Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Coleman, P. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Coleman, P. L..

12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

The effect of gradients at stagnation on K-shell x-ray line emission in high-current Ar gas-puff implosions

We report that argon gas puffs have produced 330 kJ ± 9% of x-ray radiation above 3 keV photon energy in fast z-pinch implosions, with remarkably reproducible K-shell spectra and power pulses. This reproducibility in x-ray production is particularly significant in light of the variations in instability evolution observed between experiments. Lastly, soft x-ray power measurements and K-shell line ratios from a time-resolved spectrum at peak x-ray power suggest that plasma gradients in these high-mass pinches may limit the K-shell radiating mass, K-shell power, and K-shell yield from high-current gas puffs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Architecture, implementation, and testing of a multiple-shell gas injection system for high current implosions on the Z accelerator

Tests are ongoing to conduct {approx}20 MA z-pinch implosions on the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratory using Ar, Kr, and D{sub 2} gas puffs as the imploding loads. The relatively high cost of operations on a machine of this scale imposes stringent requirements on the functionality, reliability, and safety of gas puff hardware. Here we describe the development of a prototype gas puff system including the multiple-shell nozzles, electromagnetic drivers for each nozzle's valve, a UV pre-ionizer, and an inductive isolator to isolate the {approx}2.4 MV machine voltage pulse present at the gas load from the necessary electrical and fluid connections made to the puff system from outside the Z vacuum chamber. This paper shows how the assembly couples to the overall Z system and presents data taken to validate the functionality of the overall system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1973

X-ray spectrum of the Tycho supernova

Uhuru satellite data combined with Wisconsin rocket data suggest that the X-ray spectrum of the Tycho supernova remnant is composite and includes a thermal as well as a nonthermal component, the latter being an extension of the radio spectrum. Attempts have been made to fit the low-energy observations (thermal component) with the Tucker and Koren calculations for the solar corona.

Coleman, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Observations of spatial structure in the soft X-ray diffuse flux.

Repeated observations of a diffuse source in the region of about 200 deg and +10 deg galactic longitude and latitude, respectively, illustrate the complexity of the low-energy X-ray background. The source is not well correlated with known objects or features, and cannot be explained by geometrically simple models of diffuse emission. The measurements indicate that this emission feature, and by implication a large fraction of the 1/4-keV flux observed in the galactic plane, probably originates outside the solar system.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Soft X-rays from the vicinity of the North Polar Spur.

Soft X rays in the energy regions below 284 eV and between 500 and 1000 eV have been detected on the vicinity of the North Polar Spur. The region of enhanced X-ray emission reported was observed from an Aerobee 150 rocket launched on May 29, 1970, from Woomera, Australia.

Bunner, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1971

X-ray observation of a new soft source in Cygnus.

The location of the new X-ray source, designated Cygnus X-6, is discussed. The polycarbonate window counter detected Cyg X-6 only in the pulse-height interval from 0.5 to 1.3 keV. A total of 44 counts was acquired from the source above a diffuse X-ray and non-X-ray background of 18 plus or minus 3 counts. The polycarbonate pulse-height spectrum for Cyg X-6 is presented together with the calculated counter response to three different model source spectra.

Coleman, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Low-energy diffuse X-rays

Diffuse low energy cosmic X rays rocket measurements, noting excess over extrapolated power law valid for higher energies

Bunner, A. N.↗