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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Effects of Spatial Gradients on Electron Runaway Acceleration

The runaway process is known to accelerate electrons in many laboratory plasmas and has been suggested as an acceleration mechanism in some astrophysical plasmas, including solar flares. Current calculations of the electron velocity distributions resulting from the runaway process are greatly restricted because they impose spatial homogeneity on the distribution. We have computed runaway distributions which include consistent development of spatial gradients in the energetic tail. Our solution for the electron velocity distribution is presented as a function of distance along a finite length acceleration region, and is compared with the equivalent distribution for the infinitely long homogenous system (i.e., no spatial gradients), as considered in the existing literature. All these results are for the weak field regime. We also discuss the severe restrictiveness of this weak field assumption.

MacNeice, Peter↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Compact Superconducting RF Accelerator for Electron Beam and X-ray Irradiation

As commercial and industrial applications of electron beam and x-ray irradiation have developed, new applications have emerged that require very high beam power to create the required radiation field. These new applications require dependable, efficient, high-energy, high-power electron accelerators. Recent developments in Superconducting Radio-Frequency (SRF) technology can now enable accelerators with lower costs and improved performance. Cryogenic heat loads are dramatically reduced through use of new materials and improved component designs. New cooling methods allow the replacement of complex systems requiring cryogenic fluids with simple robust systems with no fluids. New RF sources can greatly reduce the cost of RF power. Each of these developments has been individually proven and an effort is underway at the Illinois Accelerator Research Center at Fermilab to integrate them into the first prototype of an entirely new class of industrial SRF-based accelerators. These accelerators will enable robust, turn-key operation with very high electrical efficiency. The accelerator prototype under design will be capable of 10 MeV beam, CW operation, and 250 kW of electron beam power. These modular systems are small enough to be palletized and transported to the point of use. Their high electrical efficiency mean that portable power generation systems can be enable their use in mobile applications. The goal is a compact, cost-effective, high-power accelerator suitable for many of the applications covered by this conference. Fermilab is actively working to build the prototype. The end-product will be a commercially available, robust, turn-key system for applications requiring reliable electron beam or X-ray irradiation. Keywords: accelerator, applications, conduction-cooling, cryogen-free, industrial, super-conducting RF.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1974

Acceleration of electrons during the flash phase of solar flares

The characteristics of the electron acceleration process operating during the flash phase of solar flares are deduced from the high time resolution observations of impulsive solar X rays greater than or equal to 10 keV and other flash phase emissions from small solar flares, and the implications of these findings are discussed.

Kane, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Solar Radio Bursts and Space Weather

Radio bursts from the Sun are produced by electron accelerated to relativistic energies by physical processes on the Sun such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The radio bursts are thus good indicators of solar eruptions. Three types of nonthermal radio bursts are generally associated with CMEs. Type III bursts due to accelerated electrons propagating along open magnetic field lines. The electrons are thought to be accelerated at the reconnection region beneath the erupting CME, although there is another view that the electrons may be accelerated at the CME-driven shock. Type II bursts are due to electrons accelerated at the shock front. Type II bursts are also excellent indicators of solar energetic particle (SEP) events because the same shock is supposed accelerate electrons and ions. There is a hierarchical relationship between the wavelength range of type /I bursts and the CME kinetic energy. Finally, Type IV bursts are due to electrons trapped in moving or stationary structures. The low frequency stationary type IV bursts are observed occasionally in association with very fast CMEs. These bursts originate from flare loops behind the erupting CME and hence indicate tall loops. This paper presents a summary of radio bursts and their relation to CMEs and how they can be useful for space weather predictions.

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk,↗
DOE OSTI2024

The influence of laser focusing conditions on the direct laser acceleration of electrons

Direct laser acceleration of electrons during a high-energy, picosecond laser interaction with an underdense plasma has been demonstrated to be substantially enhanced by controlling the laser focusing geometry. Experiments using the OMEGA EP facility measured electrons accelerated to maximum energies exceeding 120 times the ponderomotive energy under certain laser focusing, pulse energy, and plasma density conditions. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that the laser focusing conditions alter the laser field evolution, channel fields generation, and electron oscillation, all of which contribute to the final electron energies. The optimal laser focusing condition occurs when the transverse oscillation amplitude of the accelerated electron in the channel fields matches the laser beam width, resulting in efficient energy gain. Through this observation, a simple model was developed to calculate the optimal laser focal spot size in more general conditions and is validated by experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dual effects of stochastic heating on electron injection in laser wakefield acceleration

Electron injection into the wakefield of an intense short laser pulse by a weaker laser pulse propagating in the opposite direction is reconsidered using two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell simulations as well as analytical modeling. It is found that for linearly polarized lasers the injection efficiency and the quality of the wakefield accelerated electrons increase with the intensity of the injection laser only up to a certain level, and then decreases. Theory and simulation tracking test electrons originally in the beat region of the two laser pulses show that the reduction of the injection efficiency at high injection-laser intensities is caused by stochastic overheating of the affected electrons.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma Mirrors For High Power Lasers: A new approach for high repetition rates combined with realistic PIC simulations

We describe a research program to develop high quality plasma mirrors for use with high repetition rate, high power laser facilities to greatly facilitate experiments in high energy density physics, particularly when using solid density targets. A system delivering ultrathin, free standing liquid crystal films that could handle PW class laser pulses was developed that preserved the laser beam image quality and improved pulse contrast by over two orders of magnitude. The pulse contrast improvement was measured using a high dynamic range cross-correlation. The system operated at a repetition rate of several PMs formed in situ per minute. Extension to 1 Hz repetition rates should be possible. As a practical application, a PM system was used to separate laser accelerated electrons from the ultrashort pulse drive laser so that the electron beam emittance could be directly measured. The 20 nm thick PMs did not contribute significantly to emittance degradation. It was also demonstrated that the films could operate in the difficult plasma and laser environment present for GeV laser based electron acceleration. PM operation is still not well understood and much work with PMs is done empirically. Accordingly, we also demonstrated a particle-in-cell based simulation technique that would model PM operation, tracking the PM operation from cold, neutral atoms to a hot dense plasma by accounting for multiphoton ionization, plasma collisionality, and the dynamically changing index of refraction. Simulations in 3D were compared to a 2D based approach that was comparable. Finally, we developed a simpler model that can predict the intensity at which a plasma mirror will have its peak reflectivity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bunch Shaping in Electron Linear Accelerators

Modern electron linear accelerators are often designed to produce smooth bunch distributions characterized by their macroscopic ensemble-average moments. However, an increasing number of accelerator applications call for finer control over the beam distribution, such as by requiring specific shapes for its projection along one coordinate. Ultimately, the control of the beam distribution at the single-particle level could enable new opportunities in accelerator science. This review discusses the recent progress toward controlling electron beam distributions on the “mesoscopic” scale with an emphasis on shaping the beam or introducing complex correlations required for some applications. This review emphasizes experimental and theoretical developments of electron-bunch shaping methods based on bounded external electromagnetic fields or via interactions with the self-generated velocity and radiation fields.

Ha, G.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Relativistic Electron Beams Accelerated By an Interplanetary Shock

Context: Collisionless shock waves have long been considered to be among the most prolific particle accelerators in the universe. Shocks alter the plasma they propagate through, and often exhibit complex evolution across multiple scales. Interplanetary (IP) traveling shocks have been recorded in situ for over half a century and act as a natural laboratory for experimentally verifying various aspects of large-scale collisionless shocks. A fundamentally interesting problem in both heliophysics and astrophysics is the acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies (> 300 keV) by traveling shocks. Aims: The reason for an incomplete understanding of electron acceleration at IP shocks is due to scale-related challenges and a lack of instrumental capabilities. This Letter presents the first observations of field-aligned beams of relativistic electrons upstream of an IP shock, observed thanks to the instrumental capabilities of Solar Orbiter. This study presents the characteristics of the electron beams close to the source and contributes to the understanding of their acceleration mechanism. Methods: On 25 July 2022, Solar Orbiter encountered an IP shock at 0.98 AU. The shock was associated with an energetic storm particle event, which also featured upstream field-aligned relativistic electron beams observed 14 min prior to the actual shock crossing. The distance of the beam’s origin was investigated using a velocity dispersion analysis (VDA). Peak-intensity energy spectra were analyzed and compared with those obtained from a semi-analytical fast-Fermi acceleration model. Results: By leveraging Solar Orbiter’s high temporal resolution Energetic Particle Detector (EPD), we successfully showcase an IP shock’s ability to accelerate relativistic electron beams. Our proposed acceleration mechanism offers an explanation for the observed electron beam and its characteristics, while we also explore the potential contributions of more complex mechanisms.

acceleration of particles↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electron pulse train accelerated by a linearly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian laser beam

A linearly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian (LP-LG) laser beam with a twist index $l$ = –1 has field structure that fundamentally differs from the field structure of a conventional linearly polarized Gaussian beam. Close to the axis of the LP-LG beam, the longitudinal electric and magnetic fields dominate over the transverse components. This structure offers an attractive opportunity to accelerate electrons in vacuum. It is shown, using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, that this scenario can be realized by reflecting an LP-LG laser off a plasma with a sharp density gradient. The simulations indicate that a 600 TW LP-LG laser beam effectively injects electrons into the beam during the reflection. The electrons that are injected close to the laser axis experience a prolonged longitudinal acceleration by the longitudinal laser electric field. The electrons form distinct monoenergetic bunches with a small divergence angle. The energy in the most energetic bunch is 0.29 GeV. The bunch charge is 6 pC and its duration is approximately 270 as. The divergence angle is just 0.57° (10 mrad). By using a linearly polarized rather than a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian beam, our scheme makes it easier to demonstrate the electron acceleration experimentally at a high-power laser facility.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

3D printing of gas jet nozzles for laser-plasma accelerators

Recent results on laser wakefield acceleration in tailored plasma channels have underlined the importance of controlling the density profile of the gas target. In particular, it was reported that the appropriate density tailoring can result in improved injection, acceleration, and collimation of laser-accelerated electron beams. To achieve such profiles, innovative target designs are required. For this purpose, we have reviewed the usage of additive layer manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, in order to produce gas jet nozzles. Notably we have compared the performance of two industry standard techniques, namely, selective laser sintering (SLS) and stereolithography (SLA). Furthermore we have used the common fused deposition modeling to reproduce basic gas jet designs and used SLA and SLS for more sophisticated nozzle designs. The nozzles are characterized interferometrically and used for electron acceleration experiments with the SALLE JAUNE terawatt laser at Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

A late-time flattening of light curves in gamma-ray burst afterglows

The afterglow emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is usually interpreted as synchrotron radiation from relativistic electrons accelerated at the GRB external shock. We investigate the temporal decay of the afterglow emission at late times, when the bulk of the shock-accelerated electrons are non-relativistic (the 'deep Newtonian phase', as denoted by Huang and Cheng). We assume that the electron spectrum in the deep Newtonian phase is a power-law distribution in momentum with slope p, as dictated by the theory of Fermi acceleration in non-relativistic shocks. For a uniform circumburst medium, the deep Newtonian phase begins at t{sub DN}∼3 ϵ{sub e,−1}{sup 5/6}t{sub ST}, where t {sub ST} marks the transition of the blast wave to the non-relativistic, spherically symmetric Sedov-Taylor (ST) solution, and ε {sub e} = 0.1 ε {sub e,–1} quantifies the amount of shock energy transferred to the electrons. For typical parameters, the deep Newtonian stage starts ∼0.5 to several years after the GRB. The radio flux in this phase decays as F {sub ν}∝t {sup –3(p+1)/10}∝t {sup –(0.9÷1.2)}, for a power-law slope 2 < p < 3. This is shallower than the scaling F {sub ν}∝t {sup –3(5p–7)/10}∝t {sup –(0.9÷2.4)} derived by Frail et al., which only applies if the GRB shock is non-relativistic, but the electron distribution still peaks at ultra-relativistic energies (a regime that is relevant for a narrow time interval, and only if t {sub DN} ≳ t {sub ST}, namely, ε {sub e} ≳ 0.03). We discuss how the deep Newtonian phase can be reliably used for GRB calorimetry, and we comment on the good detection prospects of trans-relativistic blast waves at 0.1÷10 GHz with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and LOw-Frequency ARray.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spin Resonance Free Electron Ring Injector

We have developed an intrinsic resonance free circular electron accelerator. This lattice could be placed in the existing RHIC tunnel and accelerate electrons from 100 MeV to 20 GeV avoiding all major polarization loss usual in such machines.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Observation of electron cloud instabilities and emittance dilution at the Cornell electron-positron Storage ring Test Accelerator

Electron cloud related emittance dilution and instabilities of bunch trains limit the performance of high intensity circular colliders. One of the key goals of the Cornell electron-positron storage ring Test Accelerator (CesrTA) research program is to improve our understanding of how the electron cloud alters the dynamics of bunches within the train. Single bunch beam diagnostics have been developed to measure the beam spectra, vertical beam size, two important dynamical effects of beams interacting with the electron cloud, for bunch trains on a turn-by-turn basis. Experiments have been performed at CesrTA to probe the interaction of the electron cloud with stored positron bunch trains. The purpose of these experiments was to characterize the dependence of beam-electron cloud interactions on the machine parameters such as bunch spacing, vertical chromaticity, and bunch current. The beam dynamics of the stored beam, in the presence of the electron cloud, was quantified using: 1) a gated beam position monitor (BPM) and spectrum analyzer to measure the bunch-by-bunch frequency spectrum of the bunch trains, 2) an x-ray beam size monitor to record the bunch-by-bunch, turn-by-turn vertical size of each bunch within the trains. In this study we report on the observations from these experiments and analyze the effects of the electron cloud on the stability of bunches in a train under many different operational conditions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Collimated fast electron beam generation in critical density plasma

Significantly collimated fast electron beam with a divergence angle 10° (FWHM) is observed when an ultra-intense laser pulse (I = 10{sup 14 }W/cm{sup 2}, 300 fs) irradiates a uniform critical density plasma. The uniform plasma is created through the ionization of an ultra-low density (5 mg/c.c.) plastic foam by X-ray burst from the interaction of intense laser (I = 10{sup 14 }W/cm{sup 2}, 600 ps) with a thin Cu foil. 2D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation well reproduces the collimated electron beam with a strong magnetic field in the region of the laser pulse propagation. To understand the physical mechanism of the collimation, we calculate energetic electron motion in the magnetic field obtained from the 2D PIC simulation. As the results, the strong magnetic field (300 MG) collimates electrons with energy over a few MeV. This collimation mechanism may attract attention in many applications such as electron acceleration, electron microscope and fast ignition of laser fusion.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗