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) plasma simulations, we showed in Paper I that electrons are efficiently accelerated in low Mach number (M{sub s} = 3) quasi-perpendicular shocks via a Fermi-like process. The electrons bounce between the upstream region and the shock front, with each reflection at the shock resulting in energy gain via shock drift acceleration. The upstream scattering is provided by oblique magnetic waves that are self-generated by the electrons escaping ahead of the shock. In the present work, we employ additional 2D PIC simulations to address the nature of the upstream oblique waves. We find that the waves are generated by the shock-reflected electrons via the firehose instability, which is driven by an anisotropy in the electron velocity distribution. We systematically explore how the efficiency of wave generation and of electron acceleration depend on the magnetic field obliquity, the flow magnetization (or equivalently, the plasma beta), and the upstream electron temperature. We find that the mechanism works for shocks with high plasma beta (≳ 20) at nearly all magnetic field obliquities, and for electron temperatures in the range relevant for galaxy clusters. Our findings offer a natural solution to the conflict between the bright radio synchrotron emission observed from the outskirts of galaxy clusters and the low electron acceleration efficiency usually expected in low Mach number shocks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

EMIC waves and associated relativistic electron precipitation on 25-26 January 2013

Using measurements from the Van Allen Probes and the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL), we perform a case study of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and associated relativistic electron precipitation (REP) observed on 25–26 January 2013. Among all the EMIC wave and REP events from the two missions, the pair of the events is the closest both in space and time. The Van Allen Probe-B detected significant EMIC waves at L = 2.1–3.9 and magnetic local time (MLT) = 21.0–23.4 for 53.5 min from 2353:00 UT, 25 January 2013. Meanwhile, BARREL-1T observed clear precipitation of relativistic electrons at L = 4.2–4.3 and MLT = 20.7–20.8 for 10.0 min from 2358 UT, 25 January 2013. Local plasma and field conditions for the excitation of the EMIC waves, wave properties, electron minimum resonant energy E min , and electron pitch angle diffusion coefficient D αα of a sample EMIC wave packet are examined along with solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field parameters, geomagnetic activity, and results from the spectral analysis of the BARREL balloon observations to investigate the two types of events. The events occurred in the early main phase of a moderate storm (min. Dst* = -51.0 nT). The EMIC wave event consists of two parts. Finally, unlike the first part, the second part of the EMIC wave event was locally generated and still in its source region. It is found that the REP event is likely associated with the EMIC wave event.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Stimulated Raman back scattering of extraordinary electromagnetic waves from periodically magnetized nanoparticle lattice

Stimulated Raman back scattering of extraordinary electromagnetic waves from the nanoparticle lattice is investigated in the presence of the static magnetic field. In the context of macroscopic theory, dispersion relation and growth rate of extraordinary mode for different values of static magnetic field and lattice parameters are derived and analyzed. It is found that when the static magnetic field is off, dispersion relation has two branches. These branches are related to the plasmonic and body wave branches of the plane polarized wave. Low frequency branch of the pump wave is not involved in the instability while the other branch is not stable, and the growth rate of Raman back scattered wave has one peak. If the electrons have cyclotron frequency by static magnetic field, dispersion has three branches. These branches are related to the plasmonic and body wave branches of left and right hand circularly polarized waves. In this situation, it is found that low frequency lower branch of the pump wave is stable while other branches are not stable, and the growth rate of Raman back scattered wave has three peaks. Numerical study of growth rate in various cyclotron frequencies shows that the growth rate increases and the instability band width decreases with increasing static magnetic field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗