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Results for “PLASMA PRESSURE”

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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Ion optical effects in a low pressure rf plasma

Ion optical effects in low pressure gas discharges are introduced as a novel input into low pressure plasma technology. They are based on appropriate geometrical plasma confinements which enable a control of the shape of internal density and potential distributions and, hence, the ion motion in the plasma bulk. Such effects are exemplified for an electron cyclotron wave resonance plasma in Ar at 1–5 × 10{sup −3} millibars. The geometry of the plasma chamber is modified by a conical and a cylindrical insert. Computer simulations display spherical plasma density contours to be formed around the conical confinement. This effects an increase of the ratio of the ion currents into the conical and the cylindrical inserts which depends on the fourth power of the plasma electron temperature. A quantitative understanding of this behavior is presented. As another essential result, the shape of the internal plasma contours is found to be independent of the pressure controlled plasma parameters.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of an RF-driven argon plasma at atmospheric pressure using broadband absorption and optical emission spectroscopy

Atmospheric pressure plasmas in argon are of particular interest due to the production of highly excited and reactive species enabling numerous plasma-aided applications. In this contribution, we report on absolute optical emission and absorption spectroscopy of a radio frequency (RF) driven capacitively coupled argon glow discharge operated in a parallel-plate configuration. This enabled the study of all key parameters including electron density and temperature, gas temperature, and absolute densities of atoms in highly electronically excited states. The space and time-averaged electron density and temperature were determined from the measurement of the absolute intensity of the electron-atom bremsstrahlung in the visible range. Considering the non-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function, an electron temperature (T e ) of 2.1 eV and an electron density (n e ) of 1.1 × 10 19 m –3 were obtained. The time-averaged and spatially resolved absolute densities of atoms in the metastable (1s 5 and 1s 3 ) and resonant (1s 4 and 1s 2 ) states of argon in pure Ar and Ar/He mixture were obtained by broadband absorption spectroscopy. The 1s 5 metastable atoms had the largest density near the sheath region with a maximum value of 8 × 10 17 m –3 , while all other 1s states had densities of at most 2 × 10 17 m –3 . Here, the dominant production and loss mechanisms of these atoms were discussed, in particular, the role of radiation trapping. We conclude with a comparison of the plasma properties of the argon RF glow discharges with the more common He equivalent and highlight their differences.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Characteristics of the Plasma Generated by Primary Electrons at Lowered Pressure

Plasma characteristics in the gap at lowered pressure in the presence of primary electrons are analyzed for the hydrodynamic model in the cold ion approximation. It is demonstrated that at a certain critical ionization level, the plasma state changes abruptly. The potential drop in the plasma can be not only more, but also less than ln(2)kTe/e, and hence the velocity of ions exiting from the plasma can be more or less than the Bohm velocity. For low ionization intensity and formation of the plasma with a high fraction of primary electrons, the velocity of secondary electron exiting from the plasma becomes equal to their thermal velocity, and their distribution differs significantly from the Boltzmann distribution.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Optical properties of the atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet generated by alternative current (a.c.) power supply

In this work, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was produced to generate cold flowing post-discharge plasma of pure helium gas. The main aim of this study was to generate cold flowing APPJ of pure helium gas and to determine how their optical emission spectrum change influences varying different flow rates. Lengths of early, middle, and late post-discharge plasma (jet) regions and their fluctuations were determined, respectively. Then, ignition condition dependence of the post-discharge plasma for flow rate was specified at a constant voltage. Spectroscopic studies of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet of helium were presented via analyzing OH, N{sub 2}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, oxygen, and helium intensities for various flow rates.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Collaborative Research: Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Biomaterial Surface Interactions - Bridging Understanding of APP Sources to Rational Modification of Biomolecules

The overriding objective of this work is to bridge the gap between understanding of atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) sources and predictive chemical modifications of biomolecules. A key aspect of this problem is to understand what oxidizing species are created in water adjacent to APP jets that would ultimately affect aqueous biomolecules. We report the production of highly oxidative species in solutions exposed to a self-pulsed corona discharge in air. We examine how the properties of the target solution (pH, conductivity) and the discharge power affect the discharge stability and the production of H2O2. Indigo carmine, a common organic dye, is used as an indicator of oxidative strength and in particular, hydroxyl radical (OH•) production. The observed rate of indigo oxidation in contact with the discharge far exceeds that predicted from reactions based on concentrations of species measured in the bulk solution. The generation of H2O2 and the oxidation of indigo carmine indicate a high concentration of highly oxidizing species such as OH• at the plasma-liquid interface. These results indicate that reactions at the air plasma-liquid interface play a dominant role in species oxidation during direct non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma (NE-APP) treatment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

PLASMA FLOWS AT VOYAGER 2 AWAY FROM THE MEASURED SUPRATHERMAL PRESSURES

Plasma flows measured by Voyager 2 show a clear rotation away from radially outward with increasing penetration into the inner heliosheath while the overall flow speed remains roughly constant. However, the direction of rotation is far more into the transverse, and less into the polar direction, than predicted. No current model reproduces the key observational results of (1) the direction of flow rotation or (2) constancy of the flow speed. Here we show that the direction is consistent with flow away from the region of maximum pressure in the inner heliosheath, ∼20° south of the upwind direction, as measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Further, we show that the dominance of the suprathermal ion pressure in the inner heliosheath measured by IBEX can explain both the observed flow rotation and constancy of the flow speed. These results indicate the critical importance of suprathermal ions in the physics of the inner heliosheath and have significant implications for understanding this key region of the heliosphere's interstellar interaction and astrophysical plasmas more broadly.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Role of ambient dielectric in propagation of Ar atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma jets

A single-electrode atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma jet surrounded with different ambient dielectrics is investigated driven by AC power supply. Another three ambient dielectrics, distilled water, ethanol, and carbon tetrachloride, are adopted to compare with air. By examining electrical and optical characteristics, it was found that the molecular polarity of ambient dielectrics had its significant effect on the propagation of atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma jets. When the polarization of molecules was enhanced, the discharge current and the bullet velocity were also increased. For nonpolar dielectric of carbon tetrachloride, this was mainly resulted from the electron polarization in the built-in electric field. For polar dielectrics of ethanol and distilled water, in addition to the electron polarization, orientation polarization was the main cause for the further increase in discharge current and bullet velocity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding the Mechanisms of Self-Organization in Atmospheric Pressure DC Glows

One of the most challenging areas in atmospheric pressure plasmas is controlling uniformity and contact area. Indeed it is this problem which is closely related to scale up that has impeded the widespread applications of these plasmas. The atmospheric pressure plasma glow is a type of atmospheric pressure discharge akin to a traditional low pressure glow particularly when compared with discharge morphology. But this is where the similarities end. Unlike low pressure glows, atmospheric pressure glows do not rely on electrode processes such as secondary electron emission to make the discharge self-sustaining, rather the discharge is sustained by typically processes such as the presence of a resistive layer or through favorable atomic collisional processes such as that which prevail in helium that stabilizes the discharge so that the thermal instability is mitigated. These discharges can feature either solid metal electrodes or geometries where at least one electrode is a liquid water electrolyte. Regardless of the implementation, DC 1 Atm glows are fascinating in that the plasma attachment under certain conditions can self-organize. The attachment surface area therefore changes as a result. Therefore, self-organization could be the key to optimizing plasma contact area and thereby open the door to applications in the real world. The plasma physical processes prevailing at the surface where the self-organization takes place remain largely unexplored. There is very little published research on the conditions that prevail at the surface and virtually no scholarship on measured plasma parameters of the self-organized attachments themselves or the surface electric field. This effort breaks new ground by elucidating these largely unexplored physical processes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Energy density dependence of hydrogen combustion efficiency in atmospheric pressure microwave plasma

The recovery of tritium in nuclear fusion plants is a key issue for safety. So far, the oxidation procedure using an atmospheric pressure plasma is expected to be part of the recovery method. In this study, in order to clarify the mechanism of hydrogen oxidation by plasma chemistry, we have investigated the dependence of hydrogen combustion efficiency on gas flow rate and input power in the atmospheric pressure microwave plasma. It has been found that the combustion efficiency depends on energy density of absorbed microwave power. Hence, the energy density is considered as a key parameter for combustion processes. Also neutral gas temperatures inside and outside the plasma were measured by an optical emission spectroscopy method and thermocouple. The result shows that the neutral gas temperature in the plasma is much higher than the outside temperature of plasma. The high neutral gas temperature may affect the combustion reaction. (authors)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Absolute atomic oxygen and nitrogen densities in radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure cold plasmas: Synchrotron vacuum ultra-violet high-resolution Fourier-transform absorption measurements

Reactive atomic species play a key role in emerging cold atmospheric pressure plasma applications, in particular, in plasma medicine. Absolute densities of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen were measured in a radio-frequency driven non-equilibrium plasma operated at atmospheric pressure using vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) absorption spectroscopy. The experiment was conducted on the DESIRS synchrotron beamline using a unique VUV Fourier-transform spectrometer. Measurements were carried out in plasmas operated in helium with air-like N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} (4:1) admixtures. A maximum in the O-atom concentration of (9.1 {+-} 0.7) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} m{sup -3} was found at admixtures of 0.35 vol. %, while the N-atom concentration exhibits a maximum of (5.7 {+-} 0.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} m{sup -3} at 0.1 vol. %.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

New Applications of Langmuir Probes

In this work, two new possibilities for standard probe diagnostics are described. The first one can be used to study isotropic, collisionless low-pressure plasma in which the electron energy distribution function is close to a Maxwellian one. In such plasmas, the Boltzmann law, Bohm effect, and 3/2 power law are valid. Use of corresponding system of equations for cylindrical Langmuir probes allowed for measurements of probe sheath thicknesses and the mean ion mass. The solution of this task was provided by accurate probe diagnostics of inductive xenon plasma at pressure p = 2 mTorr that resulted in the determination of the Bohm coefficient C{sub BCyl} = 1.22. The second possibility of probe diagnostics includes a method and device for evaluation of ion current density to a wall under a floating potential using a radially movable plane wall Langmuir probe simulator. This measurement in the same xenon plasma served as the basis for development of an ion source in which the given wall was represented by an ion extracting electrode of the ion extraction grid system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of Ni catalyst activation during plasma-assisted methane oxidation

Atmospheric pressure plasma has shown promise in improving thermally activated catalytic reactions through a process termed plasma-catalysis synergy. In this work, we investigated atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-assisted CH 4 oxidation over a Ni/SiO 2 .Al 2 O 3 catalyst. Downstream gas-phase products from CH 4 conversion were quantified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The catalyst near-surface region was characterized by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. The catalyst was observed to be activated at elevated temperature (500 °C) if it was exposed to the APPJ operated at large plasma power. 'Catalyst activation' signifies that the purely thermal conversion of CH 4 using catalysts which had been pre-exposed to plasma became more intense and produced consistently CO product, even if the plasma was extinguished. Without the application of the APPJ to the Ni catalyst surface this was not observed at 500 °C. The study of different exposure conditions of the activated catalyst indicates that the reduction of the catalyst by the APPJ is likely the cause of the catalyst activation. We also observed a systematic shift of the vibrational frequency of adsorbed CO on Ni catalyst when plasma operating conditions and catalyst temperatures were varied and discussed possible explanations for the observed changes. Furthermore, this work provides insights into the plasma-catalyst interaction, especially catalyst modification in the plasma catalysis process, and potentially demonstrates the possibility of utilizing the surface CO as a local probe to understand the plasma-catalyst interaction and shed light on the complexity of plasma catalysis.

methane oxidation↗
NASA NTRS1992

The stability of the near-Earth magnetotail against the ballooning instability

In an extension to a previous study, conditions for the ballooning instability in the magnetohydrodynamic approximation are derived. It is necessary for exciting the ballooning instability that the plasma pressure is higher where plasma is convected outward. However, the expansion of plasma, which results from the divergence of outward flows in the curved geometry of field lines, may overcompensate for the convective change in the plasma pressure. Conditions for the instability are derived from the equation describing the linear coupling between the Alfven and slow magnetosonic waves. The result indicates that excessive curvature stabilizes, rather than destabilizes, perturbations, as well as the field aligned current and the field aligned flow. That is the field line curvature should be smaller than the pressure gradient for exciting the ballooning instability. It is inferred that this condition is not satisfied during quiet times in the near Earth tail. The plasma sheet becomes more stable to the instability in accordance with the thinning of the plasma sheets during the growth phase of substorms, while in the region nearer to the Earth (the inner edge of the plasma sheet or the ring current region) the plasma pressure gradient, which is possibly localized during the growth phase, may drive the instability.

Ohtani, Shin-Ichi↗
DOE OSTI2015

Axisymmetric global gravitational equilibrium for magnetized, rotating hot plasma

In this work, we present analytic solutions for three-dimensional magnetized axisymmetric equilibria confining rotating hot plasma in a gravitational field. Our up–down symmetric solution to the full Grad–Shafranov equation can exhibit equatorial plane localization of the plasma density and current, resulting in disk equilibria for the plasma density. For very weak magnetic fields and high plasma pressure, we find strongly rotating thin plasma disk gravitational equilibria that satisfy strict Keplerian motion provided the gravitational energy is much larger than the plasma pressure, which must be large compared to the magnetic energy of the poloidal magnetic field. When the rotational energy exceeds the gravitational energy and it is larger than the plasma pressure, diffuse disk equilibrium solutions continue to exist provided the poloidal magnetic energy remains small. For stronger magnetic fields and lower plasma pressure and rotation, we can also find gravitational equilibria with strong localization to the equatorial plane. However, a toroidal magnetic field is almost always necessary to numerically verify these equilibria are valid solutions in the presence of gravity for the cases considered in Catto & Krasheninnikov (J. Plasma Phys., vol. 81, 2015, 105810301). In all cases both analytic and numerical results are presented.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dynamics of plasma expansion and shockwave formation in femtosecond laser-ablated aluminum plumes in argon gas at atmospheric pressures

Plasma expansion with shockwave formation during laser ablation of materials in a background gasses is a complex process. The spatial and temporal evolution of pressure, temperature, density, and velocity fields is needed for its complete understanding. We have studied the expansion of femtosecond (fs) laser-ablated aluminum (Al) plumes in Argon (Ar) gas at 0.5 and 1 atmosphere (atm). The expansion of the plume is investigated experimentally using shadowgraphy and fast-gated imaging. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is also carried out. The position of the shock front measured by shadowgraphy and fast-gated imaging is then compared to that obtained from the CFD modeling. The results from the three methods are found to be in good agreement, especially during the initial stage of plasma expansion. The computed time- and space-resolved fields of gas-dynamic parameters have provided valuable insights into the dynamics of plasma expansion and shockwave formation in fs-pulse ablated Al plumes in Ar gas at 0.5 and 1 atm. These results are compared to our previous data on nanosecond (ns) laser ablation of Al [S. S. Harilal et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 083504 (2012)]. It is observed that both fs and ns plumes acquire a nearly spherical shape at the end of expansion in Ar gas at 1 atm. However, due to significantly lower pulse energy of the fs laser (5 mJ) compared to pulse energy of the ns laser (100 mJ) used in our studies, the values of pressure, temperature, mass density, and velocity are found to be smaller in the fs laser plume, and their time evolution occurs much faster on the same time scale. The oscillatory shock waves clearly visible in the ns plume are not observed in the internal region of the fs plume. These experimental and computational results provide a quantitative understanding of plasma expansion and shockwave formation in fs-pulse and ns-pulse laser ablated Al plumes in an ambient gas at atmospheric pressures.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗