Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “CROSSED FIELD”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Limiting current in a collisional crossed-field gap

Crossed-field devices are often used in pulsed power and high-power microwave applications. Previous studies derived closed-form solutions for the limiting current of a vacuum crossed-field system, corresponding to the maximum permissible current for laminar flow, below and above the Hull cutoff B H for magnetic insulation. We extend these studies by introducing collision frequency into the electron force law as a friction term to derive the limiting current in a collisional crossed-field gap. The resulting solution recovers the vacuum crossed-field case in the limit of no collisions and the collisional space-charge limited current with general initial velocity for magnetic field B → 0. In the limit of infinite collisions, we obtain a crossed-field equivalent to the Mott–Gurney law for the maximum current permissible in a collisional, nonmagnetic diode. When the collision frequency ν is less than the electron cyclotron frequency Ω, increasing initial velocity makes the critical current nonmonotonic with increasing ν with the critical current higher at B = B H for ν = Ω. As for a misaligned crossed-field gap where a component of the magnetic field was introduced parallel to the electric field across the gap, magnetic insulation is eliminated and the discontinuity at B = B H for limiting current observed in a vacuum crossed-field gap vanishes. As B → ∞, the limiting current approaches a constant that depends on the initial velocity and the collision frequency.

Breen, Lorin I.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Conceptual design of a Doppler spectrometer for 102 m/s cross-field flows in tokamak divertors

The cross-field transport in the scrape-off-layers (SOLs) and divertors in tokamaks is of a similar size to the poloidal component of the parallel flow, thereby significantly impacting the plasma transport there. However, its direct observation has been challenging because the drift velocity (102–103 m/s) is significantly below the detection limit of conventional diagnostics. To realize cross-field ion flow measurement, a variety of systematic uncertainties in the system must be narrowed down. Here, we develop a conceptual design of the Doppler spectrometry that enables us to measure the impurity flows with 102-m/s accuracy based on an in situ wavelength-calibration technique developed in the astrophysics field, the iodine-cell method. We discuss its properties and applicability. In particular, the scaling relation between wavelength accuracy and various spectroscopic parameters is newly presented, which suggests the high importance of the wavelength resolution of the system. Based on transport simulations for the JT-60SA divertor, the feasibility of the system is assessed.

Fujii, Keisuke↗
DOE OSTI2026

Theoretical assessment of the transition between electron emission mechanisms in a collisional crossed-field gap

Understanding the transition to the limiting current under vacuum and collisional conditions for thermal-field emission in a crossed-field gap is critical for characterizing the operating regime for numerous applications, such as high-power microwaves and Hall thrusters. By deriving the exact solution for the current density as a function of cathode temperature (and, by extension, initial velocity), cathode electric field, applied voltage, collision frequency, and magnetic field, we determine the transition from the canonical current source (thermal-field emission) to the vacuum and collisional limiting currents under different operating conditions. Here, we further show that the exact solution recovers the asymptotic solutions for the canonical and limiting currents for vacuum and collisional crossed-field gaps under appropriate limits. The exact solution demonstrates that the critical current decreases with both increasing magnetic field strength and increasing collisionality. Nexus phase space plots constructed by matching the individual asymptotic solutions provide the conditions for the transitions between mechanisms, elucidating when a single mechanistic equation would suffice and when theories combining multiple mechanisms are necessary.

Breen, Lorin I. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Curious cross-field transport effects in multi-ion, magnetized plasma

In contrast to single-ion plasma, multiple-ion-species plasma exhibits new, curious, and large transport effects. On short timescales, where ions exchange momentum, magnetized multi-ion plasma behaves as a most unusual substance, compressible across field lines in number density but incompressible in charge density. It takes 40 times longer for electrons to participate. In this ion–ion cross-field transport regime, we identified the charge-incompressibility heat pump effect, transferring heat both spatially and between species. Curiously, the direction of impurity transport strongly depends on plasma magnetization, characterized by the ratio of light ion gyrofrequency to the collision frequency between light and heavy ion species. The expulsion of heavy ion impurities from a hotspot occurs sufficiently quickly to be observable on MagLIF, so long as plasma becomes sufficiently collisionally magnetized under implosion. Even more curious, multi-ion transport changes its nature in partially ionized plasma, where ions occupy different charge states. In this regime, we identify a partial-ionization deconfinement effect. The combination of cross-field transport, ionization, and recombination leads to a net ion charge moving across magnetic field lines on the ion–ion transport timescale as opposed to the electron–ion transport timescale. Cross-field transport effects in multi-ion plasma are important in a number of applications, including nuclear fusion and plasma mass filters.

Mlodik, M. E. (ORCID:0000000343003941)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Post-puff SOL broadening on MAST-U under high-recycling conditions: evidence consistent with cross-field transport changes

Transient broadening of the scrape-off layer (SOL) density profile can modify main-chamber first-wall particle fluxes and divertor loading, yet its control parameters remain debated between divertor-regime transitions, neutral dynamics and changes in cross-field transport. We investigate fueling-driven SOL density-profile evolution and post-fueling relaxation on MAST-Upgrade (MAST-U) in ohmic L-mode, using two otherwise similar double-null Conventional Divertor discharges (I p = 450 kA, B T = 0.33 T) with identical 50 ms low-field side gas puffs; the only intentional difference is the puff start time. Upstream Thomson scattering shows that both discharges develop a transient far-SOL density profile modification, expressed as an increased SOL-width metric λ n e and a far-SOL enhancement consistent with a shoulder-like signature. In the earlier-puff case, the SOL-width metric remains elevated after puff termination and the post-puff decay time scales are systematically longer across the analysed radii. Outer-target Langmuir probes indicate high-recycling conditions during the analysed window (few-eV T e with radially peaked j sat,∥ and q ∥ profiles, without signatures of deep detachment). The outer-divertor collisionality proxy Λ div is elevated in both cases and does not discriminate between the different post-puff persistence. The target-integrated ion flux proxy ∫ J sat dA evolves nearly identically in both discharges when aligned to the puff start. Taken together, these observations suggest that the late/post-puff upstream SOL evolution is not set by parallel exhaust to the outer targetalone and is more consistent with upstream cross-field redistribution, with a possible role for plasma–neutral coupling and fueling geometry.

MAST-U↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Orbitron: A crossed-field device for co-confinement of high energy ions and electrons

To explore the confinement of high-energy ions above the space charge limit, we have developed a hybrid magnetic and electrostatic confinement device called an Orbitron. The Orbitron is a crossed-field device combining aspects of magnetic mirrors, magnetrons, and orbital ion traps. Ions are confined in orbits around a high-voltage cathode with co-rotating electrons confined by a relatively weak magnetic field. Experimental and computational investigations focus on reaching ion densities above the space charge limit through the co-confinement of electrons. The experimental apparatus and suite of diagnostics are being developed to measure the critical parameters, such as plasma density, particle energy, and fusion rate for high-energy, non-thermal plasma conditions in the Orbitron. Initial results from experimental and computational efforts have revealed the need for cathode voltages on the order of 100–300 kV, leading to the development of a custom high voltage, ultra-high vacuum bushing rated for 300 kV.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2026

Stability and Characteristics of Lower-hybrid Drift Waves: Dependence on Electron Beta and Cross-field Relative Drift

Lower-hybrid drift waves (LHDWs) are frequently observed microinstabilities in both space and laboratory plasmas. Despite decades of study, the relationship between electrostatic (ES-LHDW) and electromagnetic (EM-LHDW) variants and the plasma parameters controlling their stability remains unclear. Here, we systematically examine LHDW behavior by solving the local linear dispersion relation over a wide range of plasma and field conditions. Our results demonstrate that ES-LHDWs and EM-LHDWs are not distinct modes but rather two different regimes of the same drift wave whose character evolves smoothly with electron beta (β e ) and the cross-field electron drift velocity relative to ions, normalized to the ion sound speed (u 0x /C s ). The nature of the waves changes from electrostatic to electromagnetic when β e increases. Growth rates increase with u 0x /C s but decrease with β e , while the most unstable wavelength remains nearly universal, with kρ e ∼ 0.8 (k is the magnitude of the wave vector and ρ e is the electron gyroradius). We further present quasi-linear estimates of nonlinear saturation properties, including energy partition among electric fields, magnetic fields, and particle kinetic responses. We show that ES-LHDWs reach higher electric-field saturation amplitudes, whereas EM-LHDWs generate strong magnetic perturbations and parallel electric fields that may enable efficient particle heating. Comparisons with the classical model reveal that retaining electromagnetic effects is essential for accurate predictions of frequency, growth rate, and the propagation angle. These findings provide a unified framework for understanding LHDWs across diverse collisionless plasma environments, including current sheets of magnetic reconnection, shear layers, collisionless shocks, and boundary regions.

Solar coronal waves↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of SPARC divertor conditions in H-mode operation using SOLPS-ITER

The predicted divertor conditions for the SPARC tokamak are calculated using SOLPS-ITER for a range of scrape-off-layer (SOL) heat flux widths λ q , input powers, and particle fueling locations. Under H-mode scenario conditions with an upstream separatrix density of 1 x 10 20 m -3 , the most conservative range of λ q extrapolations ( 0.15 mm) results in extremely high unmitigated particle and energy fluxes to the divertor, both under full field (12.2 T) and power (P SOL = 29 MW) conditions, and 2/3 field with P SOL = 10 MW. Increasing the cross-field SOL diffusivities by 2–10× reduces the magnitude of the mitigation challenge, however strategies such as impurity seeding or strike-point-sweeping will likely still be required. A combination of steady-state and time-dependent SOLPS-ITER simulations are used to map out phase space diagrams of upstream and divertor conditions. The simulations include parallel currents but neglect cross-field drifts. At low upstream density the inner and outer divertor conditions are highly asymmetric, with a large temperature difference and significant heat fluxes driven by parallel currents. The solution has sharp bifurcations with a region of hysteresis, depending on whether the initial state is at a low or high density. This behavior is observed even when the fueling location, cross-field diffusivity, and impurity level is changed, although the density window with asymmetry is reduced with increasing diffusivity. The addition of neon impurity seeding reduces the divertor heat fluxes, but also causes a drop in the upstream electron density with fixed particle throughput. This drop can be counteracted by increased main ion throughput, however too much neon results in a back transition into the asymmetric divertor regimes suggesting a need for control of both main ion and impurity seeding levels to achieve a desired divertor state.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Turbulence and transport in mirror geometries in the Large Plasma Device

Thanks to advances in plasma science and enabling technology, mirror machines are being reconsidered for fusion power plants and as possible fusion volumetric neutron sources. However, cross-field transport and turbulence in mirrors remains relatively understudied compared with toroidal devices. Turbulence and transport in mirror configurations were studied utilizing the flexible magnetic geometry of the Large Plasma Device (LAPD). Multiple mirror ratios from $M=1$ to $M=2.68$ and three mirror-cell lengths from $L=3.51$ to $L=10.86$ m were examined. Langmuir and magnetic probes were used to measure profiles of density, temperature, potential and magnetic field. The electric field-fluctuation-driven ${\tilde {\boldsymbol{E}}} \times {\boldsymbol{B}}$ particle flux, where $\boldsymbol{B}$ is the background field, was calculated from these quantities. Two probe correlation techniques were used to infer wavenumbers and two-dimensional structure. Cross-field particle flux and density fluctuation power decreased with increased mirror ratio. Core density and temperatures remain similar with mirror ratio, but radial line-integrated density increased. The physical expansion of the plasma in the mirror cell by using a higher field in the source region may have led to reduced density fluctuation power through the increased gradient scale length. This increased scale length reduced the growth rate and saturation level of rotational interchange and drift-like instabilities. Despite the introduction of magnetic curvature, no evidence of mirror-driven instabilities – interchange, velocity space or otherwise – were observed. For curvature-induced interchange, many possible stabilization mechanisms were present, suppressing the visibility of the instability.

Travis, Phil (ORCID:0000000343170432)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Variations in lithium vapor cave performance predictions due to radial transport and recycling assumptions

The lithium vapor cave is a detached divertor design that uses a single private flux region baffle to contain a dense cloud of lithium vapor to dissipate heat flux. Plasma flows are created via fuel gas puffing in order to minimize lithium contamination of the main plasma. Significant modeling using the 2D edge code SOLPS-ITER has already been performed, predicting that sufficient target heat flux reductions (q$^{max}_{Target}$ MW m −2 ) with ( $n$ Li /$n$ e ) LCFS < 0.05 is possible in a case with 90 MW m −2 unmitigated heat flux in NSTX-U. Low heat flux and low upstream concentration was found with a variety of combinations of divertor geometries, target recycling coefficients, upstream plasma parameters, lithium evaporation locations and deuterium fueling locations, with variations in performance found for each design choice. However, the most universal uncertainty of SOLPS-ITER simulations has until now remained unaddressed systematically, namely the cross-field anomalous particle and heat diffusivities. This article aims to bound the uncertainty in lithium concentration prediction as a result of the assumed deuterium cross-field transport and recycling. For the simulations presented here, a factor of 2.1 increase in the upstream lithium density prediction across a factor of four decrease to the assumed deuterium radial particle diffusivity is found. This result is compared across different assumed deuterium recycling coefficients, known to reduce with lithium injection. Upstream lithium density is found to vary by a factor of 2.4 across a feasible range of recycling coefficients at similar $n$$^{OMP,sep}_{e}$.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Divertor characterization and access to dissipative divertor conditions in negative triangularity discharges in DIII-D

Reduced radial transport, short midplane-to-target parallel connection lengths, and a strong effect of cross-field drifts were responsible for the high densities required for detachment in strong negative triangularity (NT) configurations in DIII-D. Dissipative divertor conditions were achieved in NT discharges at different triangularity, injected power, plasma current, and toroidal field direction. Differences between negative and positive triangularity (PT) discharges are analyzed in this paper to understand the requirements for access to detached divertor conditions: power balance, geometry, radial transport and effect of cross-field particle drifts. Parametric dependencies of access to detachment on plasma current and power flowing into the scrape-off layer remained similar in negative and PT and impurity seeding was observed to reduce the density needed to detach by up to 30% at the expense of core impurity dilution. The impact of triangularity on core-edge integration was tested varying bottom triangularity at fixed top triangularity. The high density needed to detach was not intrinsic to the NT edge as shapes with positive lower triangularity and negative upper triangularity were able to detach at lower upstream densities while maintaining an ELM-free NT edge. Confinement degradation at deeper detachment levels was however observed in all NT shapes, often associated with radiation instabilities.

detachment↗
DOE OSTI2024

High performance power handling in the absence of an H-mode edge in negative triangularity DIII-D plasmas

Abstract Experiments performed during strongly-shaped high-power diverted negative triangularity (NT) experiments in DIII-D achieved detached divertor conditions and a transient-free edge, showcasing the potential for application of NT to a core-edge integrated reactor-like scenario and providing the first characterization of the parametric dependencies for detachment onset. Detached divertor conditions will be required in future devices to mitigate divertor heat fluxes. Access to dissipative divertor conditions was investigated via an increase in upstream density. Detachment onset at the outer strike point was achieved with H-mode level confinement H 98 − y 2 ∼ 1 and reactor-relevant normalized pressures β N ∼ 2 . Confinement degradation was observed with deeper detachment, associated with the loss of an electron temperature pedestal. Differences in geometry, radial transport, impact of cross field drifts are discussed to explain differences in access to detachment in NT discharges. Higher normalized densities, with respect to equivalent discharges in positive triangularity, were necessary to achieve detachment, partially explained by the shorter parallel connection length to the targets. The effect of cross-field particle drifts ( E × B , B × ∇ B ) on access to detachment was demonstrated by the lower upstream density needed to access detachment with ion B × ∇ B drift directed outside of the active divertor (Greenwald fraction f Gw ∼ 0.9–1.0 vs f Gw ∼ 1.3). The upstream density at detachment onset was observed to increase linearly with plasma current with ion B × ∇ B drift into the divertor, consistent with the observed narrowing of the scrape-off layer heat flux width λ q . Edge fluid simulations capture separatrix densities needed to achieve detachment in NT plasma and their dependence on drift direction. The ability to reproduce detachment dynamics in NT plasma increases the confidence in future design studies for NT divertors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Two-photon Rydberg EIT resonances in non-collinear beam configurations

We study the modifications of Rydberg EIT resonances in non-collinear geometry in which the two required optical fields cross at a small non-zero angle. We observe a strong broadening and amplitude reduction even for small angles when compared to exact counter-propagating and co-propagating collinear geometries. We confirm that such EIT peak deterioration results from the additional Doppler broadening due to the transverse velocity distribution of atoms. The numerical simulation closely matches the experimental measurements. While a non-collinear geometry provides improved spatial resolution for Rydberg EIT electrometry, we conclude that the crossing angle must be small to maintain field sensitivity.

Su, Kevin↗
DOE OSTI2024

Massive, long-lived electrostatic potentials in a rotating mirror plasma

Abstract Hot plasma is highly conductive in the direction parallel to a magnetic field. This often means that the electrical potential will be nearly constant along any given field line. When this is the case, the cross-field voltage drops in open-field-line magnetic confinement devices are limited by the tolerances of the solid materials wherever the field lines impinge on the plasma-facing components. To circumvent this voltage limitation, it is proposed to arrange large voltage drops in the interior of a device, but coexist with much smaller drops on the boundaries. To avoid prohibitively large dissipation requires both preventing substantial drift-flow shear within flux surfaces and preventing large parallel electric fields from driving large parallel currents. It is demonstrated here that both requirements can be met simultaneously, which opens up the possibility for magnetized plasma tolerating steady-state voltage drops far larger than what might be tolerated in material media.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy Transport and Conversion Above a Bright Discrete Auroral Arc

Magnetically connected observations of particle distributions and luminosity from the Reimei spacecraft are used to examine energy transport and conversion occurring above a discrete auroral arc. By combining imaging and in situ measurements it is shown how transverse electromagnetic and kinetic energy fluxes measured along the spacecraft trajectory converge across geomagnetic field-lines into the acceleration region. It is shown how cross-field energy transport is facilitated by the formation of vortices along the length of the arc. From an integration over the vertical extent of the acceleration region it is shown that the transverse and field-aligned flow of energy into the arc locally supports the dissipation needed to power the electron acceleration observed. Estimates of gradients in electromagnetic and kinetic energy flows show how field-aligned electron energization in the acceleration region is supported by the divergence of Poynting flux along and across the background magnetic field.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Resolving turbulent magnetohydrodynamics: a hybrid operator-diffusion framework

We present a hybrid machine learning framework that combines physics-informed neural operators (PINOs) with score-based generative diffusion models to simulate the full spatio-temporal evolution of two-dimensional, incompressible, resistive magnetohydrodynamic turbulence across a broad range of Reynolds numbers (Re). The framework leverages the equation-constrained generalization capabilities of PINOs to predict coherent, low-frequency dynamics, while a conditional diffusion model stochastically corrects high-frequency residuals, enabling accurate modeling of fully developed turbulence. Trained on a comprehensive ensemble of high-fidelity simulations with Re ϵ {100, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 3000, 10000}, the approach achieves state-of-the-art accuracy in regimes previously inaccessible to deterministic surrogates. At Re = 1000 and 3000, the model faithfully reconstructs the full spectral energy distributions of both velocity and magnetic fields late into the simulation, capturing non-Gaussian statistics, intermittent structures, and cross-field correlations with high fidelity. At extreme turbulence levels (Re = 10 000), it remains the first surrogate capable of recovering the high-wavenumber evolution of the magnetic field, preserving large-scale morphology and enabling statistically meaningful predictions.

Diffusion-Integrated Neural Operators↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electric field effects during disruptions

Tokamak disruptions are associated with breaking magnetic surfaces, which makes magnetic field lines chaotic in large regions of the plasma. The enforcement of quasi-neutrality in a region of chaotic field lines requires an electric potential that has both short and long correlation distances across the magnetic field lines. The short correlation distances produce a Bohm-like diffusion coefficient ∼Te/eB and the long correlation distances aT produce a large scale flow ∼Te/eBaT. This cross-field diffusion and flow are important for sweeping impurities into the core of a disrupting tokamak. The analysis separates the electric field in a plasma into the sum of a divergence-free, E→B, and a curl-free, E→q, part, a Helmholtz decomposition. The divergence-free part of E→ determines the evolution of the magnetic field. The curl-free part enforces quasi-neutrality, E→q=−∇→Φq. Magnetic helicity evolution gives the required boundary condition for a unique Helmholtz decomposition and an unfortunate constraint on steady-state tokamak maintenance.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗