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At least 343 records · Page 19

Optimum plasma grid bias for a negative hydrogen ion source operation with Cs

The functions of a biased plasma grid of a negative hydrogen (H{sup −}) ion source for both pure volume and Cs seeded operations are reexamined. Proper control of the plasma grid bias in pure volume sources yields: enhancement of the extracted negative ion current, reduction of the co-extracted electron current, flattening of the spatial distribution of plasma potential across the filter magnetic field, change in recycling from hydrogen atomic/molecular ions to atomic/molecular neutrals, and enhanced concentration of H{sup −} ions near the plasma grid. These functions are maintained in the sources seeded with Cs with additional direct emission of negative ions under positive ion and neutral hydrogen bombardment onto the plasma electrode.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Beam extraction and high stability operation of high current electron cyclotron resonance proton ion source

A high current electron cyclotron resonance proton ion source is designed and developed for the low energy high intensity proton accelerator at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The plasma discharge in the ion source is stabilized by minimizing the reflected microwave power using four stub auto tuner and magnetic field. The optimization of extraction geometry is performed using PBGUNS code by varying the aperture, shape, accelerating gap, and the potential on the electrodes. While operating the source, it was found that the two layered microwave window (6 mm quartz plate and 2 mm boron nitride plate) was damaged (a fine hole was drilled) by the back-streaming electrons after continuous operation of the source for 3 h at beam current of 20–40 mA. The microwave window was then shifted from the line of sight of the back-streaming electrons and located after the water-cooled H-plane bend. In this configuration the stable operation of the high current ion source for several hours is achieved. The ion beam is extracted from the source by biasing plasma electrode, puller electrode, and ground electrode to +10 to +50 kV, −2 to −4 kV, and 0 kV, respectively. The total ion beam current of 30–40 mA is recorded on Faraday cup at 40 keV of beam energy at 600–1000 W of microwave power, 800–1000 G axial magnetic field and (1.2–3.9) × 10{sup −3} mbar of neutral hydrogen gas pressure in the plasma chamber. The dependence of beam current on extraction voltage, microwave power, and gas pressure is investigated in the range of operation of the ion source.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

THE YOUNG CLUSTER IN IC 1274

IC 1274 is a faintly luminous nebula lying on the near surface of the Lynds 227 (L227) molecular cloud. Its cavity-like morphology is reminiscent of a blistered star-forming region. Four luminous, early-type (B0-B5) stars are located within a spherical volume {approx}5' in diameter that appears to be clear of heavy obscuration. Approximately centered in the cleared region is the B0 V star HD 166033, which is thought to be largely responsible for the cavity's excavation. Over 80 H{alpha} emission sources brighter than V {approx} 21 have been identified in the region. More than half of these are concentrated in IC 1274 and are presumably members of a faint T Tauri star population. Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer imaging of a nearby suspected pulsar and time-variable {gamma}-ray source (GeV J1809-2327) detected 21 X-ray sources in the cluster vicinity, some of which are coincident with the early-type stars and H{alpha} emitters in IC 1274. Deep (V {approx} 22) optical BVRI photometry has been obtained for the cluster region. A distance of 1.82 {+-} 0.3 kpc and a mean extinction of A{sub V} {approx} 1.21 {+-} 0.2 mag follow from photometry of the early-type stars. Using pre-main-sequence evolutionary models, we derive a median age for the H{alpha} emitters and X-ray sources of {approx}1 Myr; however, a significant dispersion is present. Our interpretation of the structure of IC 1274 and the spatial distribution of H{alpha} emitters is that the early-type stars formed recently and are in the process of ionizing and dispersing the molecular gas on the near surface of L227. The displaced material was driven against what remains of the molecular cloud to the east, enabling the formation of the substantial number of T Tauri stars found there. A dispersed population of H{alpha} emitters is also found along the periphery of L227, IC 1275, and IC 4684. These sources, if pre-main-sequence stars, appear to have formed in relative isolation compared to the dense cluster environment of IC 1274 or, alternatively, may be older and have drifted further from their formation sites. We identify a V {approx} 21.5 star very near the position of X-ray source 5, the assumed {gamma}-ray source and young pulsar candidate. However, the lack of distinctive characteristics for this source, coupled with the density of faint stars in this region, suggest that this may be a random superposition.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Phenotypic and genomic characterization of Methanothermobacter wolfeii strain BSEL, a CO 2 -capturing archaeon with minimal nutrient requirements

A new variant of Methanothermobacter wolfeii was isolated from an anaerobic digester using enrichment cultivation in anaerobic conditions. Here, the new isolate was taxonomically identified via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and tagged as M. wolfeii BSEL. The whole genome of the new variant was sequenced and de novo assembled. Genomic variations between the BSEL strain and the type strain were discovered, suggesting evolutionary adaptations of the BSEL strain that conferred advantages while growing under a low concentration of nutrients. M. wolfeii BSEL displayed the highest specific growth rate ever reported for the wolfeii species (0.27 ± 0.03 h –1 ) using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as unique carbon source and hydrogen (H 2 ) as electron donor. M. wolfeii BSEL grew at this rate in an environment with ammonium (NH 4 + ) as sole nitrogen source. The minerals content required to cultivate the BSEL strain was relatively low and resembled the ionic background of tap water without mineral supplements. Optimum growth rate for the new isolate was observed at 64°C and pH 8.3. In this work, it was shown that wastewater from a wastewater treatment facility can be used as a low-cost alternative medium to cultivate M. wolfeii BSEL. Continuous gas fermentation fed with a synthetic biogas mimic along with H 2 in a bubble column bioreactor using M. wolfeii BSEL as biocatalyst resulted in a CO 2 conversion efficiency of 97% and a final methane (CH 4 ) titer of 98.5%v, demonstrating the ability of the new strain for upgrading biogas to renewable natural gas.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

High spatial resolution continuum and H-alpha imaging of the high-redshift IRAS source FSC 10214+4724

New observations are reported which support the view that the high-redshift IRAS source FSC 10214+4724 is a rare extreme example of the class of ultraluminous infrared galaxies observed in the local universe. The presence of two continuum components and a compact H-alpha source suggests that a merger between two or more gas-rich systems has triggered the production of a powerful dust-enshrouded quasar which is responsible for the bulk of the luminosity.

Soifer, B. T.↗

High-resolution far-infrared observations of the extended W51 complex

A far-IR map with 1 arcmin resolution was obtained of the W51 H II region molecular cloud complex. The 40-120 microns survey was performed to study embedded sources which excite the H II gas. The far-IR emission distribution overlapped radio emissions from the region, implying that the extended dust clouds were heated by the same sources as the H II regions. Four compact sources were characterized and associated with concentrations of luminosities that suggested a scarcity of low-mass stars. The brightest source, labeled W51-I, has a luminosity/mass ratio of 150, high enough to indicate a burst of massive O star formation. No triggering mechanism was identified for the burst of star formation.

Rengarajan, T. N.↗

A DEEP CHANDRA OBSERVATION OF THE GIANT H II REGION N11. I. X-RAY SOURCES IN THE FIELD

A very sensitive X-ray investigation of the giant H II region N11 in the Large Megallanic Cloud was performed using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The 300 ks observation reveals X-ray sources with luminosities down to 10{sup 32} erg s{sup –1}, increasing the number of known point sources in the field by more than a factor of five. Among these detections are 13 massive stars (3 compact groups of massive stars, 9 O stars, and one early B star) with log (L {sub X}/L {sub BOL}) ∼–6.5 to –7, which may suggest that they are highly magnetic or colliding-wind systems. On the other hand, the stacked signal for regions corresponding to undetected O stars yields log (L {sub X}/L {sub BOL}) ∼–7.3, i.e., an emission level comparable to similar Galactic stars despite the lower metallicity. Other point sources coincide with 11 foreground stars, 6 late-B/A stars in N11, and many background objects. This observation also uncovers the extent and detailed spatial properties of the soft, diffuse emission regions, but the presence of some hotter plasma in their spectra suggests contamination by the unresolved stellar population.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A SPITZER SURVEY OF MID-INFRARED MOLECULAR EMISSION FROM PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. CORRELATIONS AND LOCAL THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM MODELS

We present an analysis of Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph observations of H{sub 2}O, OH, HCN, C{sub 2}H{sub 2}, and CO{sub 2} emission, and Keck-NIRSPEC observations of CO emission, from a diverse sample of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be circumstellar disks. We find that detections and strengths of most mid-IR molecular emission features are correlated with each other, suggesting a common origin and similar excitation conditions for this mid-infrared line forest. Aside from the remarkable differences in molecular line strengths between T Tauri, Herbig Ae/Be, and transitional disks discussed in Pontoppidan et al., we note that the line detection efficiency is anti-correlated with the 13/30 {mu}m spectral slope, which is a measure of the degree of grain settling in the disk atmosphere. We also note a correlation between detection efficiency and H{alpha} equivalent width, and tentatively with accretion rate, suggesting that accretional heating contributes to line excitation. If detected, H{sub 2}O line fluxes are correlated with the mid-IR continuum flux, and other co-varying system parameters, such as L{sub *}. However, significant sample variation, especially in molecular line ratios, remains, and its origin has yet to be explained. Local thermal equilibrium (LTE) models of the H{sub 2}O emission show that line strength is primarily related to the best-fit emitting area, and this accounts for most source-to-source variation in H{sub 2}O emitted flux. Best-fit temperatures and column densities cover only a small range of parameter space, near {approx}10{sup 18} cm{sup -2} and 450 K for all sources, suggesting a high abundance of H{sub 2}O in many planet-forming regions. Other molecules have a range of excitation temperatures from {approx}500to1500 K, also consistent with an origin in planet-forming regions. We find molecular ratios relative to water of {approx}10{sup -3} for all molecules, with the exception of CO, for which n(CO)/n(H{sub 2}O) {approx} 1. However, LTE fitting caveats and differences in the way thermo-chemical modeling results are reported make comparisons with such models difficult, and highlight the need for additional observations coupled with the use of line-generating radiative transfer codes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

First hydrogen operation of NIO1: Characterization of the source plasma by means of an optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic

NIO1 (Negative Ion Optimization 1) is a compact and flexible radio frequency H{sup −} ion source, developed by Consorzio RFX and INFN-LNL. The aim of the experimentation on NIO1 is the optimization of both the production of negative ions and their extraction and beam optics. In the initial phase of its commissioning, NIO1 was operated with nitrogen, but now the source is regularly operated also with hydrogen. To evaluate the source performances, an optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic was installed. The system includes a low resolution spectrometer in the spectral range of 300-850 nm and a high resolution (50 pm) one, to study, respectively, the atomic and the molecular emissions in the visible range. The spectroscopic data have been interpreted also by means of a collisional-radiative model developed at IPP Garching. Besides the diagnostic hardware and the data analysis methods, the paper presents the first plasma measurements across a transition to the full H mode, in a hydrogen discharge. The characteristic signatures of this transition in the plasma parameters are described, in particular, the sudden increase of the light emitted from the plasma above a certain power threshold.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

CW/Pulsed H{sup −} ion beam generation with PKU Cs-free 2.45 GHz microwave driven ion source

Circular accelerators used for positron emission tomography (PET, i.e. accelerator used for make radio isotopes) need several mA of CW H- ion beam for their routine operation. Other facilities, like Space Radio-Environment Simulate Assembly (SPRESA), require less than 10 mA pulsed mode H{sup −} beam. Caesium free negative hydrogen ion source is a good choice for those facilities because of its compact structure, easy operation and low cost. Up to now, there is no H{sup −} source able to produce very intense H{sup −} beams with important variation of the duty factor{sup [1]}. Recently, a new version of 2.45 GHz microwave H{sup −} ion source was designed at PKU, based on lessons learnt from the previous one. This non cesiated source is very compact thanks to its permanent magnet configuration. Special attention was paid on the design of the discharge chamber structure, electron dumping and extraction system. Source test to produce H{sup −} ion beams in pulsed and CW mode was carried out on PKU ion source test bench. In CW mode, a 10.8 mA/30keV H{sup −} beam with rms emittance about 0.16 π·mm·mrad has been obtained with only 500 W rf power. The power efficiency reaches 21 mA/kW. In pulsed mode with duty factor of 10% (100Hz/1ms), this compact source can easily deliver 20 mA H{sup −} ion beam at 35 keV with rms emittance about 0.2 π·mm·mrad when RF power is set at 2.2 kW (peak power). Several hour successive running operation in both modes and totaling more than 200 hours proves its high quality. The outside dimension of this new H{sup −} source body is ϕ116 mm × 124 mm, and the entire H{sup −} source infrastructure, including rf matching section, plasma chamber and extraction system, is ϕ310 × 180 mm. The high voltage region is limited with in a ϕ310 mm × 230 mm diagram. Details are given in this paper.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Novel, Low-Cost, Light-Weight High Efficiency (H*10 Capable) Neutron Detector-Dosimeter

The goal of this project was to design, develop and validate a novel, spectroscopy enabled H*(10) neutron dosimetry system based on the tensioned metastable fluid detector (TMFD) sensor technology. The project team consisted of staff from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Purdue University (PU) and Sagamore Adams Laboratories, LLC (SAL). PU-SAL staff were tasked with the design, development, construction and testing of the H*TMFD hardware and software, along with developing the control and data acquisition software for comparison of predictions from H*TMFD against a commonly accepted and widely used industry standard system; for this project, the Li-I detector coupled to bonner spheres (LiI-BSS) system manufactured by Ludlum, Inc. was utilized as the reference (“gold”) standard – similar in terms of neutron spectroscopy enablement to another industry recognized, albeit, significantly higher cost (est. $300K) system referred to as “ROSPEC” (from BTI, Inc., which was not available for this project). ORNL staff were tasked with providing field-relevant guidance, apparatus and facilities for acquiring data against calibrated neutron sources, and comparing results of H*TMFD against LiI-BSS system predictions in a series of blind-tests conducted at ORNL. Over the course of 12 months, the PU-SAL-ORNL staff successfully accomplished the proposed technical and administrative tasks, inclusive of engaging in outreach to potential users of this technology in the DOE-wide infrastructure. The proposed tasks were successfully accomplished in timely manner; the follow-up type tasks pertaining to SBIR type Phases 2-3 were discussed and are initiated, inclusive of filing for intellectual property (IP) disclosures and possible patent filings by PU’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). Two H*TMFD system architectures (see Exhibits 1 & 2 in the report) were developed and constructed for hand-portability by health-physicists (HPs) – the HP-H*TMFD, and the H*TMFD system which consists of a side-by-side mounted array of 4 TMFDs of 3 different sizes in sensitive volume (including one with borated fluid) that now simultaneously enables neutron energy spectroscopy: single bin for < 0.1 MeV, and 152 energy bins in the 0.1-15.2 MeV range; H*(10) dosimetry from ~5 μRem/h towards 10 R/h ranges. Several experiments were conducted using neutron sources in various configurations (shielded and unshielded). In direct comparison against the LiI-BSS industry standard (acquiring data for 26h each source), the H*TMFD system (acquiring data for ~6h for each source) offered H*(10) dose predictions for the most part accurate to within +/-10% for dose rates in the 100-300 μRem/h range. The LiI-BSS was impractical to use under ultra-low (~10 μRem/h) dose rate space, as also another metering device used at ORNL (Ludlum 4241L non-spectroscopy enabled) for which the lower limit is set by the manufacturer at 100 μRem/h. The enablement for efficient use in timely manner at the 10 μRem/h levels is deemed to be a strong enabling factor for H*TMFD for use in the DOE-nuclear laboratory arena. In terms of weight, the HP-H*TMFD weighs under ~5-7 lb.; the H*TMFD system weighs ~35-lb. As such, it is ~1/4 the weight of an LiI-BSS system weighing ~120 lb (LiI detector with 6 bonner spheres) and, ~1/2 the weight of ROSPEC. As a result of this activity, two involved post-doctoral student staff have now transitioned their knowledge and experiences to DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). A PU graduate student has also benefited from this project work which formed a principal basis for his Ph.D. dissertation work (in progress).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Modification to the MED and LED source-encoding circuitry for the IMP H and J spacecraft

The circuitry and fabrication changes made on the MED and LED electronics cards for the IMP H and J are reported. Except for the noted changes, the circuitry and module-matrix arrangement is essentially the same as the IMP-1 electronics cards described. In addition, analysis of the IMP-1 transmitted data indicated the desirability of incorporating additional coincident-event threshold detection levels to further discriminate between received particles.

Garrahan, N. M.↗