Status of the MARS Code
This report describes major features of the most recent version of MARS code as well as ongoing developments.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
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Status of the MARS code
This report describes major features of the most recent version of the MARS code as well as ongoing developments. The list of features includes various options for geometry models, a beam line builder based on MADX code, import of geometry models in GDML format, use of structured and unstructured meshes for scoring purposes, an update to the recent TENDL library for a number of projectiles at low energies (up to 250 MeV), and a recently implemented method to calculate spatial distribution of residual dose in a single computer run without an intermediate source. Examples of the code application to various projects are presented as well.
Rakhno, Igor [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000265828058)↗
Detector Backgrounds at the Higgs Factory Muon Collider: MARS $vs$ FLUKA
Simulations for the 125-GeV Higgs Factory (HF) Muon Collider (MC) have shown large background particle loads on the collider detector. To verify level, source and composition of background calculations were performed using FLUKA and MARS codes for two shielding configurations. After comprehensive tuning of muon beam parameters, geometry setups and scoring procedures, background particle distributions at the detector entrance were simulated and compared. The spatial distributions and energy spectra of background particles obtained by two codes are rather similar. Average numbers of background particles simulated using MARS and FLUKA agree within a factor of two.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Optimization Studies of Radiation Shielding for PIP-II Project at Fermilab
The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) at Fermilab represents a significant advancement in the quest to answer some of the most profound questions about our universe using the world's most intense high-energy neutrino beam. The project requires the construction of a new addition to the Fermilab accelerator complex – an 800-MeV high-intensity superconducting linear accelerator. Ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of this ambitious project is paramount, necessitating thorough dose rate assessments under both normal operational and accidental scenarios to align with the Fermilab Radiological Control Manual (FRCM) standards. Our approach included a shielding optimization used for the simulations with the Monte Carlo code MARS [1,2,3] to incorporate new magnet and collimator designs, essential for reflecting the current state of PIP-II infrastructure. The implementation of high-resolution detector planes, despite their computational demands, enabled us to gather detailed radiation field data crucial for optimizing shielding configurations. To overcome the significant computational demands, we developed a branching code that drastically reduced simulation runtimes while maintaining statistical integrity. This was achieved through geometry splitting and the application of Russian Roulette techniques, tailored to prioritize regions of interest based on predefined importances and weight limits.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Optimization Studies of Radiation Shielding for PIP-II Project at Fermilab
The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) at Fermilab represents a significant advancement in the quest to answer some of the most profound questions about our universe using the world's most intense high-energy neutrino beam. The project requires the construction of a new addition to the Fermilab accelerator complex – an 800-MeV high-intensity superconducting linear accelerator. Ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of this ambitious project is paramount, necessitating thorough dose rate assessments under both normal operational and accidental scenarios to align with the Fermilab Radiological Control Manual (FRCM) standards. Our approach included a shielding optimization used for the simulations with the Monte Carlo code MARS [1,2,3] to incorporate new magnet and collimator designs, essential for reflecting the current state of PIP-II infrastructure. The implementation of high-resolution detector planes, despite their computational demands, enabled us to gather detailed radiation field data crucial for optimizing shielding configurations. To overcome the significant computational demands, we developed a branching code that drastically reduced simulation runtimes while maintaining statistical integrity. This was achieved through geometry splitting and the application of Russian Roulette techniques, tailored to prioritize regions of interest based on predefined importances and weight limits.
Makovec, Alajos↗
Microstructural Simulation of Ion-Irradiated Natural Rocks and Minerals
This report details the contribution of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) project, "Rapid Characterization of Concrete Mineralogy using Multi-Scale Tools" led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To support the subsequent license renewal (SLR) of the US nuclear power plants (NPPs) fleet, the performance of concrete-forming aggregates against neutron irradiation needs to be assessed. Ion irradiation is proposed as a rapid, cost-effective surrogate method to full neutron irradiation testing. To complement the characterization of ion-irradiated rock specimens, ORNL has run finite-elements and fast-Fourier transform (FFT-based) simulations using the codes MARS and Microstructure-Oriented Scientific Analysis of Irradiated Concrete (MOSAIC). The main conclusion of this analysis is that the apparent post–ion-irradiation step-height underestimates the accumulated free radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE) in the ion-implanted depth by about 15% at full amorphization and about 25% toward the beginning of the ion irradiation experiment. The discrepancy is explained by the fact that the step height is proportional to the sum of the RIVE (i.e., one third of the RIVE) and the irradiation-assisted plastic strains in the vertical direction (lower than two thirds of the RIVE). Because of the large lateral compressive stresses caused by the restraining effect of the unirradiated substrate, the stress field in the mineral grains and at the grain boundary (GB) in the ion-implanted layer is much different than the comparable stress field occurring during neutron irradiation. Hence, the mismatch RIVE causing cracks in the rock-forming minerals leads to different cracking patterns. Ion irradiation continues to be used as a rapid technique to assess the RIVE potential of rocks.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Optimization Studies of Radiation Shielding for the PIP-II Project at Fermilab
The PIP-II project at Fermilab, which includes an 800-MeV superconducting LINAC, demands rigorous radiation shielding optimization to meet safety requirements. We updated the MARS geometry model to reflect new magnet and collimator designs and introduced high-resolution detector planes to better capture radiation field distributions. To overcome the significant computational demands, we implemented a well-known branching technique that drastically reduced simulation runtimes while maintaining statistical integrity. This was achieved through particle splitting and the application of Russian Roulette techniques. Additionally, new graphical tools were created to streamline data visualization and MARS code usability.
Makovec, Alajos [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000286157492↗
A Novel Two Stage Collimation Unit for Fermilab Booster
A new two-stage collimation unit (2SC) for Fermilab Booster will be installed during 2024 summer shutdown. It is a supplementary collimator for existing single stage Booster collimators. Design details of this 2SC adapted to Booster conditions are described. Results of beam dynamics simulations on collimation efficiency and evaluation of collimator shielding with MARS code on this new system are presented. The analysis on beam dynamics shows that the system will help to collimate up to about 1% of the beam in a confined way and, prompt and residual activation meet Fermilab Radiological Control limits in current as well as during PIP-II era high intensity operation of the Booster.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
MARS-F/K modeling of plasma response and fast ion losses due to RMP in KSTAR
Abstract The toroidal single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code MARS-F (Liu et al 2000 Phys. Plasmas 7 3681) and the MHD-kinetic hybrid code MARS-K (Liu et al 2008 Phys. Plasmas 15 112503) are utilized to study the plasma response to the n = 1 ( n is the toroidal mode number) resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP), applied to suppress the type-I edge localized mode (ELM) in a KSTAR discharge. Both the resistive-rotating and ideal-static plasma models identify strong screening of the resonant radial field harmonics of the applied RMP due to the plasma response, and predict a strong edge-peeling response of the plasma which is consistent with the optimal ELM control coil current configuration adopted in experiment. The RMP-induced radial displacement of the plasma, computed by the resistive-rotating plasma model, agrees reasonably well with that reconstructed from the measured data in the plasma core. Taking into account the drift kinetic response of fast ions, MARS-K hybrid modeling also finds quantitative agreement of the plasma core fluid pressure perturbation with experiment. Based on the MARS-F computed plasma response, a guiding-center orbit-tracing simulation finds about 0.3% of fast ion losses due the n = 1 RMP in the KSTAR ELM control experiment considered. Most losses are associated with counter-current fast ions located near the plasma edge.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Toroidal modeling of thermal particle drift kinetic effects and sub-sonic plasma flow on internal kink mode
The stability of the n = 1 ( n is the toroidal mode number) internal kink mode in a tokamak plasma is numerically investigated, utilizing the full toroidal, ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code MARS-F [Y. Q. Liu et al. , Phys. Plasmas 7, 3681 (2000)] and the nonperturbative MHD-kinetic hybrid code MARS-K [Y. Liu et al. , Phys. Plasmas 15, 112503 (2008)]. This study focuses on two physics effects: the sheared toroidal flow of plasma and the drift kinetic effects from thermal particles (ions and electrons) on the internal kink instability. Within the subsonic flow assumption, the flow and flow shear effects on the internal kink are generally weak, but the kinetic effects can be strong. A significant reduction in the mode growth rate is predicted by the nonperturbative MHD-kinetic hybrid computations, when the precessional drift resonance contributions from both particle species are included and when the mode is not too strongly unstable according to the fluid theory. The stabilization/destabilization of sheared toroidal flow depends on the radial location of the local flow shear. Strong destabilization (stabilization) occurs when a negative (positive) flow shear is located near the q = 1 rational surface.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Role of electrostatic perturbation on kinetic resistive wall mode with application to spherical tokamak
Abstract A more complete non-perturbative magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-kinetic hybrid formulation is developed by including the perturbed electrostatic potential δφ in the particle Lagrangian. The fluid-like counter-parts of the hybrid equations, in the Chew-Goldberger-Low high-frequency limit, are also derived and utilized to test the new toroidal implementation in the MARS-K code. Application of the updated non-perturbative hybrid model for a high- β spherical tokamak plasma in MAST finds that the perturbed electrostatic potential generally plays a minor role in the n = 1 ( n is the toroidal mode number) resistive wall mode instability. The effect of δφ is largely destabilizing, with the growth rate of the instability increased by several (up to 20) percent as compared to the case without including δφ . A similar relative change is also obtained for the kinetic-induced resonant field amplification effect at high- β in the MAST plasma considered. The updated capability of the MARS-K code allows quantitative exploration of drift kinetic effects on various MHD instabilities and the antenna-driven plasma response where the electrostatic perturbation, coupled to magnetic perturbations, may play important roles.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Fully Parallel MHD Stability Code
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Experimental investigation of beam-ion losses induced by magnetic perturbations using the light ion beam probe technique in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak
The impact of externally applied magnetic perturbations (MPs) on fast-ion losses has been investigated by means of the light ion beam probe (LIBP) technique in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The LIBP technique allows to experimentally infer the fast-ion orbit displacement induced by MPs via first-orbit losses using scintillator based fast-ion loss detector (FILD) measurements. The fast-ion orbit displacement against different applied MP spectra has been studied. These shots were conducted in ELM mitigated H-mode plasmas. A rigid rotation of the MP coils was applied with a frequency of 1 Hz, with an n = 2 configuration and changing the differential phase between the upper and lower set of coils (ΔΦ ul ) on a shot-to-shot basis. Beam sources Q7 (tangential) and Q8 (radial) were used to probe different fast-ion orbits with FILD1. The measured fast-ion orbit displacement ranges from 3 to 20 mm approximately, and no qualitative difference is observed between ions from beam sources Q7 and Q8. The minimum is found for a ΔΦ ul ~ 50°, which is shifted with respect to the minimum of the plasma boundary displacement, found at ΔΦ ul ~ 0°. A first attempt to validate the orbit following code ASCOT—including the plasma response calculated with the MARS-F code—against these experimental measurements is performed. Finally, while the dependence of the first-orbit fast-ion displacement with ΔΦ ul does not match the experimental measurements, these simulations do capture other features such as the order of magnitude of the orbit displacement and the importance of the toroidal spectrum of the applied perturbation.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
MARS-F modeling of post-disruption runaway beam loss by magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in DIII-D
A drift orbit model for relativistic test electrons has been incorporated into the MARS-F code, in order to study the runaway electron (RE) behavior in the presence of magneto-hydrodynamic perturbations computed by MARS-F. By implementing the model directly into the MARS-F curve-linear magnetic coordinates, maximal accuracy in representing the full field perturbation is preserved. The updated code is utilized to study the high current RE beam loss in a post-disruption DIII-D plasma, revealing that a fast growing, n = 1 ( n is the toroidal mode number) resistive kink instability, at ~100 Gauss level, can induce significant fraction of RE loss, largely by perturbing drift orbits of REs. A 103 Gauss perturbation fully terminates the RE beam, as found in both experiment and modeling. The 3-D field induced loss increases with the perturbation amplitude but decreases with the particle energy. The loss fraction is generally not sensitive to the initial particle pitch angle. The particle velocity change, due to electric field acceleration/deceleration, small pitch angle scattering, synchrotron radiation and Bremsstrahlung, further perturbs the RE trajectory but plays a minor role in prompt RE loss within microseconds time scale. Therefore, the dominant dependencies are simply the RE energy and instability strength. For comparison, a resonant magnetic perturbation field, generated by 4 kAt n = 3 even parity I-coil currents in DIII-D and with the plasma response field included, is found to induce almost no loss for the same RE beam.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Effects of external kink and fishbone-like modes on energetic particle transport in tokamak plasmas
Transport and loss of beam injected energetic particles (EPs) due to three-dimensional perturbations, associated with the external kink (XK) instability and fishbone-like mode (FLM), are numerically investigated utilizing the guiding center following code ORBIT for static toroidal plasmas in HL-2A. The perturbation structure for the XK is computed by the MARS-F code and then mapped to the Boozer coordinates as defined in ORBIT. The simulation shows that the EP profile experiences a significant change in the middle of the plasma column, when the XK-induced radial magnetic field perturbation amplitude, normalized by the equilibrium field, exceeds a threshold value of about 10 -2 . The EP transport is found to be dominated by a diffusion process instead of convection. Furthermore, by scanning the perturbation frequency as a free parameter while maintaining the XK mode structure (thus mimicking the FLM as observed in DIII-D and JT-60U tokamaks), redistribution and loss of EPs are found to be substantially enhanced due to strong resonances between the FLM and EPs, when the mode frequency exceeds a threshold value of ~2 kHz for the case considered. For either XK or FLM, the response of passing EPs to the perturbation is dominant due to the assumed tangential neutral beam injection. Most lost EPs due to these instabilities are initially passing particles but are eventually lost through trapped orbits.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Toroidal modeling of Alfvén eigenmodes excited by runaway electrons in DIII-D and ITER
The non-perturbative MHD-kinetic hybrid code MARS-K (Liu et al 2014 Phys. Plasmas 21 056105) is updated to include relativistic effects for kinetic fast particles, enabling the code to model excitation of Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) by runaway electrons (REs) in post-disruption tokamak plasmas. Applying the updated code to RE beams in both DIII-D and ITER, a zoo of AE modes triggered by trapped REs due to precessional drift-kinetic resonances is computed while scanning the RE energy. At fixed RE energy, multiple unstable roots are also excited. These AE modes possess radially different eigenmode structures, ranging from global modes to core-localized ones. The computed mode frequency is in the Alfvén frequency range, increasing with the assumed RE energy in a staircase fashion and quantitatively matching the experimental measurement (in DIII-D). At the (more relevant) high-frequency range (above 1 MHz), the modeled eigenmodes are identified as compressional AEs (CAEs) in DIII-D and a mixture of CAE and shear Alfvén waves in ITER.
Alfvén eigenmodes↗
Modelling Tritium Production and Release at High-Energy Proton Accelerators
Tritium is a well-known byproduct of particle accelerator operations. To keep levels of tritium below regulatory limits, tritium production is actively monitored and managed at Fermilab. We plan to study tritium production in the targets, beamline components, and shielding elements of the Fermilab facilities such as NuMI, BNB, and MI-65. To facilitate the analysis, we construct a simple model and use three Monte Carlo radiation codes, FLUKA, MARS, and PHITS, to estimate the amount of tritium produced in these facilities. The analysis could also serve as an intercomparison between these code results related to tritium production. To assess the actual amounts of tritium that would be released from various materials, we employ a semi-empirical diffusion model. The results of this analysis are compared to experimental data whenever possible. This approach also helps to optimize proposed target materials with respect to the tritium production and release.
Georgobiani, Dali [Fermilab]↗
The General Atomics Center for Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling (CEMM) Final Report
The Center for Extended Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling (CEMM) is built around the further development, verification, validation, and other application of two major extended magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) codes NIMROD and M3D-C1. The General Atomics (GA) CEMM Program focuses on three main research areas: extension of the M3D-C1 MHD code plasma response calculations to new regimes, coupling of the DK4D drift kinetic equation solver to a temperature evolution equation, and simulations of disruption mitigation for unstable plasmas with pre-existing magnetic islands using massive gas injection (MGI) with the NIMROD MHD code. A systematic scan of the zero-crossing of the rotation profile in a DIII-D ITER-similar shape equilibrium using linear, time-independent modeling with M3D-C1 was performed. A new Python utility, autoC1, has been developed to automate the running of M3D-C1 for linear simulations. A number of ELM suppression experiments were analyzed including a validation and cross-code verification with the MARS-F MHD code of magnetic signal phase shifts across ELM-suppression bifurcations. A linearized, time-dependent temperature equation was tightly coupled to the electron and ion drift-kinetic equations (DKEs) in the DK4D drift-kinetic equation solver. Various explicit and implicit implementations were attempted, but all methods proved numerically unstable, even with the addition of numerical dissipation. Several simulations were completed investigating the effects of pre-existing islands on disruption mitigation by MGI in DIII-D using NIMROD.
3D MHD Simulation↗