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Results for “Positive Pulse Duration”

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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Explosion Source Models

Explosive detonations produce shocked transients with highly nonlinear pressure signatures in the near field. Here, this chapter presents the properties and defining characteristics of a suite of theoretical source pressure functions representative of detonations and deflagrations, and constructs criteria for defining reference blast pulses. Both the primary positive overpressure and the negative underpressure phases contribute to the temporal and spectral features of a blast pulse.

Blast Pulse↗
DOE OSTI2020

Improved Parametric Models for Explosion Pressure Signals Derived From Large Datasets

Accurate recording and characterization of explosion-induced pressure signals are key components of the forensic analysis of explosion events in the atmosphere. Parametric overpressure models based on several key waveform features (peak overpressure, positive pulse duration, and impulse) are widely used to estimate explosion energy in terms of trinitrotoluene equivalent yield. However, those models are often developed by a limited dataset, including only a few events or recordings at relatively short propagation distances. Here, we develop empirical waveform-parameter models based on a regression analysis of a large set of data curated from four chemical explosion experiments including 16 detonations. We measured peak overpressure and impulse for positive and negative phases from 1000 pressure signals recorded at local ranges (<20 km) with scaled distance up to 8000 m/kg 1/3 . Additionally, the measured waveform parameters showed large variation with respect to observing distances indicating the effects of atmospheric propagation. In this study, a second-order polynomial model was used in a least-squares regression to account for those propagation effects and to improve data fitting. In addition to model parameters for waveform features, we also determined range-dependent model uncertainties based on data variance. The model uncertainty represents the prediction error of our models and can be critical to evaluating the uncertainty of yield estimate.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Analysis of MINIE2013 Explosion Air-Blast Data

We report analysis of air-blast overpressure measurements from the MINIE2013 explosive experiments. The MINIE2013 experiment involved a series of nearly 70 near-surface (height-ofburst, HOB, ranging from -1 to +4 m) low-yield (W=2-20 kg TNT equivalent) chemical highexplosives tests that were recorded at local distances (230 m – 28.5 km). Many of the W and HOB combinations were repeated, allowing for quantification of the variability in air-blast features and corresponding yield estimates. We measured canonical signal features (peak overpressure, impulse per unit area, and positive pulse duration) from the air-blast data and compared these to existing air-blast models. Peak overpressure measurements showed good agreement with the models at close ranges but tended to attenuate more rapidly at longer range (~ 1 km), which is likely caused by upward refraction of acoustic waves due to a negative vertical gradient of sound speed. We estimated yields of the MINIE2013 explosions using the Integrated Yield Determination Tool (IYDT). Errors of the estimated yields were on average within 30% of the reported yields, and there were no significant differences in the accuracy of the IYDT predictions grouped by yield. IYDT estimates tend to be lower than ground truth yields, possibly because of reduced overpressure amplitudes by upward refraction. Finally, we report preliminary results on a development of a new parameterized air-blast waveform.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2015

Compact femtosecond electron diffractometer with 100 keV electron bunches approaching the single-electron pulse duration limit

We present the design and implementation of a highly compact femtosecond electron diffractometer working at electron energies up to 100 keV. We use a multi-body particle tracing code to simulate electron bunch propagation through the setup and to calculate pulse durations at the sample position. Our simulations show that electron bunches containing few thousands of electrons per bunch are only weakly broadened by space-charge effects and their pulse duration is thus close to the one of a single-electron wavepacket. With our compact setup, we can create electron bunches containing up to 5000 electrons with a pulse duration below 100 fs on the sample. We use the diffractometer to track the energy transfer from photoexcited electrons to the lattice in a thin film of titanium. This process takes place on the timescale of few-hundred femtoseconds and a fully equilibrated state is reached within 1 ps.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Stable and tunable MeV $$\gamma$$-ray generation via dual-laser inverse Thomson scattering from a laser-plasma accelerator

Abstract Inverse Thomson scattering from laser-plasma accelerators offers a pathway to compact, tunable MeV $$\gamma$$ -ray sources for reduced-dose radiography and enhanced performance in nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF)-based isotope identification. However, photon yield and spectral quality are often limited by constraints on interaction geometry and scatter-laser tunability. Here we demonstrate a MeV $$\gamma$$ -ray source based on a dual-laser inverse Thomson scattering configuration driven by a 100-TW laser-plasma accelerator. Electron beams tunable from 122 to 204 MeV with $$<5$$ mrad divergence and $$<1$$ mrad pointing stability generate $$\gamma$$ rays with peak energies from 276 keV to 1.2 MeV and yields up to $$2\times 10^{7}$$ photons per shot. By independently controlling the interaction position and the scatter-pulse duration, we experimentally match the scatter pulse to the walk-off-limited interaction length. Extending the scatter pulse to 200 fs increases photon production by approximately $$15\%$$ while maintaining operation in the linear Thomson regime, thereby preserving narrow spectral bandwidth and controlled radiation divergence. Radiographic characterization demonstrates MeV-level penetration and $$\approx 0.1$$ mm spatial resolution, while stable operation is sustained over multi-hour timescales across multiple days. These results show that interaction-length optimization provides a scalable strategy for improving photon yield, spectral control, and operational stability in compact laser-plasma-accelerator-driven $$\gamma$$ -ray sources.

Tsai, Hai-En↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of polarization and focusing on laser pulse driven auto-resonant particle acceleration

The effect of laser polarization and focusing is theoretically studied on the final energy gain of a particle in the Auto-resonant acceleration scheme using a finite duration laser pulse with Gaussian shaped temporal envelope. The exact expressions for dynamical variables viz. position, momentum, and energy are obtained by analytically solving the relativistic equation of motion describing particle dynamics in the combined field of an elliptically polarized finite duration pulse and homogeneous static axial magnetic field. From the solutions, it is shown that for a given set of laser parameters viz. intensity and pulse length along with static magnetic field, the energy gain by a positively charged particle is maximum for a right circularly polarized laser pulse. Further, a new scheme is proposed for particle acceleration by subjecting it to the combined field of a focused finite duration laser pulse and static axial magnetic field. In this scheme, the particle is initially accelerated by the focused laser field, which drives the non-resonant particle to second stage of acceleration by cyclotron Auto-resonance. The new scheme is found to be efficient over two individual schemes, i.e., auto-resonant acceleration and direct acceleration by focused laser field, as significant particle acceleration can be achieved at one order lesser values of static axial magnetic field and laser intensity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Propagation of frequency-modulated pulses in active one-dimensional photonic crystals

The propagation of frequency-modulated pulses in onedimensional photonic crystals with gain is considered. A correct expression is derived for the delay time of the pulse maximum. This expression takes into account the input pulse characteristics: duration, frequency modulation and spectrum position in the photonic band gap. The analytical results are basically in agreement with the results of numerical simulation. The influence of gain in the photonic-crystal structure is considered. It is shown that the parameters of a transmitted pulse can be controlled by changing the inputpulse frequency modulation. (nonlinear optical phenomena)

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Relaxation oscillations and hierarchy of feedbacks in MAPK signaling

We formulated a computational model for a MAPK signaling cascade downstream of the EGF receptor to investigate how interlinked positive and negative feedback loops process EGF signals into ERK pulses of constant amplitude but dose-dependent duration and frequency. A positive feedback loop involving RAS and SOS, which leads to bistability and allows for switch-like responses to inputs, is nested within a negative feedback loop that encompasses RAS and RAF, MEK, and ERK that inhibits SOS via phosphorylation. This negative feedback, operating on a longer time scale, changes switch-like behavior into oscillations having a period of 1hour or longer. Two auxiliary negative feedback loops, from ERK to MEK and RAF, placed downstream of the positive feedback, shape the temporal ERK activity profile but are dispensable for oscillations. Thus, the positive feedback introduces a hierarchy among negative feedback loops, such that the effect of a negative feedback depends on its position with respect to the positive feedback loop. Furthermore, a combination of the fast positive feedback involving slow-diffusing membrane components with slower negative feedbacks involving faster diffusing cytoplasmic components leads to local excitation/global inhibition dynamics, which allows the MAPK cascade to transmit paracrine EGF signals into spatially non-uniform ERK activity pulses.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Stochastic modelling of intermittent fluctuations in the scrape-off layer: Correlations, distributions, level crossings, and moment estimation

A stochastic model is presented for intermittent fluctuations in the scrape-off layer of magnetically confined plasmas. The fluctuations in the plasma density are modeled by a super-position of uncorrelated pulses with fixed shape and duration, describing radial motion of blob-like structures. In the case of an exponential pulse shape and exponentially distributed pulse amplitudes, predictions are given for the lowest order moments, probability density function, auto-correlation function, level crossings, and average times for periods spent above and below a given threshold level. Also, the mean squared errors on estimators of sample mean and variance for realizations of the process by finite time series are obtained. These results are discussed in the context of single-point measurements of fluctuations in the scrape-off layer, broad density profiles, and implications for plasma–wall interactions due to the transient transport events in fusion grade plasmas. The results may also have wide applications for modelling fluctuations in other magnetized plasmas such as basic laboratory experiments and ionospheric irregularities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Influence of laser-induced breakdown on the fragmentation of gold nanoparticles in water

The process of fragmentation of gold nanoparticles in water exposed to nanosecond IR laser radiation (1060 – 1070 nm) is studied. The behaviour of the size distribution and extinction spectrum of nanoparticles is investigated at different experimental parameters. The dependences of the size distribution maximum position and distribution width on the laser pulse duration and the corresponding characteristics of the laser plasma, arising on the nanoparticles, are analysed. The results are explained by the plasma influence on the laser radiation absorption by the colloidal solution. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Universality of Poisson-driven plasma fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer

Large-amplitude, intermittent fluctuations are ubiquitous in the boundary region of magnetically confined plasmas and lead to detrimental plasma-wall interactions in next-generation, high duty cycle fusion power experiments. Using gas puff imaging data time series from the scrape-off layer in the Alcator C-Mod device, it is demonstrated in this work that the large-amplitude fluctuations can be described as a super-position of pulses with a fixed shape and a constant duration. By applying a new deconvolution algorithm on the data time series with a two-sided exponential pulse function, the arrival times and amplitudes of the pulses can be estimated, and the measurement time series can be reconstructed with high accuracy. The pulse amplitudes are shown to follow an exponential distribution. The waiting times between pulses are uncorrelated, their distribution has an exponential tail, and the number of arrivals is a linear function of time. This demonstrates that pulse arrivals follow a homogeneous Poisson process. Identical statistical properties apply to both ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas, clearly demonstrating the universality of the fluctuation statistics in the boundary region of Alcator C-Mod.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

THL-100 Multi-Terawatt Laser System of Visible Range

Results of investigation of the parameters of the THL-100 hybrid laser system of visible range developed at the IHCE SB RAS in collaboration with the LPI RAS are presented. The laser system consists of the Ti:Sa Start-480M starting complex and the photodissociation XeF(C-A) amplifier with aperture of 24 cm. The starting complex provides 50-fs spectrally limited radiation pulses with energy of the second harmonic (475 nm) up to 20 mJ and 50-ps positively chirped radiation pulses with energy up to 5 mJ. The active medium of the XeF(CA) amplifier is created in the XeF{sub 2}/N{sub 2} mixture upon exposure to VUV radiation of xenon excited by a highpower electron beam. It is demonstrated that record power of 14 TW is attained by amplification of negatively chirped radiation pulse with duration of 1.6 ps in the XeF(C-A) amplifier, and maximum energy of ~3.2 J is realized by amplification of positively chirped radiation pulse.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Use of heavily doped germanosilicate fibres with a small core diameter in stretchers of ultrashort laser pulses at a wavelength of 1.03 μm

The use of a heavily doped germanosilicate fibre with a W-profile refractive index and small core diameter in stretchers of ultrashort laser pulses with their subsequent amplification and compression in all-fibre laser systems is considered. The application of fibres of this type makes it possible to stretch, amplify, and then compress a laser pulse with minimum distortions of its initial shape and width. Due to the dispersion properties of these fibres, which allow the pulse duration to be increased significantly at a small fibre length and the third-order positive dispersion of the diffraction-grating-based output compressor to be compensated for, amplified pulses with an energy of 2 μJ and width of 250 fs, free of a picosecond pedestal, are obtained. Several types of fibres intended for the use in stretchers of ultrashort laser pulses are comparatively analysed from the point of view of their dispersion compatibility with a diffraction-grating-based output compressor. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Anomalous memory effect in the breakdown of low-pressure argon in a long discharge tube

The characteristics of breakdown of argon in a long tube (with a gap length of 75 cm and diameter of 2.8 cm) at pressures of 1 and 5 Torr and stationary discharge currents of 5–40 mA were studied experimentally. The breakdown was initiated by paired positive voltage pulses with a rise rate of ∼10{sup 8}–10{sup 9} V/s and duration of ∼1–10 ms. The time interval between pairs was varied in the range of Τ ∼ 0.1–1 s, and that between pulses in a pair was varied from τ = 0.4 ms to ≈Τ/2. The aim of this work was to detect and study the so-called “anomalous memory effect” earlier observed in breakdown in nitrogen. The effect consists in the dynamic breakdown voltage in the second pulse in a pair being higher than in the first pulse (in contrast to the “normal” memory effect, in which the relation between the breakdown voltages is opposite). It is found that this effect is observed when the time interval between pairs of pulses is such that the first pulse in a pair is in the range of the normal memory effect of the preceding pair (under the given conditions, Τ ≈ 0.1–0.4 s). In this case, at τ ∼ 10 ms, the breakdown voltage of the second pulse is higher than the reduced breakdown voltage of the first pulse. Optical observations of the ionization wave preceding breakdown in a long tube show that, in the range of the anomalous memory effect and at smaller values of τ, no ionization wave is detected before breakdown in the second pulse. A qualitative interpretation of the experimental results is given.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Numerical simulation of amplification of frequency-modulated radiation in a gas amplifier THL-100 laser system

Numerical simulation methods have been used to study the effect of frequency modulation of input laser radiation with a pulse duration of 250 ps on the gain characteristics in a gas XeF (C – A) amplifier of the hybrid THL-100 laser system at a pump energy of 270 – 400 J. Using the Wigner distribution function, local radiation spectra are calculated at various points of the input laser beam with positive and negative chirps. The effect of the pump energy of the amplifier on the energy, intensity, and duration of the output laser radiation pulses is investigated. It is shown that with an insignificant change in energy, the pulse duration of the output radiation turns out to be longer with a negative chirp of the input radiation. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measurements of temporally- and spatially-resolved neutron production in a sheared-flow stabilized Z-pinch

A novel approach using multiple scintillator detectors is applied to measure temporally- and spatially-resolved neutron production in the Fusion Z-pinch Experiment (FuZE) device, a Sheared-Flow Stabilized (SFS) Z-pinch. Diagnosing neutron production from FuZE is important for determining if fusion is thermonuclear and whether the FuZE device can be scaled toward reactor conditions. Absolute yields of up to 2 × 10 5 neutrons per discharge are measured with calibrated plastic scintillator detectors operating in pulse-counting mode. Neutron emission durations of up to ~8 μs are inferred by recording the time difference between the first and last pulses for each discharge. Multiple scintillator detectors located at different positions with respect to the fusing plasma are used to demonstrate that the axial extent of the neutron producing region is comparable to the device volume. Scintillator detectors are well-suited as neutron diagnostics for FuZE and other plasma devices with similar yields and emission durations. Increasing the neutron yield, duration, and volume of the neutron emitting region within the plasma column are significant experimental objectives for FuZE.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Aluminium plasma production at high laser intensity

Thick and thin films of Al targets were irradiated in vacuum with iodine laser at 1315 nm wavelength, 300 ps pulse duration at a maximum intensity of about 10{sup 16} W/cm{sup 2} by varying the pulse energy and focal position. The laser-generated plasma was monitored in forward and backward directions by using ion collectors, SiC detectors, Thomson parabola spectrometer, and X-ray streak camera. Ion emission shows maximum proton energy of about 4 MeV in self-focusing conditions and a maximum Al ion energy of about 50 MeV. An evaluation of the electric field driving ions in conditions of target normal sheath acceleration is given.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Emission dynamics of an expanding ultrafast-laser produced Zn plasma under different ambient pressures

We report time and space resolved spectral measurements of neutral Zn emission from an ultrafast laser produced plasma, generated by the irradiation of a Zn target with laser pulses of 100 femtoseconds duration, carried out in a broad ambient pressure range of 0.05 to 100 Torr. The measurement is done for three different axial positions in the expanding plume. The spectra are rich in neutral Zn (Zn I) emissions at 334.5 nm, 468 nm, 472 nm, 481 nm, and 636 nm, respectively, depicting the characteristic triplet structure of Zn. Fast as well as slow peaks are observed in the time of flight data of 481 nm emission, which arise from recombination and atomic contributions, respectively, occurring at different time scales. Average speeds of the fast atomic species do not change appreciably with ambient pressure. The plasma parameters (electron temperature and number density) are evaluated from the measured optical emission spectra. The rates of ionization and recombination can be enhanced by a double-pulse excitation configuration in which optical energy is coupled to the ultrafast plasma through a delayed laser pulse.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗