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At least 325 records · Page 18

Design and analysis of dudded fuel experiments at the National Ignition Facility

Recent experiments conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) within the past 2 years have achieved the burning plasma state and exceeded the Lawson criterion for the first time in the laboratory. Here, we report on a set of experiments where the deuterium and tritium (DT) ice layers were replaced with dudded tritium, hydrogen, and deuterium (THD) fuel mixtures to remove the influence of alpha-heating on hot spot dynamics. The hot spot compression and yield in the absence of alpha particle self-heating were measured to assess the proximity of NIF implosions toward the ignition cliff. We find that the “burn-off” Lawson parameters χnoα inferred from the THD experiments are in good agreement with the inferences from postshot simulations of the DT-layered implosions. The THD for burning plasma shot N210307 yielded χnoα≈0.88±0.03 while the THD for ignition shot N210808 yielded χnoα≈1.04±0.04. These results also provide important context for the observed variability in the repeat attempts of ignition shot N210808 since implosions on the ignition cliff are expected to exhibit very large variations in the fusion yield from small changes in the initial conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Design and modeling of indirectly driven magnetized implosions on the NIF

The use of magnetic fields to improve the performance of hohlraum-driven implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is discussed. The focus is on magnetically insulated inertial confinement fusion, where the primary field effect is to reduce electron-thermal and alpha-particle loss from the compressed hotspot (magnetic pressure is of secondary importance). We summarize the requirements to achieve this state. The design of recent NIF magnetized hohlraum experiments is presented. These are close to earlier shots in the three-shock, high-adiabat (BigFoot) campaign, subject to the constraints that magnetized NIF targets must be fielded at room-temperature, and use ≲1 MJ of laser energy to avoid the risk of optics damage from stimulated Brillouin scattering. We present results from the original magnetized hohlraum platform, as well as a later variant that gives a higher hotspot temperature. In both platforms, imposed fields (at the capsule center) of up to 28 T increase the fusion yield and hotspot temperature. Integrated radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic modeling with the Lasnex code of these shots is shown, where laser power multipliers and a saturation clamp on cross-beam energy transfer are developed to match the time of peak capsule emission and the P2 Legendre moment of the hotspot x-ray image. The resulting fusion yield and ion temperature agree decently with the measured relative effects of the field, although the absolute simulated yields are higher than the data by 2.0−2.7×. The tuned parameters and yield discrepancy are comparable for experiments with and without an imposed field, indicating the model adequately captures the field effects. Self-generated and imposed fields are added sequentially to simulations of one BigFoot NIF shot to understand how they alter target dynamics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Neutron-producing gas puff Z-pinch experiments on a fast, low-impedance, 0.5 MA linear transformer driver

A study on the neutron production from single and double gas puff Z-pinches on the CESZAR linear transformer driver with ~0.45 MA current and 170 ns rise time is presented. Total neutron yield measurements made with a LaBr activation detector are compared for three configurations, using a double nozzle setup. When a single, hollow, deuterium gas shell was used, reliable implosions could only be attained at higher load mass than the optimal value to match implosion time with the driver rise time, with neutron yields of ~10 6 per pulse. The use of a double gas puff configuration with a deuterium center jet allowed a reduction in the shell density and operation closer to machine-matched conditions, recording up to (4.1 ± 0.3) × 10 7 neutrons/pulse when either Kr or D 2 was used in the shell. For a comparable mass and implosion time, using a higher atomic-number gas in the outer shell results in more unstable plasma surface and smaller plasma radius at the location of instability bubbles, which, however, do not seem to consistently correlate with a higher neutron yield. Comparing implosion dynamics with models and neutron yields with literature scaling suggests that the machine current is not well coupled to the plasma during the final stages of compression. Optimizing current and energy coupling to the pinched plasma is critical to improving performance, particularly in low-impedance drivers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Exploring scenarios for enhanced fuel compression and performance on the National Ignition Facility with machine-learning-aided design techniques

Recent fusion experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have achieved ignition, producing multi-MJ fusion yields for input laser energies of roughly 2 MJ [Abu-Shawareb et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 065102 (2024)]. Building on the success of the target designs that have achieved ignition, we explore new implosion scenarios predicted to generate significantly more compression of the dense DT ice layer and correspondingly higher yields while preserving many of the key physics characteristics of present-day ignition designs. Our main result is a novel 3-shock implosion scheme that effectively minimizes the shock-induced entropy in the dense, accelerating DT shell and maximizes the resulting fuel compression subject to a fixed leading shock strength consistent with present-day ignition experiments, which is necessary to melt the crystalline high-density carbon ablator. Compared to the first NIF experiment to fulfill Lawson's ignition criterion, shot N210808 [Abu-Shawareb et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 075001 (2022)], our design exhibits a 40% increase in simulated peak areal density (ρR) and a 5× increase in 1D fusion yield using a 4% lighter ablator and identical DT payloads. We also present a complete integrated 2D hohlraum design and laser pulse specifications capable of generating the desired 3-shock drive and maintaining control of the low-mode capsule implosion symmetry, where the increase in simulated 2D yield relative to N210808 is > 10×. This new implosion regime was discovered with help from a machine-learning-enabled capsule design optimization framework. We outline the workflow this automated tool uses to identify improved design candidates by running several rounds of capsule simulations, constructing a surrogate model mapping input variations to key physics output quantities, and querying the resulting statistical model to propose adjustments to the x-ray drive and capsule to reach a set of physics objectives prescribed by the designer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Assessing the performance of MagLIF with 3D MHD simulations

The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experimental platform at Sandia National Laboratories has realized a number of recent improvements in electrical current and laser preheat coupling but fusion yields are below expectations, based on modeling with clean (that is, simulations with no interfacial instabilities and no mix) two-dimensional (2D) magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) simulations, by a factor of 5 or more. However, magnetized liner implosions are known to produce helical magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor (MRT) modes and complex stagnation structures that cannot be directly modeled in 2D. This paper presents the results of 3D HYDRA MHD simulations, including helical MRT, showing that degradation from these instabilities can readily reproduce experimental yields, but it is difficult to simultaneously match the yield along with inferred fuel temperature, pressure, and burn history (assessed with x-rays), which are larger in the experiments considered here. Additional analysis methods and future experiments are proposed to help address the discrepancies. The 3D simulations also show, without substantive improvements to stability, changing the applied Bz or preheat is unlikely to increase performance of MagLIF to the same degree as clean 2D simulations. Finally, the first 3D HYDRA simulations with the Hall term show the ab initio production of helical MRT and produce a clear change in stagnation morphology compared to pre-seeded simulations without Hall. In spite of the differences, the simulations still produce comparable fusion performance but with longer, lower power, neutron yield history.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Hot-spot model for inertial confinement fusion implosions with an applied magnetic field

Imposing a magnetic field on inertial confinement fusion implosions magnetizes the electrons in the compressed fuel; this suppresses thermal losses, which increases temperature and fusion yield. Indirect-drive experiments at the National Ignition Facility with 12 and 26 T applied magnetic fields demonstrate up to 40% increase in temperature, 3× increase in fusion yield, and indicate that magnetization alters the radial temperature profile [Moody et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 195002 (2022); Lahmann et al., APS DPP (2022)]. In this work, we develop a semi-analytic hot-spot model, which accounts for the two-dimensional (2D) Braginskii anisotropic heat flow due to an applied axial magnetic field. First, we show that hot-spot magnetization alters the radial temperature profile, increasing the central peakedness, which is most pronounced for moderately magnetized implosions (with 8–14 T applied field), compared to both unmagnetized (with no applied field) and highly magnetized (with 26 T or higher applied field) implosions. This model explains the trend in the experimental data, which finds a similarly altered temperature profile in the 12 T experiment. Next, we derive the hot-spot model for gas-filled (Symcap) implosions, accounting for the effects of magnetization on the thermal conduction and in changing the radial temperature (and density) profiles. Using this model, we compute predicted central temperature amplification and yield enhancement scaling with the applied magnetic field. The central temperature fits the experimental data accurately, and the discrepancy in the yield suggests a systematic (independent of applied field) degradation, such as mix, and additional degradation in the reference unmagnetized shot, such as reduced laser drive, increased implosion asymmetry, or the magnetic field suppressing ablator mixing into the hot-spot.

Alpha particles↗

Predicting the viscoplastic response of a crystallizing fluoropolymer using transient network theory

We employ a molecular theory of dynamic polymer networks to describe the viscoplastic response of rubbery FK-800, a thermoplastic copolymer of chlorotrifluoroethylene and vinylidene fluoride, over a broad range of thermal histories. The kinetics of crystallization at different annealing temperatures was modeled using a modified Avrami equation, whose parameters were found to evolve through simple relationships over the full temperature range of the rubbery state. By fitting experimental compression data, we discovered predictable trends for the physical parameters in our mechanical model over its full range of crystallinities (up to ≈20%) and provided insights based on molecular-level physics to justify them. Using this, an end-to-end model was developed to predict the yielding and post-yield behavior of rubbery FK-800 for arbitrary thermal histories. The model successfully predicted the highly nonlinear evolution of characteristic mechanical signatures (stiffness, yield point, post-yield drop) throughout the crystallization process. A statistical analysis of variance test was employed to determine that the measured variations in the mechanical behavior of rubbery FK-800 are primarily dictated by its fractional crystallinity, regardless of its exact thermal history.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improving the stability and performance of MagLIF implosions by applying dielectric coatings and increasing applied B z , fuel preheat, and load current

We report two magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments that produced record thermonuclear D–D neutron yields of 2.11×10 13 and 2.33×10 13 . These yields are about a factor of two higher than previous MagLIF results. The experiments achieved ion temperatures of 3.0 and 3.3 keV and stagnation pressures of 1.6 and 1.3 Gbar. The inferred Lawson parameters were χ=0.2 and 0.1, which are the largest reported for MagLIF. The performance increase used a high-aspect-ratio beryllium liner with a dielectric coating and modest increases in preheat energy (∼2.2 kJ), peak current (18.5 MA), and axial magnetic field (15 T). Three-dimensional HYDRA simulations are consistent with the measured liner dynamics and fusion outputs. These results indicate a pathway to higher-yield MagLIF designs using coated, high-aspect-ratio liners and improved input parameters. Simulations further suggest that adding an ice fuel layer could increase yield by up to a factor of 2.5 by reducing liner convergence, instability feedthrough, and mix.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Robustness of inertial fusion energy relevant implosions to low-mode asymmetries

Inertial confinement fusion implosions for power production need to be robust. Degradation sources need to be understood and considered for an economic power plant. In this work, the impact of low-mode asymmetries on yield is studied using 2D radiation hydrodynamics simulations for inertial fusion energy relevant implosions. First, a high-gain indirectly driven capsule design is developed. This design is subsequently degraded with low-mode drive asymmetries. The results show that yield is constant with increasing amounts of asymmetry until a cliff is reached where the yield quickly drops below ignition. Robustness arises because the degraded hotspot still has enough time to get to ignition before capsule decompression. This robustness occurs even though the asymmetry couples less energy to the hotspot and causes decompression to occur sooner. The robustness is linked to the generalized Lawson parameter, χ⁠. The value of χ steadily decreases with increasing asymmetry. Once χ is close to one, the hotspot is no longer able to ignite before the capsule decompresses. A simple piston model is used to predict where the robustness cliff is for any design. The trade-off between yield and robustness is also demonstrated.

Physics - Plasma physics↗

Quantifying the relationship between electric field enhancement and plasmon-driven electron transfer

Plasmonic materials interact strongly with light to create localized, out-of-equilibrium environments with intense electromagnetic fields known as hotspots. After forming, hotspots dissipate energy into their surroundings and can transfer energy and charge carriers to nearby molecules, giving plasmonic materials the potential to drive reactions with sunlight. However, the field needs a better mechanistic understanding of plasmon–molecule interactions and how the local plasmon environment, specifically the electromagnetic field enhancement and spatial distribution of hotspots, impacts the reaction yield. Here, in this work, we mapped plasmon-driven charge transfer across ordered plasmonic substrates using diffraction-limited surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) microscopy to understand the relationship between the average local electric field enhancement and charge transfer reaction yield. We tracked the plasmon-induced electron transfer to buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ) and found that areas with the greatest SERS intensity were not the areas with the greatest ensemble-averaged reduction of C 60 , suggesting that areas with higher electric field enhancement—or “hotter,” more enhancing hotspots—do not improve the charge transfer reaction yield. This work shows that efforts to improve plasmon-driven charge transfer should not merely focus on creating substrates with extremely enhancing regions but also consider how other factors could optimize photoreduction yields.

Koble, MaKenna M. [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis↗

Characteristics of a cost-effective blood test for colorectal cancer screening

Background: Blood-based biomarker tests can potentially change the landscape of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We characterize the conditions under which blood test screening would be as effective and cost-effective as annual fecal immunochemical testing or decennial colonoscopy. Methods: We used the 3 Cancer Information and Surveillance Modeling Network–Colon models to compare scenarios of no screening, annual fecal immunochemical testing, decennial colonoscopy, and a blood test meeting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) coverage criteria (74% CRC sensitivity and 90% specificity). We varied the sensitivity to detect CRC (74%-92%), advanced adenomas (10%-50%), screening interval (1-3 years), and test cost ($25-$500). Primary outcomes included quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) gained from screening and costs for a US average-risk cohort of individuals aged 45 years. Results: Annual fecal immunochemical testing yielded 125-163 QALY gained per 1000 at a cost of 3811-5384 dollars per person, whereas colonoscopy yielded 132-177 QALY gained at a cost of 5375-7031 dollars per person. A blood test with 92% CRC sensitivity and 50% advanced adenoma sensitivity yielded 117-162 QALY gained if used every 3 years and 133-173 QALY gained if used every year but would not be cost-effective if priced above $$125 per test. If used every 3 years, a $500 blood test only meeting CMS coverage criteria yielded 83-116 QALY gained at a cost of $8559-$9413 per person. Conclusion: Blood tests that only meet CMS coverage requirements should not be recommended to patients who would otherwise undergo screening by colonoscopy or fecal immunochemical testing because of lower benefit. Blood tests need higher advanced adenoma sensitivity (above 40%) and lower costs (below $125) to be cost-effective.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Stellar population and metal production in AGN discs

ABSTRACT As gravitational wave detections increase the number of observed compact binaries (consisting of neutron stars or blacks), we begin to probe the different conditions producing these binaries. Most studies of compact remnant formation focus either on stellar collapse from the evolution of field binary stars in gas-free environments or on the formation of stars in clusters where dynamical interactions capture the compact objects, forming binaries. But a third scenario exists. In this paper, we study the fate of massive stars formed, accrete gas, and evolve in the dense discs surrounding supermassive black holes. We calculate the explosions produced and compact objects formed by the collapse of these massive stars. Nucleosynthetic yields may provide an ideal, directly observable, diagnostic of the formation and fate of these stars in active galactic nuclei. We present a first study of the explosive yields from these stars, comparing these yields with the observed nucleosynthetic signatures in the discs around supermassive stars with quasars. We show that, even though these stars tend to form black holes, their rapid rotation leads to discs that can eject a considerable amount of iron during the collapse of the star. The nucleosynthetic yields from these stars can produce constraints on the number of systems formed in this manner, but further work is needed to exploit variations from the initial models presented in this paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Production of protons and light nuclei in Au +Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV with the STAR detector

We report the systematic measurement of protons and light nuclei production in Au +Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The transverse momentum (𝑝 𝑇 ) spectra of protons (𝑝) , deuterons (𝑑) , tritons (𝑡) , 3 He , and 4 He have been measured from midrapidity to target rapidity for different collision centralities. We present the rapidity and centrality dependence of particle yields (𝑑⁢𝑁/𝑑⁢𝑦), average transverse momentum (⟨𝑝 𝑇 ⟩), yield ratios (𝑑/𝑝, 𝑡/𝑝, 3 He/𝑝, 4 He/𝑝), as well as the coalescence parameters (𝐵 2 ,𝐵 3 ). The 4⁢𝜋 yields for various particles are determined by utilizing the measured rapidity distributions, 𝑑⁢𝑁/𝑑⁢𝑦. Furthermore, we present the energy, centrality, and rapidity dependence of the compound yield ratios (𝑁 𝑝 ×𝑁 𝑡 /𝑁$^{2}_{d}$) and compare them with various model calculations. Furthermore, the physics implications of these results on the production mechanism of light nuclei and the QCD phase structure are discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Jet radius dependence of dijet momentum balance and suppression in Pb + Pb collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes a measurement of the jet radius dependence of the dijet momentum balance between leading back-to-back jets in 1.72 nb -1 of Pb + Pb collisions collected in 2018 and 255 pb -1 of pp collisions collected in 2017 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Both datasets were collected at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV. Jets are reconstructed using the anti-k t algorithm with jet radius parameters R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6. The dijet momentum balance distributions are constructed for leading jets with transverse momentum p T from 100 to 562 GeV for R = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 jets, and from 158 to 562 GeV for R = 0.5 and 0.6 jets. The absolutely normalized dijet momentum balance distributions are constructed to compare measurements of the dijet yields in Pb + Pb collisions directly to the dijet cross sections in pp collisions. For all jet radii considered here, there is a suppression of more balanced dijets in Pb + Pb collisions compared with pp collisions, while for more imbalanced dijets there is an enhancement. There is a jet radius dependence to the dijet yields, being stronger for more imbalanced dijets than for more balanced dijets. Additionally, jet pair nuclear modification factors are measured. The subleading jet yields are found to be more suppressed than leading jet yields in dijets. A jet radius dependence of the pair nuclear modification factors is observed, with the suppression decreasing with increasing jet radius. These measurements provide new constraints on jet quenching scenarios in the quark-gluon plasma.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Hypertriton puzzle in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The yields of hadrons and light nuclei in relativistic collisions of heavy-nuclei at a center of mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.6 TeV can be described remarkably well by a thermal distribution of an ideal gas of hadrons and light nuclei interacting only via the decay of resonances. Given the particularly small binding energy of hypertritons relative to the temperature describing the yields (about 156 MeV), one might naturally expect hypertrions to dissociate in medium, making the agreement of hypertriton yields with thermal predictions highly puzzling. The puzzle is compounded by the fact that small binding energy is associated with the large size of the hypertriton. This size is on a similar scale to the overall size of the fireball and much larger than the length scale over which temperatures in the fireball vary over phenomenologically relevant amounts. Here, this paper quantifies the tension this effect causes and shows that it is sufficiently large to render the thermal model inconsistent: its natural assumptions are in conflict with its outputs. The possibility that hypertritons are formed at freeze out as compact objects, quark droplets, that subsequently evolve into hypertritons is considered as a way to resolve the puzzle. It is noted that beyond making the assumption that compact quark droplets form, additional detailed dynamical assumptions which have not been justified are needed to make the thermal model work. The issue of why, despite these issues, the hypertriton is well described by a simple statistical description at freeze out is unresolved. Resolving the hypertriton puzzle is important as it may clarify whether the phenomenological success of the simple thermal model for yields accurately reflects the simple picture of the underlying physics on which it is based.

hydrodynamic models↗

First measurement of 𝐷 𝑠⁢1 ⁡(1 + )⁢(2536) + and 𝐷$^{*}_{𝑠⁢2}$⁡(2 + )⁢(2573) + production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV at the LHC

The production yields of the orbitally excited charm-strange mesons D s⁢1 ⁡(1 + )⁢(2536)+ and 𝐷$^{*}_{𝑠⁢2}$⁡(2 + )⁢(2573) + were measured for the first time in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The D$^{+}_{s⁢1}$ and D$^{*+}_{s⁢2}$ mesons were measured at midrapidity (|𝑦| < 0.5) in minimum-bias and high-multiplicity pp collisions in the transverse-momentum interval 2< 𝑝 T < 24 GeV/𝑐. Their production yields relative to the D$^{+}_{s}$ ground-state yield were found to be compatible between minimum-bias and high-multiplicity collisions, as well as with previous measurements in e ± ⁢p and e + ⁢e − collisions. The measured D$^{+}_{s⁢1}$/D$^{+}_{s}$ and D$^{*+}_{s⁢2}$/D$^{+}_{s}$ yield ratios are described by statistical hadronization models and can be used to tune the parameters governing the production of excited charm-strange hadrons in Monte Carlo generators, such as pythia 8.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Cosmogenic neutron production in water at SNO+

Accurate measurement of the cosmogenic muon-induced neutron yield is crucial for constraining a significant background in a wide range of low-energy physics searches. Although previous underground experiments have measured this yield across various cosmogenic muon energies, SNO+ is uniquely positioned due to its exposure to one of the highest average cosmogenic muon energies at 364 GeV. Using ultrapure water, we have determined a neutron yield of 𝑌 𝑛 = (3.3⁢8$^{+0.23}_{−0.30}$) × 10 −4 cm 2 g −1 𝜇 −1 at SNO+. Comparison with simulations demonstrates clear agreement with the FLUKA neutron production model, highlighting discrepancies with the widely used GEANT 4 model. Furthermore, this measurement reveals a lower cosmogenic neutron yield than that observed by the SNO experiment, which used heavy water under identical muon flux conditions. This result provides new evidence that nuclear structure and target material composition significantly influence neutron production by cosmogenic muons, offering fresh insight with important implications for the design and background modeling of future underground experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

PANDA-FES: Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for Advancing Fusion Energy Science

Nuclear fusion is a potential source of carbon-free electricity with many concepts in development. The Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for Advancing Fusion Energy Science (PANDA-FES) suite has been deployed since 2021 to measure neutron yield, energy, and spatiotemporal source location at two different Z-pinch fusion devices. This diagnostic can be used at a variety of facilities pursuing fusion in the magnetic, inertial, and magneto-inertial regimes. These different regimes have a wide range of time scales from less than 100 ns to a few μ s, neutron yields from 10 6 to 10 11 , and noise environments. Neutron yield is measured through activation of 79 Br and 89 Y with calibrated detectors. Temporal, spatial, and energy dependence of neutrons is measured with scintillators coupled to photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Experimental setups and data analysis methods have been developed for these conditions. Finally, neutron yield, neutron energy anisotropy, and spatiotemporal evolution of the source have been measured.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗