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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 307 records · Page 17

Finite element formulation of fluctuating hydrodynamics for fluids filled with rigid particles using boundary fitted meshes

In this paper, we present a finite element implementation of fluctuating hydrodynamics with a moving boundary fitted mesh for treating the suspended particles. The thermal fluctuations are incorporated into the continuum equations using the Landau and Lifshitz approach [1]. The proposed implementation fulfills the fluctuation–dissipation theorem exactly at the discrete level. Since we restrict the equations to the creeping flow case, this takes the form of a relation between the diffusion coefficient matrix and friction matrix both at the particle and nodal level of the finite elements. Brownian motion of arbitrarily shaped particles in complex confinements can be considered within the present formulation. A multi-step time integration scheme is developed to correctly capture the drift term required in the stochastic differential equation (SDE) describing the evolution of the positions of the particles. The proposed approach is validated by simulating the Brownian motion of a sphere between two parallel plates and the motion of a spherical particle in a cylindrical cavity. The time integration algorithm and the fluctuating hydrodynamics implementation are then applied to study the diffusion and the equilibrium probability distribution of a confined circle under an external harmonic potential.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Numerical Realization of a Shell Model for Impurity Spreading in Plasmas

In plasmas of fusion devices impurity particles are released as a consequence of wall erosion and are seeded deliberately for diverse purposes. Often they enter the plasma volume from small spots and spread away both along and perpendicular to the magnetic field. This process is described by continuity, motion and heat balance equations taking into account such physical processes as ionization by electrons, friction and heating in coulomb collisions with background ions, etc. In present paper we introduce a shell model where solutions of these equations, such as the densities of different impurity ions, are approximated by functions decaying exponentially from the source region due to the ionization into higher charged states. By integrating the original transport equations over several space regions, we get a set of ordinary differential equations describing the time evolution of the characteristic values for the impurity ion densities, fluxes, temperatures, and the dimensions along and across the magnetic field of the clouds where different states are predominantly localized. The equations obtained include time derivatives of complex non-linear combinations of the variables in question. Two numerical approaches to solve such equations are elaborated and compared by considering the spreading of lithium particles in deuterium plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Dark energy and dark matter perturbations in singular universes

We discuss the evolution of density perturbations of dark matter and dark energy in cosmological models which admit future singularities in a finite time. Up to now geometrical tests of the evolution of the universe do not differentiate between singular universes and ΛCDM scenario. We solve perturbation equations using the gauge invariant formalism. The analysis shows that the detailed reconstruction of the evolution of perturbations within singular cosmologies, in the dark sector, can exhibit important differences between the singular universes models and the ΛCDM cosmology. This is encouraging for further examination and gives hope for discriminating between those models with future galaxy weak lensing experiments like the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Euclid or CMB observations like PRISM and CoRE.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Improvement of nonlinear harmonics in free electron laser with planar wiggler

Spontaneous emission of free electron laser with planar wiggler and ion-channel guiding is calculated analytically and possibility of emission at up-shifted wiggler or ion-channel betatron frequency and their harmonics has been found. To investigate the nonlinear odd harmonics, a set of self-consistent nonlinear differential equations that governs the evolution of radiation and electron beam are derived and solved numerically by Runge-Kutta method. Using the simulation code, gain improvement of third harmonic is studied in the range of microwave frequency by applying ion-channel guiding for a cold beam. It is shown that the combination of the ion-channel and a prebunched electron beam increases the amplitude of the third harmonic of the radiation and decreases its saturation length. The relation between the linear and nonlinear harmonics is discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Efficiency enhancement of a harmonic lasing free-electron laser

The harmonic lasing free-electron laser amplifier, in which two wigglers is employed in order for the fundamental resonance of the second wiggler to coincide with the third harmonic of the first wiggler to generate ultraviolet radiation, is studied. A set of coupled nonlinear first-order differential equations describing the nonlinear evolution of the system, for a long electron bunch, is solved numerically by CYRUS code. Solutions for the non-averaged and averaged equations are compared. Remarkable agreement is found between the averaged and non-averaged simulations for the evolution of the third harmonic. Thermal effects in the form of longitudinal velocity spread are also investigated. For efficiency enhancement, the second wiggler field is set to decrease linearly and nonlinearly at the point where the radiation of the third harmonic saturates. The optimum starting point and the slope of the tapering of the amplitude of the wiggler are found by a successive run of the code. It is found that tapering can increase the saturated power of the third harmonic considerably. In order to reduce the length of the wiggler, the prebunched electron beam is considered.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Explanation of Dijet Asymmetry in Pb-Pb Collisions at the Large Hadron Collider

We investigate the medium modification of a partonic jet shower traversing in a hot quark-gluon plasma. We derive and solve a differential equation that governs the evolution of the radiated gluon distribution as the jet propagates through the medium. Energy contained inside the jet cone is lost by dissipation through elastic collisions with the medium and by scattering of shower partons to larger angles. We find that the jet energy loss at early times is dominated by medium effects on the vacuum radiation, and by medium-induced radiation effects at late times. We compare our numerical results for the nuclear modification of the dijet asymmetry with that recently reported by the ATLAS Collaboration.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

POST-MAIN SEQUENCE EVOLUTION OF ICY MINOR PLANETS: IMPLICATIONS FOR WATER RETENTION AND WHITE DWARF POLLUTION

Most observations of polluted white dwarf atmospheres are consistent with accretion of water-depleted planetary material. Among tens of known cases, merely two involve accretion of objects that contain a considerable mass fraction of water. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relative scarcity of these detections. Based on a new and highly detailed model, we evaluate the retention of water inside icy minor planets during the high-luminosity stellar evolution that follows the main sequence. Our model fully considers the thermal, physical, and chemical evolution of icy bodies, following their internal differentiation as well as water depletion, from the moment of their birth and through all stellar evolution phases preceding the formation of the white dwarf. We also account for different initial compositions and formation times. Our results differ from previous studies, which have either underestimated or overestimated water retention. We show that water can survive in a variety of circumstances and in great quantities, and therefore other possibilities are discussed in order to explain the infrequency of water detection. We predict that the sequence of accretion is such that water accretes earlier, and more rapidly, than the rest of the silicate disk, considerably reducing the chance of its detection in H-dominated atmospheres. In He-dominated atmospheres, the scarcity of water detections could be observationally biased. It implies that the accreted material is typically intrinsically dry, which may be the result of the inside-out depopulation sequence of minor planets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Giant-scale supernova remnants - The role of differential galactic rotation and the formation of molecular clouds

The evolution of remnants produced by the total supernova power from an evolved OB association in a differentially rotating galactic disk is presented. The calculations at 5 kpc and 10 kpc from the galactic center lead to column densities across the remnant shell, or across sections of the remnants, which eventually exceed the opacity criterion of Franco and Cox (1986) and thus form molecular clouds. The resultant clouds have masses larger than 100,000 solar masses, dimensions of several hundred parsecs, and a separation larger than 1 kpc. In contrast, at 20 kpc from the galactic center the opacity criterion is never fulfilled.

Tenorio-Tagle, G.↗

Computational stochastic model of ions implantation

Implantation flux ions into crystal leads to phase transition /PT/ 1-st kind. Damaging lattice is associated with processes clustering vacancies and gaseous bubbles as well their brownian motion. System of stochastic differential equations /SDEs/ Ito for evolution stochastic dynamical variables corresponds to the superposition Wiener processes. The kinetic equations in partial derivatives /KE/, Kolmogorov-Feller and Einstein-Smolukhovskii, were formulated for nucleation into lattice of weakly soluble gases. According theory, coefficients of stochastic and kinetic equations uniquely related. Radiation stimulated phase transition are characterized by kinetic distribution functions /DFs/ of implanted clusters versus their sizes and depth of gas penetration into lattice. Macroscopic parameters of kinetics such as the porosity and stress calculated in thin layers metal/dielectric due to Xe{sup ++} irradiation are attracted as example. Predictions of porosity, important for validation accumulation stresses in surfaces, can be applied at restoring of objects the cultural heritage.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Helioseismology with long-range dark matter-baryon interactions

Assuming the existence of a primordial asymmetry in the dark sector, we study how long-range dark matter (DM)-baryon interactions, induced by the kinetic mixing of a new U(1) gauge boson and a photon, affect the evolution of the Sun and, in turn, the sound speed the profile obtained from helioseismology. Thanks to the explicit dependence on the exchanged momenta in the differential cross section (Rutherford-like scattering), we find that DM particles with a mass of ∼10 GeV, kinetic mixing parameter of the order of 10{sup –9}, and a mediator with a mass smaller than a few MeV improve the agreement between the best solar model and the helioseismic data without being excluded by direct detection experiments. In particular, the LUX detector will soon be able to either constrain or confirm our best-fit solar model in the presence of a dark sector with long-range interactions that reconcile helioseismology with thermal neutrino results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Electromagnetic emission from long-lived binary neutron star merger remnants. I. Formulation of the problem

Binary neutron star (BNS) mergers are the leading model to explain the phenomenology of short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs). Recent observations of long-lasting X-ray afterglows of SGRBs challenge standard paradigms and indicate that in a large fraction of events a long-lived neutron star (NS) may be formed rather than a black hole. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these afterglows is necessary in order to address the open questions concerning the nature of SGRB central engines. However, recent theoretical progress has been hampered by the fact that the timescales of interest for the afterglow emission are inaccessible to numerical relativity simulations. Here we present a detailed model to bridge the gap between numerical simulations of the merger process and the relevant timescales for the afterglows, assuming that the merger results in a long-lived NS. This model is formulated in terms of a set of coupled differential equations that follow the evolution of the post-merger system and predict its electromagnetic (EM) emission in a self-consistent way, starting from initial data that can be extracted from BNS merger simulations. The model presented here also allows us to search for suitable EM counterparts for multimessenger astronomy, which is expected to become reality within the next few years thanks to ground-based GW detectors such as advanced LIGO and Virgo. This paper discusses the formulation and implementation of the model. In a companion paper, we employ this model to predict the EM emission from ∼10{sup −2} to ∼10{sup 7} s after a BNS merger and discuss the implications in the context of SGRBs and multimessenger astronomy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Alternative thermal histories

Interpretations supporting a differentiated, once active Mercury are listed. Alternative scenarios of the planet's thermal history involve: different distributions of accreted materials, including uranium and thorium-rich materials; variations of early melting; and different modes of plains and scarp formation. Arguments are advanced which strongly favor plains formation by volcanism, lack of a primordial surface, and possible identification of remnant tensional features. Studies of remotely sensed data which strongly suggest a modestly homogeneous surface of silicates imply core separation. Reasons for accepting or rejecting various hypotheses for thermal histories of the planet are mentioned.

Leake, M. A.↗

Simulator for an Accelerator-Driven Subcritical Fissile Solution System

LANL has developed a process to generate a progressive family of system models for a fissile solution system. This family includes a dynamic system simulation comprised of coupled nonlinear differential equations describing the time evolution of the system. Neutron kinetics, radiolytic gas generation and transport, and core thermal hydraulics are included in the DSS. Extensions to explicit operation of cooling loops and radiolytic gas handling are embedded in these systems as is a stability model. The DSS may then be converted to an implementation in Visual Studio to provide a design team the ability to rapidly estimate system performance impacts from a variety of design decisions. This provides a method to assist in optimization of the system design. Once design has been generated in some detail the C++ version of the system model may then be implemented in a LabVIEW user interface to evaluate operator controls and instrumentation and operator recognition and response to off-normal events. Taken as a set of system models the DSS, Visual Studio, and LabVIEW progression provides a comprehensive set of design support tools.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Modelling the Thermal History of Asteroid 4 Vesta

The asteroid 4 Vesta is widely thought to be the source of the HED (Howardite, Eucrite and Diogenite) meteorites, with this link supported by spectroscopic and dynamical studies. The availability of the HED meteorites for study and the new data being gained from the Dawn mission provides an excellent opportunity to investigate Vesta s history. In this study, modelling of Vesta has been undertaken to investigate its evolution from an unconsolidated chondritic body to a differentiated body with an iron core. In contrast to previous modelling, both heat and mass transfer are considered as coupled processes. This work draws on models of melt segregation in terrestrial environments to inform the evolution of Vesta into the differentiated body observed today. In order for a core to form in this body, a separation of the metallic iron from the silicates must take place. Temperatures in excess of the solidus temperatures for the Fe-FeS system and the silicates are therefore required. Thermal modelling has shown accretion before 2Myr leads to temperatures in excess of the silicate solidus.

Solano, James M.↗

On the solution of the continuity equation for precipitating electrons in solar flares

Electrons accelerated in solar flares are injected into the surrounding plasma, where they are subjected to the influence of collisional (Coulomb) energy losses. Their evolution is modeled by a partial differential equation describing continuity of electron number. In a recent paper, Dobranskis and Zharkova claim to have found an 'updated exact analytical solution' to this continuity equation. Their solution contains an additional term that drives an exponential decrease in electron density with depth, leading them to assert that the well-known solution derived by Brown, Syrovatskii and Shmeleva, and many others is invalid. We show that the solution of Dobranskis and Zharkova results from a fundamental error in the application of the method of characteristics and is hence incorrect. Further, their comparison of the 'new' analytical solution with numerical solutions of the Fokker-Planck equation fails to lend support to their result. We conclude that Dobranskis and Zharkova's solution of the universally accepted and well-established continuity equation is incorrect, and that their criticism of the correct solution is unfounded. We also demonstrate the formal equivalence of the approaches of Syrovatskii and Shmeleva and Brown, with particular reference to the evolution of the electron flux and number density (both differential in energy) in a collisional thick target. We strongly urge use of these long-established, correct solutions in future works.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Modulational instability and nonlinear evolution of two-dimensional electrostatic wave packets in ultra-relativistic degenerate dense plasmas

We consider the nonlinear propagation of electrostatic wave packets in an ultra-relativistic (UR) degenerate dense electron-ion plasma, whose dynamics is governed by the nonlocal two-dimensional nonlinear Schroedinger-like equations. The coupled set of equations is then used to study the modulational instability (MI) of a uniform wave train to an infinitesimal perturbation of multidimensional form. The condition for the MI is obtained, and it is shown that the nondimensional parameter, {beta}{proportional_to}{lambda}{sub C}n{sub 0}{sup 1/3} (where {lambda}{sub C} is the reduced Compton wavelength and n{sub 0} is the particle number density) associated with the UR pressure of degenerate electrons, shifts the stable (unstable) regions at n{sub 0{approx}}10{sup 30}cm{sup -3} to unstable (stable) ones at higher densities, i.e., n{sub 0} > or approx. 7x10{sup 33}. It is also found that the higher the values of n{sub 0}, the lower is the growth rate of MI with cut-offs at lower wave numbers of modulation. Furthermore, the dynamical evolution of the wave packets is studied numerically. We show that either they disperse away or they blowup in a finite time, when the wave action is below or above the threshold. The results could be useful for understanding the properties of modulated wave packets and their multidimensional evolution in UR degenerate dense plasmas, such as those in the interior of white dwarfs and/or pre-Supernova stars.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Analytic model for coaxial helicity injection in tokamak plasmas

Using a partial differential equation for the time evolution of the mean-field poloidal magnetic flux that incorporates resistivity {eta} and hyper-resistivity {Lambda} terms, an exact analytic solution is obtained for steady-state coaxial helicity injection (CHI) in force-free large aspect ratio tokamaks. The analytic mean-field Ohm's law model allows for calculation of the tokamak CHI current drive efficiency and the plasma inductances at arbitrary levels of magnetic fluctuations, or dynamo activity. The results of the mean-field model suggest that CHI approaching Ohmic efficiency is only possible in tokamaks when the size of the effective current drive boundary layer, {delta}{identical_to}({Lambda}/{eta}){sup 1/2}, becomes greater than half the size of the plasma, {delta}>a/2, with a the plasma minor radius. The electron thermal diffusivity due to magnetic fluctuation induced transport is obtained from the expression {chi}{sub e}={Lambda}/{mu}{sub 0}d{sub e}{sup 2}, with {mu}{sub 0} the permeability of free space and d{sub e} the electron skin depth, which for typical tokamak fusion plasma parameters is on the order of a millimeter. Thus, the ratio of the energy confinement time to the resistive diffusion time in a tokamak plasma driven by steady-state CHI approaching Ohmic efficiency is shown to be constrained by the relation {tau}{sub E}/{tau}{sub {eta}}<(d{sub e}/a){sup 2}{approx_equal}10{sup -6}. The mean-field model suggests that steady-state CHI can be viewed most simply as a boundary layer of stochastically wandering magnetic field lines.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗