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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

On the modes of nanosecond pulsed plasmas for combustion ignition of quiescent CH 4 -air mixtures

The effect of transient plasma modes on ignition kernel development are discussed here for a quiescent CH 4 -air combustion model system. A 10 ns high-voltage pulse was applied to a pin-to-pin electrode in lean fuel-air mixtures at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. High-impedance streamer, transient spark and low-impedance spark discharges were identified based on pulse waveforms of voltage and current. A sustained ignition kernel expansion was observed when the plasma discharge transitioned into a transient spark or spark discharge. The minimum ignition energy was obtained at the transient spark mode, which has less than a third of the energy or Coulomb transfer compared to the low-impedance spark. Employing repetitive 10-pulse sequence at 10 kHz, the lean-fuel limit was extended from an equivalence ratio of 0.6 for the single pulse ignition to 0.5. The use of repetitive pulses also allowed streamer breakdown or spark initiation to occur at a lower voltage.

CH 4↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hypervelocity impact flash expansion geometry under various spacecraft surface electrical conditions

A more congested space environment due to increasing space activities introduces new threats to spacecraft operators. Among these threats include hypervelocity impacts from microparticles (< 1 µg) in the form of meteoroids and space debris. These microparticles travel at speeds between 11.2 and 72.8 km/s with respect to the Earth and can impact spacecraft forming a small (~1 µm) and dense (~ 10 26 m -3 ) plasma. This plasma can generate a strong optical emission (impact flash) and a radio frequency (RF) emission. These emissions can lead to spacecraft electrical anomalies when the impacted spacecraft surface (target) carries high electrical potential due to various space weather effects. To understand the microparticle hypervelocity impact plasma and its associated threat to spacecraft electronics, we studied the hypervelocity impact flash expansion geometry under various spacecraft surface electrical conditions. Three high-speed broadband photomultiplier tubes (PMT) are used to capture the temporal evolution of the impact flash and the temporal evolution of the angular distribution of the impact flash expansion geometry in a 3 MV electrostatic dust accelerator during a ground-based experiment. Overall, results indicate that the impact surface electrical condition has a statistically significant influence on the impact flash geometry, and a strong similarity between the impact plasma and flash expansion geometry. Thus, this paper provides new experimental support for the impact flash origin from and connection with the impact plasma, and serves as the first impact flash expansion geometry characterization under various impact surface electrical conditions in a collisionless environment (< 10 -5 Torr).

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Considerations for in situ, real time measurement of plasma-material interactions using Digital Holographic imaging

Digital Holographic (DH) imaging is a laser-based measurement technique, which can be used to monitor a material surface as it is being exposed to fusion-relevant plasmas. Both single-laser and dual-laser DH measurements have been demonstrated ex situ at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A DH diagnostic system is being assessed for deployment at ORNL to make in situ, real-time measurements of plasma erosion/redeposition in the Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX). In situ, real time measurements pose unique challenges to diagnostic systems, which are not encountered by ex situ analysis techniques. The absolute surface height (tracked at the nm to μm position) during plasma exposure can be modified by: 1) surface movement due to vibration or thrust exerted by the plasma device, 2) surface growth due to the thermal expansion of the material under steady MW/m2 or transient GW/m2 plasma heat loads, and 3) surface modification due to plasma erosion/redeposition of the material substrate. To assess these effects, 1) the vibration spectrum of the diagnostic and the pulsed plasma device have been measured, 2) the thermal growth of the surface has been measured for an applied heat flux, and 3) the surface modification has been measured ex situ post plasma exposure, and ex situ post laser ablation as a proxy for the plasma. This paper will provide an overview of the results that have been achieved in the development of a DH diagnostic for in situ real-time measurements of plasma exposed surfaces in the Proto-MPEX device.

Biewer, Theodore↗
NASA NTRS1982

Dynamical features of moving double layers

Numerical simulations of the dynamics of double layers that form in response to an applied potential drop across a plasma are carried out for plasmas of lengths much greater than previously considered. The evolution of finite-size plasmas of lengths 100, 200 and 400 Debye lengths at the low-potential end of the simulation region was followed by the solution of the Vlasov and Poisson equations. Results show that the double layer moves towards the high-potential side of the layer, at a speed directly dependent on the length of the plasma. The moving double layer is accompanied by a moving density front which is similar to an ion acoustic shock created by the expansion of a high-density plasma into a low-density plasma, as well as plasma heating and evacuation, electron and ion current interruptions and recovery. Double layer formation, motion, and accompanying phenomena are found to repeat periodically. Results are in good agreement with laboratory experiments, and may be used to explain certain phenomena observed in auroral plasmas.

Singh, N.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Soft X-ray observations of large-scale coronal active region brightenings

One hundred fifty-six large-scale enhancements of X-ray emission from solar active regions were studied on full-disk filterheliograms to determine characteristic morphology and expansion rates for heated coronal plasma. The X-ray photographs were compared with H-alpha observations of flares, sudden filament disappearances, sprays, and loop prominence systems (LPS). Eighty-one percent of the X-ray events were correlated with H-alpha filament activity, but only 44% were correlated with reported H-alpha flares. The X-ray enhancements took the form of loops or arcades of loops ranging in length from 60,000 km to 520,000 km and averaging 15,000 km in width. Lifetimes ranged from at least 3 hr to more than 24 hr. The event frequency was approximately 1.4 per day. X-ray loop arcades evolved from sharp-edged clouds in cavities vacated by rising H-alpha filaments. Expansion velocities of the loops were about 50 km/s immediately after excitation and 1-10 km/s several hours later. These long-lived loop arcades are identified with LPS, and it is suggested that the loops outlined magnetic fields which were reconnecting after filament eruptions. Another class of X-ray-enhanced loops stretched outside active regions and accompanied sprays or lateral filament ejections. It is suggested that these loops outlined closed magnetic fields guiding slow-mode shocks from flares and filament eruptions.

Rust, D. M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Imaging the initial condition of heavy-ion collisions and nuclear structure across the nuclide chart

High-energy nuclear collisions encompass three key stages: the structure of the colliding nuclei, informed by low-energy nuclear physics, the initial condition , leading to the formation of quark–gluon plasma (QGP), and the hydrodynamic expansion and hadronization of the QGP, leading to final-state hadron distributions that are observed experimentally. Recent advances in both experimental and theoretical methods have ushered in a precision era of heavy-ion collisions, enabling an increasingly accurate understanding of these stages. However, most approaches involve simultaneously determining both QGP properties and initial conditions from a single collision system, creating complexity due to the coupled contributions of these stages to the final-state observables. To avoid this, we propose leveraging established knowledge of low-energy nuclear structures and hydrodynamic observables to independently constrain the QGP’s initial condition. By conducting comparative studies of collisions involving isobar-like nuclei—species with similar mass numbers but different ground-state geometries—we can disentangle the initial condition’s impacts from the QGP properties. This approach not only refines our understanding of the initial stages of the collisions but also turns high-energy nuclear experiments into a precision tool for imaging nuclear structures, offering insights that complement traditional low-energy approaches. Opportunities for carrying out such comparative experiments at the Large Hadron Collider and other facilities could significantly advance both high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics. Additionally, this approach has implications for the future electron-ion collider. While the possibilities are extensive, we focus on selected proposals that could benefit both the high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics communities. Originally prepared as input for the long-range plan of U.S. nuclear physics, this white paper reflects the status as of September 2022, with a brief update on developments since then.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Low mode implosion symmetry sensitivity in low gas-fill NIF cylindrical hohlraums

Achieving an efficient capsule implosion in National Ignition Facility indirect-drive target experiments requires symmetric hohlraum x-ray drive for the duration of the laser pulse. This is commonly achieved using two-sided two-cone laser irradiation of cylindrical hohlraums that, in principle, can zero the time average of all spherical harmonic asymmetry modes <6 as well as the time dependence of the usually dominant mode 2. In practice, experimental evidence indicates that maintaining symmetric drive becomes limited late in the pulse due to the inward expansion of the hohlraum wall and outward expansion of the capsule ablator plasmas impairing the propagation of the inner-cone laser beams. This effect is enhanced in hohlraums employing low gas-fill, now used almost exclusively as these provide the highest performing implosions and reduce Stimulated Brillouin and Raman backscatter losses, since the gas plasma provides less back pressure to limit blow-in of the hohlraum wall and capsule ablator plasmas. In order to understand this dynamic behavior, we combined multi-keV X-ray imaging of the wall and imploded fuel plasmas as we changed a single parameter at a time: hohlraum gas-fill, laser outer cone picket energy, radius of high density carbon capsules used, and laser beam polar and azimuthal pointing geometry. In this work, we developed a physics-based multi-parameter experimental scaling to explain the results that extend prior scalings and compare those to radiation hydrodynamic simulations to develop a more complete picture of how hohlraum, capsule, and laser parameters affect pole vs equator drive symmetry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Checking nonflow assumptions and results via PHENIX published correlations in p+p, p+Au, d+Au, and 3 He+Au at √ s NN=200 GeV

Recently the PHENIX Collaboration has made available two-particle correlation Fourier coefficients for multiple detector combinations in minimum bias p+p and 0–5% central p+Au, d+Au, and 3 He+Au collisions at √ s NN = 200 GeV [Phys. Rev. C 105, 024901 (2022)]. Using these coefficients for three sets of two-particle correlations, azimuthal anisotropy coefficients v 2 and v 3 are extracted for midrapidity charged hadrons as a function of transverse momentum. In this paper, we use the available coefficients to explore various nonflow hypotheses as well as to compare the results with theoretical model calculations. The nonflow methods fail basic closure tests with ampt and pythia/angantyr, particularly when including correlations with particles in the low multiplicity light-projectile going direction. In data, the nonflow adjusted v 2 results are modestly lower in p+Au and the adjusted v 3 results are more significantly higher in p+Au and d+Au. However, the resulting higher values for the ratio v 3 /v 2 in p+Au at RHIC compared to p+Pb at the LHC is additional evidence for a significant overcorrection. Incorporating these additional checks, the conclusion that these flow coefficients are dominated by initial geometry coupled with final-state interactions (e.g., hydrodynamic expansion of quark-gluon plasma) remains true, and explanations based solely on initial-state glasma are ruled out. The detailed balance between intrinsic and fluctuation-driven geometry and the exact role of weakly versus strongly coupled prehydrodynamic evolution remains an open question for triangular flow, requiring further theoretical and experimental investigation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chiral Magnetic Effects in Nuclear Collisions

The interplay of quantum anomalies with strong magnetic fields and vorticity in chiral systems could lead to novel transport phenomena, such as the chiral magnetic effect (CME), the chiral magnetic wave (CMW), and the chiral vortical effect (CVE). In high-energy nuclear collisions, these chiral effects may survive the expansion of a quark–gluon plasma fireball and be detected in experiments. The experimental searches for the CME, the CMW, and the CVE have aroused extensive interest over the past couple of decades. The main goal of this article is to review the latest experimental progress in the search for these novel chiral transport phenomena at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Future programs to help reduce uncertainties and facilitate the interpretation of the data are also discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1978

Impulsive solar X-ray bursts

A set of 22 simple impulsive solar flares, identified in the OSO 5 hard X-ray data, has been analyzed together with coincident microwave and meter-wave radio observations. The rise times and fall times of the X-ray bursts are found to be highly correlated and effectively equal, strongly suggesting a flare-energizing mechanism that is reversible. The good time resolution available for these observations reveals that the microwave emission is influenced by an additional process, evident in the tendency of the microwave emission to peak later and decay more slowly than the symmetric X-ray bursts. Meter-wave emission is observed in coincidence with five events which also show strong time correlation between the X-ray and microwave burst structure. This meter-wave emission is characterized by U-burst radiation, indicating confinement of the flare source. The relationship found between the X-ray burst duration and the calculated flare diameter, together with the thermal character of the X-ray spectra, gives additional support to the hypothesis that the impulsive component is driven by adiabatic compression and expansion of a magnetically confined plasma which is the common primary source of both X-ray and microwave emission.

Crannell, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Spatial structure of greater than 100 keV X-ray sources in solar flares

Recent ISEE 3 and Pioneer Venus Orbiter observations relevant to the altitude structure of the hard X-ray source down to 3000 km or less above the photosphere are reported. About 90 percent of the impulsive X-ray emission and about 70 percent of the gradual emission originates at altitudes 2500 km or less above the photosphere. In the 100-500 keV range, this altitude dependence is essentially independent of photon energy. Brightness of the impulsive X-ray source decreases rapidly with increase in altitude. As far as models of the impulsive phase are concerned, the thermal model with adiabatic compression and expansion of a magnetically confined plasma and the thin target model are not consistent with these observations. The thick target model and the dissipative thermal model are consistent with the observed low altitude of the hard X-ray source.

Kane, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Spatial structure of high energy photon sources in solar flares

Stereoscopic observations of high energy (greater than about 100 keV) photon emission from five solar flares have been made with the X-ray spectrometers aboard the ISEE-3 and Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft. The observed altitude structure of the photon source and its dependence on the photon energy and time during a flare are compared with the predictions of thermal and non-thermal models of the hard X-ray source. In the case of the impulsive source, it is found that (1) the thermal model with adiabatic compression and expansion of a magnetically confined plasma and the thin target (non-thermal) model are not consistent with the observations; (2) the thick target (non-thermal) model and the dissipative thermal model are partially in agreement with the observations; (3) the emission probably originates in many individual non-thermal sources distributed in altitude, the lower altitude sources being brighter than those at higher altitude. In the case of the gradual source, it is found that (1) models with purely coronal sources are not consistent with the observations; (2) a partial precipitation model with trapped as well as precipitating electrons is consistent with the observations.

Kane, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Is there a near-Earth neutral line?

The high correlation between magnetic activity and the interplanetary magnetic field provides strong evidence that magnetic reconnection causes substorms. Rapid changes in magnetospheric configuration following a southward turning suggest that nightside reconnection is delayed relative to the dayside. The near Earth neutral line model postulates that it begins in the near Earth plasma sheet near midnight at expansion onset. Evidence supporting this model is reviewed. Observations of current disruption near synchronous orbit were recently interpreted as proof that reconnection is not necessary in the expansion phase, and that nightside reconnection is a recovery phase phenomenon. Problems with magnetic field mapping make this conclusion premature. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of delays in plasmoid signatures are incompatible with such a late start. Speculation is made concerning a mechanism whereby current disruption might be caused by an x-line that forms further from the Earth in the late growth phase.

Mcpherron, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ulysses at 50 deg south: Constant immersion in the high-speed solar wind

We present speed observations from the Ulysses solar wind plasma experiment through 50 deg south latitude. The pronounced speed modulation arising from solar rotation and the tilt of the heliomagnetic current sheet has nearly disappeared. Ulysses is now observing wind speeds in the 700 to 800 km/s range, with a magnetic polarity indicating an origin in the large south polar coronal hole. The strong compressions, rarefractions, and shock waves previously seen have weakened or disappeared. Occasional coronal mass ejections characterized by low plasma density caused by radial expansion have been observed. The coronal configuration was simple and stable in 1993, indicating that the observed solar wind changes were caused by increasing spacecraft latitude. Trends in prevailing speed with increasing latitude support previous findings. A decrease in peak speed southward of 40 deg latitude may indicate that the fastest solar wind comes from the equatorial extensions of the polar coronal holes.

Phillips, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Determination of the Complex Refractive Indices of Aerosol Analogs Formed at Low Temperatures with the NASA Ames Optical Constants Facility (OCF)

The NASA Ames COsmic SImulation Chamber (COSmIC) [1] is a unique experimental facility that allows: 1) cooling a gas mixture to low temperature (150 K) in a jet expansion before inducing chemistry by plasma; and 2) controlling the extent of the chemical reactions by employing a pulsed plasma discharge. This enables the study of the early stages of aerosol production, as well as specific chemical pathways in planetary environments (e.g. Titan’s and Pluto’s atmospheres). Both the gas and solid products can be studied. For a decade COSmIC has been used to simulate Titan’s atmospheric chemistry at low, Titan-like temperature [2]. New developments on the COSmIC facility are investigating formation of aerosols in tenuous, or transitory, atmospheres of other icy bodies [3-5], as well as cool exoplanets atmospheres having a hydrocarbon component, that results in formation of hazes and/or surface deposits of refractory materials. The new Ames Optical Constants Facility enables determination of the aerosol analogs' complex refractive indices, n and k, from 0.59 to 200 μm [2]. Here we report efforts of determining n and k from ex-situ transmission measurements of solid samples produced from binary N-CH and Ar-CH, and tertiary N-CH-CH and Ar-CH-CHgas mixtures in COSmIC, and deposited onto various substrates. A computational technique [6] that addresses interference fringes observed in the laboratory transmission data, particularly at wavelengths < 3 μm, has been implemented and applied to determine n and k for the samples. At visible and near-infrared wavelengths(0.4-1.6 μm) the deposit thickness, and its variation, as well as n and k were determined by a commercial entity. These data provide the ability to compare results, from independent methods, in the region of overlap between the two approaches.

Ella M Sciamma-O'Brien↗
NASA NTRS2020

Characterization of Cosmic Grain Analogs Formed at Low Temperature from Small Hydrocarbon Precursors in the NASA Ames COSmIC Facility

Here, we present the results of the first solid-phase ex situ analysis of cosmic grain analogs produced at low temperature (<200 K) in the NASA Ames COsmic SImulation Chamber (COSmIC) from small hydrocarbon precursors, methane (CH4) and acetylene (C2H2), seeded in an argon supersonic jet expansion and submitted to a plasma discharge. The plasma-induced chemical reactions, initiated between the precursor molecules and their atomic and molecular fragments, radicals and ions, produce larger molecules and eventually solid particles that are collected in situ under controlled conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging was used to provide insight on the morphology and growth structure of the grains produced in COSmIC, and to investigate how the precursors used to produce the grains affect these parameters. This SEM study has shown that under identical experimental conditions with fixed physical and chemical parameters (precursor density, temperature, energy, and reaction time), heavier precursors in the initial mixture produce larger grains and in larger quantity, most likely as a result of a more complex chemistry: most of the grains produced in the Ar/CH4 (95:5) gas mixture ranged from 15 to 385 nm in diameter with an average density of 2.1 grains per sq.μm, while the grains produced in the Ar/C2H2 (95:5) gas mixture ranged from 40 to 650 nm with a density of 3.5 grains per sq.μm. Changes in the morphology were also observed, with grains produced from acetylene (C2H2) precursors tending to be more spherical than grains produced from methane (CH4) precursors. This change in morphology could be associated with different stages of growth formation at low temperature from a more "planar" growth at first, followed by coagulation into more spherical particles. This study demonstrates that the COSmIC experimental setup can be used to investigate carbon grain formation from small gas-phase molecular precursors at low temperature (<200 K), i.e., under a temperature regime that is representative of the dust condensation zone and outer region of circumstellar envelopes.

Ella Sciamma-O'Brien↗
DOE OSTI2020

Strong surface magnetic field generation in relativistic short pulse laser–plasma interaction with an applied seed magnetic field

Abstract While plasma often behaves diamagnetically, we demonstrate that the laser irradiation of a thin opaque target with an embedded target-transverse seed magnetic field B seed can trigger the generation of an order-of-magnitude stronger magnetic field with opposite sign at the target surface. Strong surface field generation occurs when the laser pulse is relativistically intense and results from the currents associated with the cyclotron rotation of laser-heated electrons transiting through the target and the compensating current of cold electrons. We derive a predictive scaling for this surface field generation, B gen ∼ −2 πB seed Δ x / λ 0 (in the large spot size limit), where Δ x is the target thickness and λ 0 is the laser wavelength, and conduct 1D and 2D particle-in-cell simulations to confirm its applicability over a wide range of conditions. We additionally demonstrate that both the seed and surface-generated magnetic fields can have a strong impact on application-relevant plasma dynamics, for example substantially altering the overall expansion and ion acceleration from a μ m-thick laser-irradiated target with a kilotesla-level seed magnetic field.

Weichman, K. (ORCID:0000000234877922)↗
NASA NTRS1992

Nonadiabatic heating of the central plasma sheet at substorm onset

Heating events in the plasma sheet boundary layer and central plasma sheet are found to occur at the onset of expansive phase activity. The main effect is a dramatic increase in plasma temperature, coincident with a partial dipolarization of the magnetic field. Fluxes of energetic particles increase without dispersion during these events which occur at all radial distances up to 23 RE, the apogee of the ISEE spacecraft. A major difference between these heating events and those observed at geosynchronous distances lies in the heating mechanism which is nonadiabatic beyond 10 RE but may be adiabatic closer to earth. The energy required to account for the increase in plasma thermal energy is comparable with that required for Joule heating of the ionosphere. The plasma sheet must be considered as a major sink in the energy balance of a substorm. Lobe magnetic pressures during these events are estimated. Change in lobe pressure are generally not correlated with onsets or intensifications of expansive phase activity.

Huang, C. Y.↗