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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

CEPS - A Compact Electron-Proton Spectrometer

Small mass/power sensors are needed for autonomous Moon surface ops that provide alerts to impending adverse space weather conditions. In order to use current operational forecasting tools, a sensor capable of measuring both high-energy electrons and protons is needed. By combining high-TRL Timepix technology with a CdTe layer, this project leverages known technology to fill a critical gap for surface operations. The proposed work will bring ability to provide warnings to crews to shelter with a device that can easily be carried on the Lunar and Martian surfaces.

Radiation↗
DOE OSTI2020

High Energy ERLs for Electron Cooling

Future electron-ion colliders such as the recently approved eRHIC collide high-intensity ion beams with high current electron beams. The electron beams take advantage of synchrotron radiation to damp emittances but the ion beams must be cooled via some beam-cooling mechanism, including electron cooling. The ion energies are typically a few hundreds of GeV per nucleon. At this energy, a DC cooler powered by an electrostatic accelerator, the preferred cooling approach on existing machines, is not feasible. An ERL, in principle, can provide the high current and brightness to cool these high-brightness ion beams. The beam quality requirements are much different from previous ERLs designs used for FELs. The cooling bunch must be very long to match the ion beam and the relative energy spread must be very small. Incoherent cooling can be enhanced with magnetized beams, but the magnetization must be maintained throughout the ERL. An alternate cooling mechanism, the so-called Coherent Electron Cooling, is, in principle, stronger and can be done with non-magnetized beams. We will present two applications of an ERL to high energy electron cooling and describe some of the technical challenges that must be overcome to operate such an ERL

Benson, Stephen↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Laser Frequency Transverse Modulation Might Compensate for the Spectral Broadening Due to Large Electron Energy Spread in Thomson Sources

Compact laser plasma accelerators generate high-energy electron beams with increasing quality. When used in inverse Compton backscattering, however, the relatively large electron energy spread jeopardizes potential applications requiring small bandwidths. We present here a novel interaction scheme that allows us to compensate for the negative effects of the electron energy spread on the spectrum, by introducing a transverse spatial frequency modulation in the laser pulse. Such a laser chirp, together with a properly dispersed electron beam, can substantially reduce the broadening of the Compton bandwidth due to the electron energy spread. We show theoretical analysis and numerical simulations for hard X-ray Thomson sources based on laser plasma accelerators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2009

Observations of High Energy Cosmic Ray Electrons by the ATIC Balloon Experiment

Recently the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) balloon experiment reported observations of high energy cosmic ray electrons over the energy range 300 to 800 GeV, indicating a feature or "bump" in the otherwise smoothly decreasing energy spectrum. The severe energy losses that occur as these high energy particles traverse the galaxy render the cosmic ray electron spectrum sensitive to local (a few kiloparsecs) sources and hence very interesting. The ATIC results are the first time that such a cosmic ray spectrum anomaly has been observed at high energy. Potential sources of this electron excess include pulsars, microquasars, supernovae remnants as well as the annihilation of exotic dark matter candidate particles. ATIC has had three successful high altitude flights over the continent of Antarctica 2000-2001, 2002-2003 and 2007-2008. Only results from the first two flights have been reported so far. During this talk we will discuss the ATIC experiment, the electron observations (including preliminary results from the most recent ATIC flight), examine the merits of the various source models and compare the ATIC observations with other recent measurements.

Guzik, T. G.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Transferring orbital angular momentum to an electron beam reveals toroidal and chiral order

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) and torque transfer play central roles in a wide range of magnetic textures and devices including skyrmions and spin-torque electronics. Analogous topological structures are now also being explored in ferroelectrics, including polarization vortex arrays in ferroelectric/dielectric superlattices. Unlike magnetic toroidal order, electric toroidal order does not couple directly to linear external fields. Instead, we find that the presence of an electric toroidal moment in a ferrorotational phase transfers measurable torque and OAM to a localized electron beam in the ballistic limit. We record these torque transfers from a high-energy electron beam using a momentum-resolved detector. This approach provides a high-sensitivity method to detect polarization fields and their more complex order parameters and topologies. In addition to toroidal order, we also demonstrate high-precision measurements of vorticity and chirality for polar vortexlike phases.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2024

Comparative Observations of the Outer Belt Electron Fluxes and Precipitated Relativistic Electrons

Relativistic electron precipitation (REP) refers to the release of high‐energy electrons initially trapped in the outer radiation belt, which then precipitate into Earth's upper atmosphere, contributing significantly to the rapid depletion of radiation belt electron flux. This study presents a statistical analysis of REP observations collected by the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) experiment aboard the International Space Station from 2015 to the present day. Specifically, the analysis utilizes count rates acquired from the two top scintillators constituting the top charge detector, each sensitive to electrons with energies above 1.5 and 3.4 MeV, respectively. Analysis of CALET data reveals a previously unreported semi‐annual variation in the occurrence of REP events. REP periodicities resemble those observed for trapped electron fluxes in the outer belt. Furthermore, their amplitude follows the overall trend of solar wind high‐speed streams and the solar activity.

Sergio E. Vidal-Luengo↗
DOE OSTI2025

Kinetic modeling of hot tail runaway electron generation during plasma disruptions using the JOREK code

The generation of runaway electrons (REs) during disruptions poses a significant challenge for the operation of tokamaks. The production of these high-energy electrons can cause substantial damage, particularly when the plasma current is high, making it a critical concern for ITER. For the high-temperature plasmas anticipated in ITER, the primary generation of REs may be dominated by the hot tail mechanism, which consists of the acceleration of hot electrons from the pre-disruption population which have not yet thermalized with the bulk following the rapid cooling of the plasma. To account for the significant 3D effects on RE production, a hot tail modeling framework has been developed within the non-linear 3D extended MHD code JOREK. This paper presents the structure of this framework, which is based on test electrons evolving in MHD fields. The verification of the method shows good agreement with the reference DREAM code for 0D test cases, as well as for axisymmetric simulations of 15 MA ITER H-mode disruption scenarios. Furthermore, a proof-of-principle application to a DIII-D case demonstrates the framework’s capability to capture for the first time the hot tail generation in 3D MHD simulations in realistic geometry. Preliminary results suggest that the production of REs is significantly reduced by stochastic losses.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measuring Saturn's Electron Beam Energy Spectrum using Webb's Wedges

It is very difficult to measure the voltage of the load on the Saturn accelerator. Time-resolved measurements such as vacuum voltmeters and V-dot monitors are impractical at best and completely change the pulsed power behavior at the load at worst. We would like to know the load voltage of the machine so that we could correctly model the radiation transport and tune our x-ray unfold methodology and circuit simulations of the accelerator. Step wedges have been used for decades as a tool to measure the end - point energies of high energy particle beams. Typically, the technique is used for multi-megavolt accelerators, but we have adapted it to Saturn's modest <2 MV end-point energy and modified the standard bremsstrahlung x-ray source to extract the electron beam without changing the physics of the load region. We found clear evidence of high energy electrons >2 MV. We also attempted to unfold an electron energy spectrum using a machine learning algorithm and while these results come with large uncertainties, they qualitatively agree with PIC simulation results.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1974

International Cosmic Ray Conference, 13th, University of Denver, Denver, Colo., August 17-30, 1973, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

Topics discussed include diffuse gamma rays, gamma ray sources (in particular, the Crab Nebula and Crab Pulsar), X-ray sources, isotopic and nuclear composition, spectra of nuclei, searches for antinuclei, studies of VH and VVH nuclei, measurements of electrons and positrons, the spectra of high-energy electrons, cosmic gamma rays, cosmic ray sources, interplanetary radial gradients, the theory and observation of electron modulation, short-period cosmic ray intensity variations, atmospheric and coupling effects on neutron monitors and muon telescopes, secondary particles and photons in the atmosphere, harmonics of diurnal variations, geomagnetic effects and cutoffs, planetary and interplanetary effects, solar particle access observations, long-term cosmic ray intensity modulation by solar activity and interplanetary effects, Forbush decreases, modulation and anisotropy of low-energy particles, the theory and models of solar particle propagation, solar flare particle composition, and relativistic solar particles. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1972

Energy Distribution of Electrons in Radiation Induced-Helium Plasmas

Energy distribution of high energy electrons as they slow down and thermalize in a gaseous medium is studied. The energy distribution in the entire energy range from source energies down is studied analytically. A helium medium in which primary electrons are created by the passage of heavy-charged particles from nuclear reactions is emphasized. A radiation-induced plasma is of interest in a variety of applications, such as radiation pumped lasers and gaseous core nuclear reactors.

Lo, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Jupiter radio bursts and particle acceleration

Particle acceleration processes are important in understanding many of the Jovian radio and plasma wave emissions. However, except for the high-energy electrons that generate synchrotron emission following inward diffusion from the outer magnetosphere, acceleration processes in Jupiter's magnetosphere and between Jupiter and Io are poorly understood. We discuss very recent observations from the Ulysses spacecraft of two new Jovian radio and plamas wave emissions in which particle acceleration processes are important and have been addressed directly by complementary investigations. First, radio bursts known as quasi-periodic bursts have been observed in close association with a population of highly energetic electrons. Second, a population of much lower energy (keV range) electrons on auroral field lines can be shown to be responsible for the first observation of a Jovian plasma wave emission known as auroral hiss.

Desch, Michael D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Surface and interface structures of epitaxial Sb 2 Se 3 on mica

Sb 2 Se 3 thin film is an emerging photon absorber used in solar cells. We report the study of surface and interface structures of Sb2Se3(1 2 0) film grown on mica substrate by a high-rate vapor transport method. The interface epitaxial relationship between Sb 2 Se 3 and mica examined by the cross- sectional TEM images and diffraction patterns along the [0 0 1] and [10] directions of Sb 2 Se 3 reveal a rectangular structure with lengths of 4.03 ± 0.1 Å and 5.29 ± 0.1 Å, consistent with the [1 2 0] out-of-plane direction of Sb 2 Se 3 bulk lattice parameters. In contrast, the two-dimensional reciprocal space map (2D map) constructed from azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction (ARHEED) patterns from the surface exhibits a decorated hexagonal structure. This surface structure emerges from six epitaxial orientation domains/rods and each domain has a rectangular unit mesh of 3.94 ± 0.09 Å and 26.95 ± 1.16 Å along the [0 0 1] and [10] directions. The 26.95 Å is consistent with the unit mesh of the outermost layer of the Sb 2 Se 3 (1 2 0) domains/rods. Overall, our 2D map reveals surface information that are not easily observed by other diffraction techniques.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Real-Time Identification of Oxygen Vacancy Centers in LiNbO 3 and SrTiO 3 during Irradiation with High Energy Particles

Oxygen vacancies are known to play a central role in the optoelectronic properties of oxide perovskites. A detailed description of the exact mechanisms by which oxygen vacancies govern such properties, however, is still quite incomplete. The unambiguous identification of oxygen vacancies has been a subject of intense discussion. Interest in oxygen vacancies is not purely academic. Precise control of oxygen vacancies has potential technological benefits in optoelectronic devices. In this review paper, we focus our attention on the generation of oxygen vacancies by irradiation with high energy particles. Irradiation constitutes an efficient and reliable strategy to introduce, monitor, and characterize oxygen vacancies. Unfortunately, this technique has been underexploited despite its demonstrated advantages. This review revisits the main experimental results that have been obtained for oxygen vacancy centers (a) under high energy electron irradiation (100 keV–1 MeV) in LiNbO 3 , and (b) during irradiation with high-energy heavy (1–20 MeV) ions in SrTiO 3 . In both cases, the experiments have used real-time and in situ optical detection. Moreover, the present paper discusses the obtained results in relation to present knowledge from both the experimental and theoretical perspectives. Our view is that a consistent picture is now emerging on the structure and relevant optical features (absorption and emission spectra) of these centers. One key aspect of the topic pertains to the generation of self-trapped electrons as small polarons by irradiation of the crystal lattice and their stabilization by oxygen vacancies. What has been learned by observing the interplay between polarons and vacancies has inspired new models for color centers in dielectric crystals, models which represent an advancement from the early models of color centers in alkali halides and simple oxides. The topic discussed in this review is particularly useful to better understand the complex effects of different types of radiation on the defect structure of those materials, therefore providing relevant clues for nuclear engineering applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1987

A review of research and development on the microwave-plasma electrothermal rocket

The microwave-plasma electrothermal rocket (MWPETR) shows promise for spacecraft propulsion and maneuvering, without some of the drawbacks of competitive electric propulsion systems. In the MWPETR, the electric power is first converted to microwave-frequency radiation. In a specially-designed microwave cavity system, the electromagnetic energy of the radiation is transferred to the electrons in a plasma sustained in the working fluid. The resulting high-energy electrons transfer their energy to the atoms and molecules of the working fluid by collisions. The working fluid, thus heated, expands through a nozzle to generate thrust. In the MWPETR, no electrodes are in contact with the working fluid, the energy is transferred into the working fluid by nonthermal mechanisms, and the main requirement for the materials of construction is that the walls of the plasma chamber be insulating and transparent to microwave radiation at operating conditions. In this survey of work on the MWPETR, several experimental configurations are described and compared. Diagnostic methods used in the study are described and compared, including titration, spectroscopy, calorimetry, electric field measurements, gas-dynamic methods, and thrust measurements. Measured and estimated performance efficiencies are reported. Results of computer modeling of the plasma and of the gas flowing from the plasma are summarized.

Hawley, Martin C.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Study of the Effects of the Electric Field on Charging Measurements on Individual Micron-size Dust Grains by Secondary Electron Emissions

The dust charging by electron impact is an important dust charging process in Astrophysical, Planetary, and the Lunar environments. Low energy electrons are reflected or stick to the grains charging the dust grains negatively. At sufficiently high energies electrons penetrate the grain leading to excitation and emission of electrons referred to as secondary electron emission (SEE). Available theoretical models for the calculation of SEE yield applicable for neutral, planar or bulk surfaces are generally based on Sternglass Equation. However, viable models for charging of individual dust grains do not exist at the present time. Therefore, the SEE yields have to be obtained by some experimental methods at the present time. We have conducted experimental studies on charging of individual micron size dust grains in simulated space environments using an electrodynamic balance (EDB) facility at NASA-MSFC. The results of our extensive laboratory study of charging of individual micron-size dust grains by low energy electron impact indicate that the SEE by electron impact is a very complex process expected to be substantially different from the bulk materials. It was found that the incident electrons may lead to positive or negative charging of dust grains depending upon the grain size, surface potential, electron energy, electron flux, grain composition, and configuration. In this paper we give a more elaborate discussion about the possible effects of the AC field in the EDB on dust charging measurements by comparing the secondary electron emission time-period (tau (sub em) (s/e)) with the time-period (tau (sub ac) (ms)) of the AC field cycle in the EDB that we have briefly addressed in our previous publication.

Tankosic, D.↗