DARHT Overview [Slides]
DARHT is a key facility for Stockpile Stewardship. Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility - World-class X-ray radiography for dynamic non-nuclear tests.
Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Disterhaupt, Jennifer Lynn Schei.
DARHT is a key facility for Stockpile Stewardship. Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility - World-class X-ray radiography for dynamic non-nuclear tests.
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Pressed high explosives have small density variations associated with the pressing process, from a few to sub percent depending on the material. Variations at these levels are known to have an impact on HE performance. Currently, a destructive testing method based on physical sectioning followed by immersion density measurements (slice and dice) is utilized. However, this method has poor spatial resolution limited by the the sectioning size, 1-2 cm. If possible, radiographic methods including Computed Tomography (CT) would be preferred, as they are non-destructive and have higher (less than .1 mm) spatial resolution. However, beam hardening, scattered radiation, and detector effects make density reconstructions at this level extremely challenging.
We propose a new modeling approach for scatter estimation and descattering in polyenergetic X-ray computed tomography (CT) based on fitting models to local neighborhoods of a training set. X-ray CT is widely used in medical and industrial applications. X-ray scatter, if not accounted for during reconstruction, creates a loss of contrast in CT reconstructions and introduces severe artifacts including cupping, shading, and streaks. Even when these qualitative artifacts are not apparent, scatter can pose a major obstacle in obtaining quantitatively accurate reconstructions. Our approach to estimating scatter is, first, to generate a training set of 2D radiographs with and without scatter using particle transport simulation software. To estimate scatter for a new radiograph, we adaptively fit a scatter model to a small subset of the training data containing the radiographs most similar to it. We compared local and global (fit on full data sets) versions of several X-ray scatter models, including two from the recent literature, as well as a recent deep learning-based scatter model, in the context of descattering and quantitative density reconstruction of simulated, spherically symmetrical, single-material objects comprising shells of various densities. Our results show that, when applied locally, even simple models provide state-of-the-art descattering, reducing the error in density reconstruction due to scatter by more than half.
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Abstract not provided.
We tested the ability to predict the system reactivity, described by alpha, given a density profile using a simple linear system response. We generated a suite of 1-dimensional density profiles that consisted of nominal density, a discontinuity, and a decay. These profiles were prescribed a functional form and the mass was conserved in all cases. From these density profiles, we calculated the alpha value of the 3-dimensional system.We calculated a linear response function given a training set of the 1-dimensional density profiles, and the system reactivity described by alpha. We tested the robustness of the response function using the remaining test data. Our results showed very good agreement between the predicted and calculated test values, where the distribution of alpha differences was centered about zero and had a standard deviation of 0.005 gens/shake. The predicted and calculated alpha values did not significantly differ (t=-0.0009 p<0.99). We used Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to reduce the matrix rank by retaining95% of the cumulative singular value contributions. This reduced the matrix rank by 91.7%. We generated the linear response matrix and calculated the difference between the predicted and calculated alpha values. Using the reduced order matrix, we showed good agreement between the predicted and calculated alpha values where the distribution of differences was centered near zero, the standard deviation was 0.006 gens/shake, and the statistical t-test showed good agreement (t=0.02, p<0.98). These results show a linear relationship between a series of 1-dimensional density profiles,where the mass was conserved, and the system reactivity. The next steps of this work will be to investigate the linear response using 2-dimensional density profiles.
Scintillator design is an important aspect in constructing a radiographic facility in order to collect the most robust data possible. For the proposed Enhanced Capabilities for Sub-critical Experiment (ECSE) facility in Nevada, we explored a permutation of 13 segmented scintillator designs in order to understand the best performance and trade offs for each design. We calculated the quantum efficiency, Swank factor, and detective quantum efficiency at zero-frequency (DQE(0)) for each scintillator design in order to compare performance.
We will develop new and improved methods that will enable a fuller and more extensive use of experimental data, such as from radiographic imaging, towards better characterizing and reducing uncertainties in predictive modeling of weapons performance. We will achieve this by leveraging recent developments in the areas of computational imaging, statistical and machine learning, and reduced order modeling. Key new aspects of our approach include (a) a coupling of deep learning based density reconstruction with fast hydrodynamics simulators that will permit the development of certain guarantees on extrapolatability and bounds on certain other hydrodynamics-related para- metric uncertainties and (b) a dual approach towards better characterizing uncertainties in density reconstruction using deep learning based surrogates to accelerate Bayesian reconstructions on the one hand and using variational inference and Bayesian machine learning on the other hand.
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With a multi-lab and university team, we propose to develop new methods for a Hydrodynamic and Radiographic Toolbox (HART) that will enable a fuller and more extensive use of experimental radiographic data towards better characterizing and reducing uncertainties in predictive modeling of weapons performance. We will achieve this by leveraging recent developments in areas of computational imaging, statistical and machine learning, and reduced order modeling of hydrodynamics. In terms of software practices, by partnering with XCP (RISTRA Project) we will conform to recent XCP standards that are inline with modern software practices and standards and ensure compatibility and ease of inter-operability with existing codes. Three new activities under this proposal include (a) the development and use of deep learning-based surrogates to accelerate reconstruction and variational inference of density fields from radiographs of hydrotests, (b) a model-data fusion strategy that couples deep learning-based density reconstructions with fast hydrodynamics simulators to better constrain the reconstruction, and (c) a method for treating asymmetries using techniques adopted from limited view tomography. All three new activities will be based on improved treatment of scatter, noise, beam spot movement, detector blur, and flat fielding in the forward model, and a use of sophisticated priors to aid in the re construction. The improvements to the forward model and improved algorithmic design of the reconstruction when complete will be contained in the iterative reconstruction code SHIVA—a code project that we have recently initiated. The many ways in which machine learning can be used in the reconstruction work will be contained in a code HERMES that has been initiated with DTRA support. For example, the significant levels of acceleration that will likely be achieved by the use of machine learning techniques will permit us (and are required) to quantify uncertainties in density retrievals. Next, the two-way coupling between density reconstruction and model-based simulation of the hydrodynamics will be contained in code EREBUS, and will permit a fuller realization of the potential of the data to constrain the hydrodynamic model and better address issues related to asymmetries in the problem. Finally, we anticipate that the better consistency with physics achieved in our reconstructions will allow them to be used by X-Division more so than today.