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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 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Semiconductor-insulator transition in VO{sub 2} (B) thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Thin films of B-phase VO{sub 2} were grown by pulsed-laser deposition on glass and (100)-cut MgO substrates in a temperature range from 375 to 425 °C and at higher gas pressures than usual for this technique. The films were strongly oriented, with ab-planes parallel to the substrate surface. Detailed study of surface morphology through Atomic Force Microscopy images suggest significant differences in evolution as a function of growth temperature for films on the two types of substrates. Measurements of electrical conductivities through cooling-heating cycles from room temperature to 120 K showed changes of five orders of magnitude, with steeper changes between room temperature and ∼150 K, which corresponds with the extended and reversible phase transition known to occur for this material. At lower temperatures conductivities exhibited Arrhenius behavior, indicating that no further structural change was occurring and that conduction is thermally activated. In this lower temperature range, conductivity of the samples can be described by the near-neighbor hopping model. No hysteresis was found between the cooling and heating braches of the cycles, which is at variance with previous results published for VO{sub 2} (B). This apparent lack of hysteresis for thin films grown in the manner described and the large conductivity variation as a function of temperature observed for the samples suggests this material could be of interest for infrared sensing applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

The velocity deviations of secondary electrons and the main condition of phase stability in two-sided multipactors

The conditions for secondary emission of electrons and the occurrence of discharge have been analyzed in detail with a plane-parallel model. According to the traditional theory of a resonance discharge (referred to as “simple resonance theory”), the velocity deviation of secondary electrons has no effect on multipactor (MP) zones. In this work, the effect of such deviations from resonance value in two-sided multipactors has been investigated using a different approach. In a previous study [M. Mostajeran and M. Lamehi Rachti, J. Instrum. 5, P08003 (2010)], a stability equation was derived considering only the phase deviation from the resonant phase. Here, the approach used in that paper has been extended to include velocity deviations as well. It is shown that phase and velocity deviations, which may not be considered small, support MP zones. Theoretical calculations are then compared with numerical results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Femtosecond laser structuring of silver-containing glass: Silver redistribution, selective etching, and surface topology engineering

Femtosecond direct laser writing in silver-containing phosphate glasses allows for the three-dimensional (3D) implementation of complex photonic structures. Sample translation along or perpendicular to the direction of the beam propagation has been performed, which led to the permanent formation of fluorescent structures, either corresponding to a tubular shape or to two parallel planes at the vicinity of the interaction voxel, respectively. These optical features are related to significant modifications of the local material chemistry. Indeed, silver depletion areas with a diameter below 200 nm were evidenced at the center of the photo-produced structures while photo-produced luminescence properties are attributed to the formation of silver clusters around the multiphoton interaction voxel. The laser-triggered oxidation-reduction processes and the associated photo-induced silver redistribution are proposed to be at the origin of the observed original 3D luminescent structures. Thanks to such material structuring, surface engineering has been also demonstrated. Selective surface chemical etching of the glass has been obtained subsequently to laser writing at the location of the photo-produced structures, revealing features with nanometric depth profiles and radial dimensions strongly related to the spatial distributions of the silver clusters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Investigation on the similarity law of low-pressure glow discharges based on the light intensity distributions in geometrically similar gaps

Experimental investigation of the light intensity distributions of a low-pressure glow discharge is carried out in several pairs of geometrically similar plane-parallel gaps, of which the aspect ratios and the products of the linear dimension and the gas pressure are the same. The discharge images are captured using a Charge Coupled Device camera, from which the corresponding axial light intensity distributions are presented. Based on the obtained light intensity distributions, the thicknesses of cathode fall layers were identified by measuring the distance between the peak glow position and the cathode boundary. The influence of the discharge current on the light intensity distributions on the geometrically similar gaps is also investigated. It was found that, for discharges in each pair of geometrically similar gaps, the reduced cathode fall thicknesses are observed to be identical when the discharge currents are the same. In conclusion, the similarity relation of the cathode fall thickness is validated for low-pressure glow discharges in gaps for different aspect ratios.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Enhancement-mode two-channel triple quantum dot from an undoped Si/Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 quantum well hetero-structure

Here, we demonstrate coupled triple dot operation and charge sensing capability for the recently introduced quantum dot technology employing undoped Si/Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 hetero-structures which also incorporate a single metal-gate layer to simplify fabrication. Si/SiGe hetero-structures with a Ge concentration of 20% rather than the more usual 30% typically encountered offer higher electron mobility. The devices consist of two in-plane parallel electron channels that host a double dot in one channel and a single dot in the other channel. In a device where the channels are sufficiently close a triple dot in a triangular configuration is induced leading to regions in the charge stability diagram where three charge-addition lines of different slope approach each other and anti-cross. In a device where the channels are further apart, the single dot charge-senses the double dot with relative change of ~2% in the sensor current.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Two-dimensional parametric design of short pulse laser driven iron opacity experiments

High intensity short pulse lasers are commonly used to create high temperature and high density plasmas. These plasmas are used to study fundamental properties such as the equation of state and opacity. The targets often use small-diameter, thin buried layers of the materials of interest, surrounded by a tamper of low atomic number material such as plastic. Computational modeling is used to design and interpret experiments with short pulse lasers. Most of the modeling to date has assumed one-dimensional plane-parallel geometry. In this paper, the effects of radial gradients in the irradiation of thin planar targets are studied with one- and two-dimensional radiation/hydrodynamic simulations. It is found that the main effect of radial gradients is the averaging of plasma conditions and x-ray emission over the pattern of irradiation. Additionally, differences between one- and two-dimensional simulations arise because the plasma conditions and x-ray emission are, in general, nonlinear functions of the temperature of the plasma and thereby also nonlinear functions of the irradiation intensity. The differences increase with the ratio of the buried layer radius to the laser spot radius. The root mean square difference in the inferred iron L-shell opacity is less than 30% when the ratio is less than 1.0 and about 70% when the ratio is 1.5.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Polar liquids at charged interfaces: A dipolar shell theory

The structure of polar liquids and electrolytic solutions, such as water and aqueous electrolytes, at interfaces underlies numerous phenomena in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. In this work, we develop a continuum theory that captures the essential features of dielectric screening by polar liquids at charged interfaces, including decaying spatial oscillations in charge and mass, starting from the molecular properties of the solvent. The theory predicts an anisotropic dielectric tensor of interfacial polar liquids previously studied in molecular dynamics simulations. We explore the effect of the interfacial polar liquid properties on the capacitance of the electrode/electrolyte interface and on hydration forces between two plane-parallel polarized surfaces. In the linear response approximation, we obtain simple formulas for the characteristic decay lengths of molecular and ionic profiles at the interface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Divergence and polarisation of radiation of a wide-aperture chemical DF laser with an unstable resonator

Influence of a plane-parallel plate, placed inside an unstable resonator and entirely overlapping the beam cross section, on the polarisation and divergence of wide-aperture DF-laser radiation is studied at various angles of plate inclination to the resonator axis. It is shown that the plate inside a resonator has no effect on the radiation divergence and only requires a corresponding shift of a convex mirror in order to keep the resonator confocal. A noticeable change in the radiation polarisation has been observed only at angles of plate inclination greater than 20°; at angles of above 45° the radiation becomes actually linearly polarised. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Strong texturing of lithium metal in batteries

Lithium, with its high theoretical specific capacity and lowest electrochemical potential, has been recognized as the ultimate negative electrode material for next-generation lithium-based high-energy-density batteries. However, a key challenge that has yet to be overcome is the inferior reversibility of Li plating and stripping, typically thought to be related to the uncontrollable morphology evolution of the Li anode during cycling. Here we show that Li-metal texturing (preferential crystallographic orientation) occurs during electrochemical deposition, which governs the morphological change of the Li anode. X-ray diffraction pole-figure analysis demonstrates that the texture of Li deposits is primarily dependent on the type of additive or cross-over molecule from the cathode side. With adsorbed additives, like LiNO 3 and polysulfide, the lithium deposits are strongly textured, with Li (110) planes parallel to the substrate, and thus exhibit uniform, rounded morphology. A growth diagram of lithium deposits is given to connect various texture and morphology scenarios for different battery electrolytes. In conclusion, this understanding of lithium electrocrystallization from the crystallographic point of view provides significant insight for future lithium anode materials design in high-energy-density batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION MULTI-LINE STUDY OF HH 1 AND 2

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrow band images of the bright Herbig–Haro (HH) objects HH 1 and 2 in the light of the Hα, Hβ, [O i] 6300, [O ii] 3726+28, [O iii] 5007 and [S ii] 6716+30 emission lines. The resulting emission and line ratio maps give an improved picture of the physical structure of these HH objects, showing the presence of spatially limited, high excitation/ionization ridges. We find that HH 1 has a morphology that could be interpreted in terms of a single, asymmetric bow shock, and that many of the clumps of HH 2 fall in two bow-shaped structures of different excitations. We also construct two-line ratio plots showing clear trends, which are much simpler than the highly complex spatial distributions of the emission, and are therefore interesting for testing shock models of HH objects (we only present a comparison with previously published, steady plane-parallel shock models). We have also used the temperature-sensitive [O i]/[S ii] line ratio to evaluate the temperature range and to obtain temperature maps of HH 1 and 2. We find that this line ratio picks out emitting regions with temperatures ≈10{sup 4} K, except along the leading edges of the HH 1 and 2 bow shocks (in which temperatures of ∼3 → 5 × 10{sup 4} K are obtained)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

INSTABILITY OF MAGNETIZED IONIZATION FRONTS SURROUNDING H II REGIONS

An ionization front (IF) surrounding an H II region is a sharp interface where a cold neutral gas makes the transition to a warm ionized phase by absorbing UV photons from central stars. We investigate the instability of a plane-parallel D-type IF threaded by parallel magnetic fields, by neglecting the effects of recombination within the ionized gas. We find that weak D-type IFs always have the post-IF magnetosonic Mach number M{sub M2}≤1. For such fronts, magnetic fields increase the maximum propagation speed of the IFs, while reducing the expansion factor α by a factor of 1 + 1/(2β{sub 1}) compared to the unmagnetized case, with β{sub 1} denoting the plasma beta in the pre-IF region. IFs become unstable to distortional perturbations owing to gas expansion across the fronts, exactly analogous to the Darrieus-Landau instability of ablation fronts in terrestrial flames. The growth rate of the IF instability is proportional linearly to the perturbation wavenumber, as well as the upstream flow speed, and approximately to α{sup 1/2}. The IF instability is stabilized by gas compressibility and becomes completely quenched when the front is D-critical. The instability is also stabilized by magnetic pressure when the perturbations propagate in the direction perpendicular to the fields. When the perturbations propagate in the direction parallel to the fields, on the other hand, it is magnetic tension that reduces the growth rate, completely suppressing the instability when M{sub M2}{sup 2}<2/(2β{sub 1}−1). When the front experiences an acceleration, the IF instability cooperates with the Rayleigh-Taylor instability to make the front more unstable.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

PROPERTIES OF THE MAGNETO-IONIC MEDIUM IN THE HALO OF M51 REVEALED BY WIDE-BAND POLARIMETRY

We present a study of the magneto-ionic medium in the Whirlpool galaxy (M51) using new wide-band multi-configuration polarization data at L band (1-2 GHz) obtained at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. By fitting the observed diffuse complex polarization Q+iU as a function of wavelength directly to various depolarization models, we find that polarized emission from M51 at 1-2 GHz originates from the top of the synchrotron disk and then experiences Faraday rotation in the near-side thermal halo of the galaxy. Thus, the scale height of the thermal gas must exceed that of the synchrotron emitting gas at L band. The observed Faraday depth distribution at L band is consistent with a halo field that is comprised of a plane-parallel bisymmetric component and a vertical component that produces a Faraday rotation of ∼–9 rad m{sup –2}. The derived rotation measure (RM) structure functions indicate a characteristic scale of RM fluctuations of less than 560 pc in the disk and approximately 1 kpc in the halo. The outer scale of turbulence of 1 kpc found in the halo of M51 is consistent with superbubbles and the Parker instability being the main energy injection mechanisms in galactic halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DESTRUCTION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST IN EVOLVING SUPERNOVA REMNANT SHOCK WAVES

Supernova generated shock waves are responsible for most of the destruction of dust grains in the interstellar medium (ISM). Calculations of the dust destruction timescale have so far been carried out using plane parallel steady shocks, however, that approximation breaks down when the destruction timescale becomes longer than that for the evolution of the supernova remnant (SNR) shock. In this paper we present new calculations of grain destruction in evolving, radiative SNRs. To facilitate comparison with the previous study by Jones et al., we adopt the same dust properties as in that paper. We find that the efficiencies of grain destruction are most divergent from those for a steady shock when the thermal history of a shocked gas parcel in the SNR differs significantly from that behind a steady shock. This occurs in shocks with velocities ≳200 km s{sup −1} for which the remnant is just beginning to go radiative. Assuming SNRs evolve in a warm phase dominated ISM, we find dust destruction timescales are increased by a factor of ∼2 compared to those of Jones et al., who assumed a hot gas dominated ISM. Recent estimates of supernova rates and ISM mass lead to another factor of ∼3 increase in the destruction timescales, resulting in a silicate grain destruction timescale of ∼2–3 Gyr. These increases, while not able to resolve the problem of the discrepant timescales for silicate grain destruction and creation, are an important step toward understanding the origin and evolution of dust in the ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

VISCOUS BOUNDARY LAYERS OF RADIATION-DOMINATED, RELATIVISTIC JETS. I. THE TWO-STREAM MODEL

Using the relativistic equations of radiation hydrodynamics in the viscous limit, we analyze the boundary layers that develop between radiation-dominated jets and their environments. In this paper we present the solution for the self-similar, 2D, plane-parallel two-stream problem, wherein the jet and the ambient medium are considered to be separate, interacting fluids, and we compare our results to those of previous authors. (In a companion paper we investigate an alternative scenario, known as the free-streaming jet model.) Consistent with past findings, we show that the boundary layer that develops between the jet and its surroundings creates a region of low-density material. These models may be applicable to sources such as super-Eddington tidal disruption events and long gamma-ray bursts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Kinetic simulation of a low-pressure helium discharge with comparison to experimental measurements

Modern computational validation efforts rely on comparison of known experimental quantities such as current, voltage, particle densities, and other plasma properties with the same values determined through simulation. A discrete photon approach for radiation transport was recently incorporated into a particle-in-cell/direct simulation Monte Carlo code. As a result, spatially and temporally resolved synthetic spectra may be generated even for non-equilibrium plasmas. The generation of this synthetic spectra lends itself to potentially new validation opportunities. In this work, initial comparisons of synthetic spectra are made with experimentally gathered optical emission spectroscopy. A custom test apparatus was constructed that contains a 0.5 cm gap distance parallel plane discharge in ultra high purity helium gas (99.9999%) at a pressure of 75 Torr. Plasma generation is initiated with the application of a fast rise-time, 100 ns full-width half maximum, 2.0 kV voltage pulse. Transient electrical diagnostics are captured along with time-resolved emission spectra. A one-dimensional simulation is run under the same conditions and compared against the experiment to determine if sufficient physics are included to model the discharge. To sync the current measurements from experiment and simulation, significant effort was undertaken to understand the kinetic scheme required to reproduce the observed features. Additionally, the role of the helium molecule excimer emission and atomic helium resonance emission on photocurrent from the cathode are studied to understand which effect dominates photo-feedback processes. Results indicate that during discharge development, atomic helium resonance emission dominates the photo-flux at the cathode even though it is strongly self-absorbed. A comparison between the experiment and simulation demonstrates that the simulation reproduces observed features in the experimental discharge current waveform. Here, the synthesized spectra from the kinetic method produces more favorable agreement with the experimental data than a simple local thermodynamic equilibrium calculation and is a first step towards using spectra generated from a kinetic method in validation procedures. The results of this study produced a detailed compilation of important helium plasma chemistry reactions for simulating transient helium plasma discharges.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electron density measurements and calculations in a helium capacitively-coupled radio-frequency plasma

We report a comparison of inferred electron density (n e ) in a He capacitively-coupled plasma, deduced from laser-collision induced fluorescence measurements, with values computed using a hybrid simulation framework based on particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions simulations and a fluid model for excited He atoms. The studies were carried out for gas pressures between 50 mTorr and 1000 mTorr and peak-to-peak radio-frequency (13.56 MHz) voltages between 150 V and 350 V, in a highly symmetric source equipped with plane-parallel electrodes. A good agreement is found between the experimental and modeling results for n e except at the lowest operating voltages and gas pressures. The (effective) electron temperature (T e ) values derived by the two methods agree as well reasonably within the plasma bulk. The simulation results are used to compare the density distributions of He + and various He excited levels and their major populating and de-populating channels at 100 mTorr and 1000 mTorr.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Imprint of non-linear effects on HI intensity mapping on large scales

Intensity mapping of the HI brightness temperature provides a unique way of tracing large-scale structures of the Universe up to the largest possible scales. This is achieved by using a low angular resolution radio telescopes to detect emission line from cosmic neutral Hydrogen in the post-reionization Universe. We use general relativistic perturbation theory techniques to derive for the first time the full expression for the HI brightness temperature up to third order in perturbation theory without making any plane-parallel approximation. We use this result and the renormalization prescription for biased tracers to study the impact of nonlinear effects on the power spectrum of HI brightness temperature both in real and redshift space. We show how mode coupling at nonlinear order due to nonlinear bias parameters and redshift space distortion terms modulate the power spectrum on large scales. The large scale modulation may be understood to be due to the effective bias parameter and effective shot noise.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Edge-localized-mode simulation in CFETR steady-state scenario

We report the EPED1 model and self-consistent core-pedestal coupling in integrated modeling are used to design the pedestal structure of the China Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) steady-state scenario. The key parameters, such as β p and q 95 , are based on the grassy edge-localized-mode (ELM) experimental database. In this work, we use the BOUT++ six-field two-fluid code to simulate the onset of the ELM in the CFETR steady-state scenario. The ELM size is around 0.2% in nonlinear simulations, which is in the experimental range of the grassy ELM discharges, 0.1%–1% observed in multiple tokamak devices. Linear and nonlinear simulations show that the dominant high-n ballooning modes peak around n = 40. Compared to type-I ELM crashing dynamics, grassy ELM crashing has a smaller initial crash and is then followed by three phases of turbulence spreading, which are dominated by multi-modes, a high-n mode of n = 45 and low-n mode of n = 5, respectively. In contras to type-I ELM, the perturbation of the high-n mode has a narrow width around ψ = 0.95, and magnetic island formation and reconnection occur only beyond ψ = 0.95, leading to a small initial crash. Mode–mode interaction in the multi-mode coexistence stage stops the growth of individual modes and reduces the transport of particles and heat, and these are the two reasons why the ELM size is small. In–out asymmetry of transient heat flux with a ratio of E out /E in = 3.5 is found during grassy ELM crash. The rise and delay times of the heat flux match the calculation from the free-streaming model. To evaluate the erosion of the divertor target, the energy fluence at the outer divertor target is calculated, which is 0.029 MJ m -2 , 5.5 times smaller than the tungsten melting limit 0.16 MJ m -2 . The calculated energy fluency still follows the experimental scaling law from type-I ELM experiments. The fluctuation eddies in the toroidal direction show a filament structure at the outer mid-plane. Parallel heat flux patterns with a toroidal mode number n = 10 are found at the outer divertor with an amplitude of 680 MW m -2 .

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗