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At least 343 records · Page 19

DESIGN AND TESTING OF DIMES CARBON ABLATION RODS IN THE DIII-D TOKAMAK

We present the design of ATJ graphite rods developed for ablation experiments under high heat flux (up to 50 MW/m2) in the lower divertor of the DIII-D tokamak, a magnetic plasma confinement device. This work is motivated by the need to test ablation models relevant to carbon-based thermal shields used in high-speed spacecraft atmospheric entries, where the heat fluxes encountered can be comparable to those achieved in the DIII-D divertor plasma. Several different designs for the flowfacing side of the rod are analyzed, including "sharp nose," "blunt," and "concave". The last shape is studied for its potential to lower heat fluxes at the rod surface by increased radiation from trapped neutrals and reduced parallel plasma pressure. We also analyze the possibility of applying a thin (approximately 30 microns) layer of silicon carbide (SiC) to the exposed part of several carbon ablation rods to benchmark its erosion calculations and lifetime predictions. Such calculations are of interest as SiC represents a promising material for both thermal protection systems (TPS) and a fusion plasma-facing material (PFM). Preliminary results from the DIII-D rod ablation experiments are also discussed.

Orlov, Dmitri M.↗

Kinetic simulations of collision-less plasmas in open magnetic geometries

Laboratory plasmas in open magnetic geometries can be found in many different applications such as (a) scrape-of-layer (SOL) and divertor regions in toroidal confinement fusion devices, (b) linear divertor simulators, (c) plasma-based thrusters and (d) magnetic mirrors etc. A common feature of these plasma systems is the need to resolve, in addition to velocity space, at least one physical dimension (e.g. along flux lines) to capture the relevant physics. In general, this requires a kinetic treatment. Fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations can be applied but at the expense of large computational effort. A common way to resolve this is to use a hybrid approach: kinetic ions and fluid electrons. In the present work, the development of a hybrid PIC computational tool suitable for open magnetic geometries is described which includes (a) the effect of non-uniform magnetic fields, (b) finite fully-absorbing boundaries for the particles and (c) volumetric particle sources. Analytical expressions for the momentum transport in the paraxial limit are presented with their underlying assumptions and are used to validate the results from the PIC simulations. A general method is described to construct discrete particle distribution functions in a state of mirror-equilibrium. This method is used to obtain the initial state for the PIC simulation. Collisionless simulations in a mirror geometry are performed. The results show that the effect of magnetic compression is correctly described and momentum is conserved. The self-consistent electric field is calculated and is shown to modify the ion velocity distribution function in a manner consistent with analytic theory. Based on this analysis, the ion distribution function is understood in terms of a loss-cone distribution and an isotropic Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution driven by a volumetric plasma source. Finally, the inclusion of a Monte Carlo based Fokker-Planck collision operator is discussed in the context of future work.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Divertor heat load estimates on NSTX and DIII-D using new and open-source 2D inversion analysis code

A thermography inversion algorithm has been developed in the open-source Python-based computer code, HYPERION, to calculate the heat flux incident on plasma-facing components (PFCs) in axisymmetric tokamaks. The chosen mesh size at the surface significantly affects the calculated transient heat flux results. The calculated transient heat flux will exceed the real value when the mesh size tends to zero but will underestimate the real value when the mesh size is large. A criterion for determining the appropriate mesh size for the transient heat flux calculation will be discussed. The numerical scheme for HYPERION uses a 2D fully implicit finite-difference approach, allowing temperature-dependent thermal properties of PFC materials. The inversion algorithm is benchmarked against established heat flux calculation codes, TACO and THEODOR, based on thermography data from NSTX and DIII-D respectively. The primary benefits of HYPERION compared to TACO and THEODOR are that it is open-source and it allows for the optimization of mesh thickness along the substrate. The algorithm also accounts for the thermal properties of thin surface layers that characteristically form on PFCs due to plasma-material interactions. The agreement between HYPERION and THEODOR is excellent, as the percent difference between the codes is ~5% on average in the case of the DIII-D data for moderate to high heat flux. Verification tests with TACO show slightly higher average percent differences of 8% and 12%. In using HYPERION to study filaments in heat flux, the initial results indicate that small ELMs filaments significantly broaden the divertor heat flux, and decrease divertor peak flux. Compared to the inter-ELM, the small ELM filaments decrease the divertor peak surface temperature. With intermittent divertor filaments, the divertor heat flux width is comparable with that found in L-mode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ni coating on 316L stainless steel using cage plasma treatment: Feasibility and swelling studies

A modified cage plasma nitriding technique is used to coat a Ni film onto a 316L substrate as a protective layer for austenitic steels in molten fluoride salts. The coating is achieved by deposition of Ni atoms sputtered from a Ni cage with a 316L substrate floated at the same potential as the cage to reduce plasma sputtering on the substrate. The Ni coating is porosity-free and precipitation-free and forms a γ-(Fe, Ni) phase due to interdiffusion from the substrate. Beneath the interdiffusion layer exists a thick γ-phase layer mainly affected by long-range nitrogen diffusion along the grain boundary. This layer develops grain boundary Cr nitride precipitates. Ion irradiation on the polished cross-section of the plasma-treated sample shows no void swelling in the surface-deposited Ni layer, very limited void formation in N diffusion layer, and significant void swelling in bulk unaffected by nitrogen. The studies demonstrate the feasibility of the technique for Ni coating and show good swelling resistance of the coating layer and N diffusion-affected layer. Mechanisms are discussed in this paper.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Possible mitigation of tokamak plasma–surface interactions using thermionic divertor plates with inverse sheaths

Recent studies demonstrate that when a plasma-facing surface emits a sufficient flux of electrons, it will form an inverse sheath. In this work, we consider a possibility of using thermionic target plates with inverse sheaths as an innovative divertor operating scenario. We derive an electron heat flux boundary condition for inverse sheaths and show that for given power exhaust into a tokamak scrape-off-layer, an inverse sheath leads to a much lower target plasma electron temperature than a conventional sheath. Low enough target plasma temperatures for radiative divertor detachment could therefore be achieved using inverse sheaths instead of the usual need to inject neutral atoms that compromise the core plasma. Other advantages of inverse sheath detachment over conventional sheath operating scenarios include (a) ion impact energies are as low as possible, minimizing sputtering and tritium implantation, (b) surface recombination heat flux is reduced due to ion flux reduction, and (c) arcs are inhibited due to the sign of the surface electric field. This paper outlines the basic properties of inverse sheath detachment and considers the feasibility of implementation. We offer recommendations for future modeling efforts needed to better understand the effects of thermionic emission in tokamaks and whether inverse sheaths present a viable divertor solution.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Identification of Acoustic Wave Signatures in the Ionosphere From Conventional Surface Explosions Using MF/HF Doppler Sounding

Here, we present an experiment to detect one ton TNT-equivalent chemical explosions using pulsed Doppler radar observations of isodensity layers in the ionospheric E region during two campaigns. The first campaign, conducted on 15 October 2019, produced potential detections of all three shots. The detections closely resemble the temporal and spectral properties predicted using the InfraGA ray tracing and weakly nonlinear waveform propagation model. Here the model predicts that within 6.5–7.25 min of each shot a waveform peaking between 0.9 and 0.4 Hz will impact the ionosphere at 100 km. As the waves pass through this region, they will imprint their signal on an isodensity layer, which is detectable using a Doppler radar operating at the plasma frequency of the isodensity. Within the time windows of each of the three shots in the first campaign, we detect enhanced wave activity peaking near 0.5 Hz. These waves were imprinted on the Doppler signal probing an isodensity layer at 2.785 MHz near 100 km altitude. Despite these detections, the method appears to be unreliable as none of the six shots from the second campaign, conducted on 10 July 2020 were detected. The observations from this campaign were characterized by an increased acoustic noise environment in the microbarom band and persistent scintillation on the radar returns. These effects obscured any detectable signal from these shots and the baseline noise was well above the detection levels of the first campaign.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Data-Driven Modeling and Control of Systems with Plasma-Surface Interactions (Final Technical Report)

This final technical report summarizes the activities and accomplishments in the period from February 2023 thru January 2026. The objective of the proposed research is to investigate the physical mechanisms and processes underlying the formation of structures and patterns in systems with plasma-surface interactions. In the past decades, there have been extensive studies on the interaction of glow discharges, dielectric barrier discharges, and arc discharges with confining or intervening surfaces. The advancement of the understanding of these phenomena is not only of fundamental scientific interest and relevance to the knowledge of the plasma state, but also with profound implications in various technological applications. The research will integrate theoretical, computational, and experimental work within an innovative framework of data assimilation, i.e., optimally combining model predictions with measurements. The scientific merit of this research has three aspects. Firstly, it extends the studies of plasma-surface interactions to systems with insulator surfaces and multi-layer systems, while existing studies are predominantly on electrode surfaces. Secondly, it expects to develop a novel data-driven modeling approach based on data assimilation to enhance the predictive and control capabilities, which could make transformative contributions to basic plasma research. Thirdly, it will shed new light on outstanding problems related to formation of patterns interfacing plasmas. This project also aims to launch an education and outreach initiative at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a non-R1, minority-serving institution in South Texas. The initiative is structured as a four-tier pyramid. Tier one will be a webinar series for culture and capacity building to inform broader audience in the region about the research fields of plasma science and engineering. Tier two will be the creation and offering of an upper-level undergraduate course on introductory plasma physics, which will help with the recruitment for the upper tiers. On tier three, we will engage and mentor senior design students to conduct work toward the research goal of this project. There will also be a certificate program on general plasma science for undergrad and graduate students, part of which will be lab training at Princeton University. Tier four will be the supervision and mentoring of Ph.D. students. Therefore, this project will systematically expand the talent pipeline, broaden participation from communities historically and geographically underrepresented in DOE SC research portfolio, significantly improve the research and education capacity at the PI’s institution, and contribute to developing a diverse workforce in plasma science and engineering.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Influence of anomalous perpendicular transport on linear tearing mode dynamics in tokamak plasmas

The analysis of a previous paper [A. Cole and R. Fitzpatrick, Phys. Plasmas 13, 032503 (2006)] that maps out all of the two-fluid response regimes of a linear tearing layer interacting with an externally generated resonant magnetic perturbation, in a large aspect-ratio tokamak plasma, is generalized to take into account realistic levels of perpendicular particle transport. A new response-regime map is obtained that differs substantially, in many respects, from the old one. The improved analysis is first employed to find all of the two-fluid growth-rate regimes of a non-interacting low-mode-number tearing mode in a large aspect-ratio tokamak plasma. The analysis is then used to determine the scaling of the error-field penetration threshold with machine parameters in large aspect-ratio tokamak plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Encapsulation of Monolayer 2D Materials Using Kinetic Energy-Controlled Pulsed Laser Deposition

The integration of monolayer (ML) two-dimensional (2D) materials into next-generation microelectronics, optoelectronics, and sensors is hindered by their sensitivity to environmental exposure. Deposition of additional layers for encapsulation or growth on ML 2D materials by versatile but energetic plasma techniques such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has not been considered at the monolayer level because of potential damage caused by hyperthermal species with kinetic energies (KEs) exceeding the threshold displacement energy (TDE) of the ML. Here, we describe a general strategy to understand and mitigate damage during PLD by reducing the incident KE of ablated species below the TDE of the 2D monolayer using background gas collisions. Ion flux diagnostics, combined with in situ Raman spectroscopy of monolayer graphene during PLD of amorphous boron nitride (a-BN) as a dielectric encapsulation layer, show that damage is primarily correlated with fast ions that penetrate the background gas in accordance with Beer’s Law and are often overlooked in ICCD imaging due to the dominance of the bright, delayed plasma luminescence. Significantly, if fast ions are eliminated and a ∼2 nm-thick a-BN layer is “soft landed”, the monolayer graphene is effectively protected from damage by high KE species in the boron nitride plasma plume. Deposited a-BN films display a characteristic dielectric constant of 3.6 at 100 kHz and tunable charge injection properties. Our results enable PLD as a viable option for encapsulation and thin film growth onto ML 2D materials, with implications for both fundamental research and device integration.

2D materials↗

Tomographic optical emission spectroscopy of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet and surface ionization waves on planar and structured surfaces

Here in this paper, an approach for 3D plasma structure diagnostics using tomographic optical emission spectroscopy (Tomo-OES) of a nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is presented. In contrast to the well-known Abel inversion, Tomo-OES does not require cylindrical symmetry to recover 3D distributions of plasma light emission. Instead, many 2D angular projections are measured with intensified cameras and the multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique is used to recover the 3D distribution of light emission. This approach solves the line-of-sight integration problem inherent to optical diagnostics, allowing recovery of localized OES information within the plasma that can be used to better infer plasma parameters within complex plasma structures. Here, Tomo-OES was applied to investigate an APPJ operated with helium in ambient air and impinging on planar and structured dielectric surfaces. Surface charging caused the guided streamer from the APPJ to transition to a surface ionization wave (SIW) that propagated along the surface. The SIW experienced variable geometrical and electrical material properties as it propagated, leading to 3D configurations that were non-symmetric and spatially complex. Light emission from He, N$_2^+$, and N2 were imaged at ten angular projections and the respective time-resolved 3D emission distributions in the plasma were then reconstructed. The spatial resolution of each tomographic reconstruction was 7.4 µm and the temporal resolution was 5 ns, sufficient to observe the guided streamer and the effects of the structured surface on the SIW. Emission from He showed the core of the jet and emission from N$_2^+$ and N2 indicated effects of entrainment of ambient air. Penning ionization of N2 created a ring or outer layer of N$_2^+$ that spatially converged to form the 'plasma bullet' or spatially diverged across a surface as part of a SIW. The SIW entered trenches of size 150 µm, leading to decreases in plasma light emission in regions above the trenches. The plasma light emission was higher in some regions with trenches, possibly due to effects of field enhancement.

plasma interactions with complex surfaces↗

The dependence of tungsten fuzz layer thickness and porosity on tungsten deposition rate and helium ion fluence

Abstract Fuzz formation on a heated tungsten surface in the presence of a helium-containing plasma and tungsten deposition source was investigated. Tungsten samples were exposed at 1123 K to pure helium plasma with ion incident energy of 76 eV, W/He ion flux ratio of ∼ 0.4 × 10 − 4 , and varied helium ion fluence from 0.18 to 3.4 × 10 26 m −2 . Fuzz thickness was measured by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy to increase from 0.22 to 15 µ m with increasing helium ion fluence. No indication of saturation in fuzz thickness at high fluence was observed, in contrast to fuzz produced on a tungsten surface without tungsten deposition. Additional tungsten samples were exposed at 1123 K to pure helium plasma with ion incident energy of 76 eV, helium ion fluence of ∼ 3.4 × 10 26 m −2 , and varied W/He ion flux ratio from 0.26 to 3.0 × 10 − 4 . Fuzz thickness increased from 7.5 to 120 µ m with increasing W/He ion ratio. A final sample exposed at 1123 K to a mixed helium-deuterium plasma with ion incident energy of 76 eV, helium ion fluence of 0.18 × 10 26 m −2 , and W/He ion flux ratio of 2.2 × 10 − 4 developed nearly identical fuzz structures to that developed in a pure He plasma. As a function of deposited tungsten fluence, all results were found to trace out a single layer-growth curve given by a power law relation, indicating that fuzz thickness is independent of the W/He ion flux ratio in the range investigated and independent of any deuterium present in the plasma. As a result, for tungsten plasma facing walls in magnetic fusion devices at 1000–2000 K with 10 −4 W/He ion flux ratio, fuzz with thicknesses greater than hundreds of microns may form in as little as 10 4 s (in the absence of ELM-induced erosion or annealing), and may more significantly affect its thermophysical properties than fuzz generated without a tungsten deposition source.

Physics↗

Interpenetration and kinetic effects in converging, high-energy plasma jets

In this work, we report on numerical simulations of laser-driven convergent plasma fusion targets. These “inverted corona” fusion targets are useful for the study of counter-streaming and converging rarefied plasma flows, and previous experiments have demonstrated their potential as neutron sources. The scheme consists of a fuel layer lined along the interior surface of a hollow plastic shell that is laser-ablated and expands inward towards the target center. The plasma streams generated in these targets are initially nearly collisionless as they converge, leading to wide interaction length scales and long interaction time scales as the jets interpenetrate. Such kinetic effects impact mixing of constituent ions - a phenomenon not properly captured by single-fluid hydrodynamic simulations. Here we conduct numerical simulations using two different methods: (1) single-fluid simulations in HYDRA, and (2) kinetic-ion, fluid-electron hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in the code Chicago. It is shown that the initially nearly collisionless plasma fronts interpenetrate deeply and lead to broader interaction regions in space and time resulting in significant beam-beam fusion. The two approaches make different, testable predictions for the effect of fuel-layer thickness on neutron yield.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Comparing the kinetics of ionized and neutral atoms from single and multi-element laser-produced plasmas

In this work, kinetics of ion and neutral atom emission features were compared for nanosecond laser-produced plasmas generated from several metal targets (i.e., Al, Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta) and an alloy containing all of these as principal alloying elements. Plasmas were produced by focusing 6 ns, 1064 nm pulses from an Nd:YAG laser on the targets of interest in a vacuum. A Faraday cup was used for collecting ion temporal features while spatially and temporally resolved emission spectroscopy was used for measuring the optical time of flight of various neutral atomic transitions. Our results highlight that most probable ion and atom velocities decay with increasing atomic mass. Trends for ions from the alloy target represent a weighted average where all ions contribute. For both ions and atoms, velocities decrease with increasing heat of vaporization and melting temperature, consistent with the thermal mechanisms that contribute to nanosecond laser ablation. Kinetic energies for neutral atoms from pure metal targets have some variability with atomic mass, whereas kinetic energies for atoms from the alloy target are more similar. These more similar kinetic energies observed for neutral atoms in the multi-element plasma may be attributed to collisions between species from all elements in the Knudsen layer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Etch Products of Copper Atomic Layer Etching by Oxidation and Formic Acid Vapor

Atomic layer etching (ALE) of metals offers a path to greater control of selectivity, etch rate, and etch profile. However, tailoring a process to meet these demands requires an understanding of the volatile etch product, which is challenging to detect due to low product concentrations and the paramagnetism of many metalorganic products. Here, in this work, several complementary analysis techniques were used to determine the volatile etch product and residual surface species of a Cu ALE process based on plasma oxidation and formic acid vapor etching of the oxidized layer. It was shown that the volatile product was copper formate with a Cu 2+ paramagnetic center, in concordance with prior density functional theory (DFT) calculations. While copper formate tetrahydrate was formed, it was determined that the tetrahydrate product was confined to the surface, with anhydrous copper formate being the volatile etch product.

Smith, Taylor G. [Univ. of California, Los Angeles↗

Ultrathin polyorganosilica membranes synthesized by oxygen-plasma treatment of polysiloxanes for H 2 /CO 2 separation

Oxygen plasma treatment of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) induces an ultrathin polyorganosilica (POSi) layer (<10 nm) on top of a PDMS membrane, leading to excellent H 2 /gas separation properties and providing a rapid and scalable way to fabricate robust silica membranes compared with conventional high-temperature and time-consuming sol-gel methods. Here, we thoroughly investigate POSi membranes derived from poly (dimethylsiloxane-co-methylhydroxidesiloxane) (poly (DMS-co-MHOS)) containing -SiOH groups that can be more easily converted to silica networks than the -SiCH 3 in PDMS. Further, the effect of the polysiloxane structure and plasma treatment conditions (including plasma generating powers, oxygen flowrate, chamber pressure, and treatment time) on the silica chemistry, structure, and H 2 /CO 2 separation properties are systematically determined to derive structure/property relationships. An optimized membrane exhibits H 2 permeance of 880 GPU and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 67 at 150 °C, superior to state-of-the-art polymeric membranes. The membrane retains H 2 /CO 2 selectivity as high as 46 when challenged with simulated syngas containing 2.8 mol% water vapor at 150 °C, demonstrating the potential of these POSi membranes for practical applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View

Abstract The high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10‐11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2‐layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.

Themens, David R.↗

Low Energy Implantation into Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers to Form Janus Structures

Atomically-thin two-dimensional (2D) materials face significant energy barriers for synthesis and processing into functional metastable phases such as Janus structures. Here, in this study, the controllable implantation of hyperthermal species from pulsed laser deposition (PLD) plasmas is introduced as a top-down method to compositionally engineer 2D monolayers. The kinetic energies of Se clusters impinging on suspended monolayer WS 2 crystals were controlled in the <10 eV/atom range with in situ plasma diagnostics to determine the thresholds for selective top layer replacement of sulfur by selenium for the formation of high quality WSSe Janus monolayers at low (300 °C) temperatures, and bottom layer replacement for complete conversion to WSe 2 . Atomic-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy in tilted geometry confirm the WSSe Janus monolayer. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that Se clusters implant to form disordered metastable alloy regions, which then recrystallize to form highly ordered structures, opening the door for low-energy implantation by PLD as a novel method to explore the synthesis of 2D Janus layers and alloys of variable composition.

2D materials↗

Onset of High-Harmonic Fast Wave Propagation in Annulus Geometry

Previous experiments on NSTX have reported high-harmonic fast wave (HHFW) power losses in the scrape-off layer (SOL), with dependencies on the wave parallel wavenumber, plasma density, and magnetic field. This study presents an analysis of HHFW propagation in the SOL plasma, focusing on parasitic coupling to the waveguide mode bounded by the steep gradient pedestal and the outer wall boundary. The analytic and finite element wave models are discussed using a 2D annulus geometry, which serves as a simplified representation of the NSTX-U plasma. The model shows that a minimum radial gap width is required to support wave propagation, analogous to the higher-order modes in coaxial geometries. The impact of several factors, including gap width, wave parallel phasing, and magnetic field strength, on parasitic wave coupling is examined, highlighting the role of the geometric dimension in relation to the wave perpendicular wavelength. The findings suggest that controlling the edge/SOL density profile (gap control) is crucial for mitigating parasitic coupling when the density in front of the antenna exceeds the density cutoff.

Baek, Seung-Gyou [Massachusetts Inst. of Technolog↗