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At least 37 records · Page 2

A Scanning Hartmann Focus Test for the EUVI Telescopes aboard STEREO

The Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program, was launched in 2006 on a two year mission to study solar phenomena. STEREO consists of two nearly identical satellites, each carrying an Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) telescope as part of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation instrument suite. EUVI is a normal incidence, 98mm diameter, Ritchey-Chretien telescope designed to obtain wide field of view images of the Sun at short wavelengths (17.1-30.4nm) using a CCD detector. The telescope entrance aperture is divided into four quadrants by a mask near the secondary mirror spider veins. A mechanism that rotates another mask allows only one of these sub-apertures to accept light over an exposure. The EUVI contains no focus mechanism. Mechanical models predict a difference in telescope focus between ambient integration conditions and on-orbit operation. We describe an independent check of the ambient, ultraviolet, absolute focus setting of the EUVI telescopes after they were integrated with their respective spacecraft. A scanning Hartmann-like test design resulted from constraints implied by the EUVI aperture select mechanism. This inexpensive test was simultaneously coordinated with other NASA integration and test activities in a high-vibration, clean room environment. The total focus test error was required to be better than +/-0.05 mm. We describe the alignment and test procedure, sources of statistical and systematic error, and then the focus determination results using various algorithms. The results are consistent with other tests of focus alignment and indicate that the EUVI telescopes meet the ambient focus offset requirements. STEREO is functioning well on-orbit and the EUVI telescopes meet their on-orbit image quality requirements.

Ohl, Ray↗

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Imaging Using Synthetic Aperture Focusing and Holographical Techniques

Microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods have shown great potential for determining material composition in composite structures, determining material thickness or debond thickness between two layers, and determining the location and size of flaws, defects, and anomalies. The same testing methods have also shown great potential to produce relatively high-resolution images of voids inside Spray On Foam Insulation (SOFI) test panels using real focused methods employing lens antennas. An alternative to real focusing methods are synthetic focusing methods. The essence of synthetic focusing is to match the phase of the scattered signal to measured points spaced regularly on a plane. Many variations of synthetic focusing methods have already been developed for radars, ultrasonic testing applications, and microwave concealed weapon detection. Two synthetic focusing methods were investigated; namely, a) frequency-domain synthetic aperture focusing technique (FDSAFT), and b) wide-band microwave holography. These methods were applied towards materials whose defects were of low dielectric contrast like air void in SOFI. It is important to note that this investigation used relatively low frequencies from 8.2 GHz to 26.5 GHz that are not conducive for direct imaging of the SOFI. The ultimate goal of this work has been to demonstrate the capability of these methods before they are applied to much higher frequencies such as the millimeter wave frequency spectrum (e.g., 30-300 GHz).

Case, Joseph Tobias↗

Acoustic focusing of microplastics in microfabricated and steel tube devices: An experimental study on the effects from particle size and medium density

The contamination of aquatic systems with microplastics is becoming a severe threat to living organisms. Microplastics found in the environment consist of a wide range of particle sizes thus give rise to several challenges to current purification methods. Acoustic focusing has been utilized as a particle concentrating method in biological and non-biological applications. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using acoustic focusing technology to isolate microplastics in aqueous samples and find that a two-stage mechanism is essential to concentrate microplastics of wide size ranges of the same material. We demonstrate for the first time experimentally that when the particle size is comparable to the resonance wavelength, they deviate from typical pressure nodal focusing and show pressure antinodal focusing. Further, we have expanded microplastics isolation beyond microfluidic systems and demonstrate their extraction capabilities relatively at higher flow rates using microplastics of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polymethyl methacrylate ranging from 6 µm to 300 µm diameter and in devices fabricated with cylindrical steel tubes. We could extract 70% of microplastics smaller than 180 µm and 82% of microplastics greater than 180 µm in diameter from an aqueous sample at a flow rate of 12 mL/min. In conclusion, we demonstrate that small microplastics focus on acoustic pressure nodes regardless of the medium density. However, focusing of large microplastics of the same material depends on the medium density.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Super-strong magnetic field-dominated ion beam dynamics in focusing plasma devices

High energy density physics is the field of physics dedicated to the study of matter and plasmas in extreme conditions of temperature, densities and pressures. It encompasses multiple disciplines such as material science, planetary science, laboratory and astrophysical plasma science. For the latter, high energy density states can be accompanied by extreme radiation environments and super-strong magnetic fields. The creation of high energy density states in the laboratory consists in concentrating/depositing large amounts of energy in a reduced mass, typically solid material sample or dense plasma, over a time shorter than the typical timescales of heat conduction and hydrodynamic expansion. Laser-generated, high current–density ion beams constitute an important tool for the creation of high energy density states in the laboratory. Focusing plasma devices, such as cone-targets are necessary in order to focus and direct these intense beams towards the heating sample or dense plasma, while protecting the proton generation foil from the harsh environments typical of an integrated high-power laser experiment. A full understanding of the ion beam dynamics in focusing devices is therefore necessary in order to properly design and interpret the numerous experiments in the field. In this work, we report a detailed investigation of large-scale, kilojoule-class laser-generated ion beam dynamics in focusing devices and we demonstrate that high-brilliance ion beams compress magnetic fields to amplitudes exceeding tens of kilo-Tesla, which in turn play a dominant role in the focusing process, resulting either in a worsening or enhancement of focusing capabilities depending on the target geometry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Crossed beam energy transfer in the presence of laser speckle ponderomotive self-focusing and nonlinear sound waves

Crossed beam energy transfer, CBET, is investigated by taking into account the speckle structure of smoothed laser beams that overlap in a plasma with an inhomogeneous flow profile. Using the two-dimensional simulation code Harmony, it is shown how ponderomotive self-focusing of laser speckles in crossing beams can significantly affect the transfer of energy from one beam to the other. The role of plasma flow in speckle self-focusing is investigated and revisited, in particular its consequences in terms of redirection and increasing angular spread of the laser beams due to beam bending and plasma-induced smoothing, respectively. In close-to-sonic flow, the onset of self-focusing in the beam speckle structure occurs at considerably lower beam intensities than expected for the case without flow. CBET and speckle self-focusing can, hence, occur together when two crossed beams with equal frequency resonantly exchange energy via their ponderomotively driven density perturbations flowing with sound speed. From the simulations, it is found that consequences of ponderomotive self-focusing can be expected above an average intensity threshold scaling as $I_L~ 2 × 10^{14} W cm^{-2}(λ_0/1 μm)^{-2}(T_e/ keV)$, with an impact on the spatial and temporal coherence of the transmitted light. The density perturbations due to the ponderomotive force of the crossing beams can locally be enhanced in self-focusing speckles, partly leading to shock-like structures. These structures eventually increase the effect of plasma-induced smoothing and are at the origin of the stronger angular spread.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The interplay between laser focusing conditions, expansion dynamics, ablation mechanisms, and emission intensity in ultrafast laser-produced plasmas

The interplay between ultrafast laser focusing conditions, emission intensity, expansion dynamics, and ablation mechanisms is critical to the detection of light isotopes relevant to nuclear energy, forensics, and geochemistry applications. Here, we study deuterium (2Hα) emission in plasmas generated from femtosecond laser ablation of a Zircaloy-4 target with a deuterium concentration of ≈37 at. %. Changes in emission intensity, plume morphology, crater dimensions, and surface modifications were investigated for varying focusing lens positions, where the laser was focused behind, at, and in front of the target. Spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy and spectrally integrated plasma imaging were performed to investigate emission spectral features and plume morphology. Laser ablation crater dimensions and morphology were analyzed via optical profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. The 2Hα emission intensity showed significant reduction at the geometrical focal point or when the focal point is in front of the target. For all laser spot sizes, a two-component plume was observed but with different temporal histories. At the best focal point, the plume was spherical. When the laser was focused behind the target, the plume was elongated and propagated to farther distances than for the best focal position. In contrast, when the laser was focused in front of the target, filaments were generated in the beam path, and filament-plasma coupling occurred. By focusing the laser behind the target, the amount of material removal in the laser ablation process can be significantly reduced while still generating a plasma with a sufficient 2Hα emission signal for analysis.

Kautz, Elizabeth J. (ORCID:0000000263389223)↗

Enhanced quantum radiation with flying-focus laser pulses

The emission of a photon by an electron in an intense laser field is one of the most fundamental processes in electrodynamics and underlies the many applications that utilize high-energy photon beams. This process is typically studied for electrons colliding head-on with a stationary-focus laser pulse. Here, we show that the energy lost by electrons in the quantum regime and the yield of emitted photons can be substantially increased by replacing a stationary-focus pulse with an equal-energy flying-focus pulse whose focus co-propagates with the electrons. Furthermore, these advantages of the flying focus result from the energy loss and the photon yield scaling more favorably with the interaction time than the laser intensity in the quantum regime, with the latter also holding in the classical regime. Monte Carlo simulations of electrons colliding with equal-energy stationary and flying-focus laser pulses demonstrate these advantages.

Compton scattering↗

Relativistic flying laser focus by a laser-produced parabolic plasma mirror

Here, the question of electromagnetic field intensification towards the values typical for strong field quantum electrodynamics is of fundamental importance. One of the most promising intensification schemes is based on the relativistic-flying mirror concept, which shows that the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the mirror will be frequency upshifted by a factor of 4γ 2 (γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror). In laser-plasma interactions, such a mirror travels with relativistic velocities through plasma and typically has a parabolic form, which is advantageous for light intensification. Thus, a relativistic-flying parabolic mirror reflects the counterpropagating radiation in the form of a focused and flying electromagnetic wave with a high frequency. The relativistic-flying motion of the laser focus makes the electric and magnetic field distributions of the focus complicated, and the mathematical expressions describing the field distributions of the focus become of fundamental interest. We present analytical expressions describing the field distribution formed by an ideal flying mirror which has a perfect reflectance over the entire surface and wavelength range. The peak field strength of an incident laser pulse with a center wavelength of λ 0 and an effective beam radius of w e is enhanced by a factor proportional to γ 3 (w e /λ 0 ) in the relativistic limit. Electron-positron pair production is investigated in the context of invariant fields based on the enhanced electromagnetic field. The pair production rate under the relativistic-flying laser focus is modified by the Lorentz γ-factor and the beam radius-wavelength ratio (w e /λ 0 ). We show that the electron-positron pairs can be created by colliding two counterpropagating relativistic-flying laser focuses in vacuum, each of which is formed when a 180 TW laser pulse is reflected by a relativistic-flying parabolic mirror with γ=12.2.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ultrabroadband flying-focus using an axiparabola-echelon pair

Flying-focus pulses promise to revolutionize laser-driven secondary sources by decoupling the trajectory of the peak intensity from the native group velocity of the medium over distances much longer than a Rayleigh range. Previous demonstrations of the flying focus have either produced an uncontrolled trajectory or a trajectory that is engineered using chromatic methods that limit the duration of the peak intensity to picosecond scales. Here we demonstrate a controllable ultrabroadband flying focus using a nearly achromatic axiparabola-echelon pair. Spectral interferometry using an ultrabroadband superluminescent diode was used to measure designed super- and subluminal flying-focus trajectories and the effective temporal pulse duration as inferred from the measured spectral phase. The measurements demonstrate that a nearly transform- and diffraction-limited moving focus can be created over a centimeter-scale—an extended focal region more than 50 Rayleigh ranges in length. This ultrabroadband flying-focus and the novel axiparabola-echelon configuration used to produce it are ideally suited for applications and scalable to >100 TW peak powers.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Validation of simulated wave energy converter responses to focused waves

Focused waves are increasingly used as a design method to predict extreme loads for offshore structures, such as wave energy converters (WECs). However, the ability of computational methods to accurately simulate the prescribed focused waves and resulting wave structure interactions is not well validated. This study uses two computational fluid dynamic methods, WEC-Sim and STAR-CCM+, to evaluate the responses of two taut-moored WEC-like buoys to three different focused waves. WEC-Sim is a computationally efficient, mid-fidelity model, based on linearised potential flow theory. In contrast, STAR-CCM+ is a high-fidelity, three-dimensional, unsteady, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes-based model. The two buoy geometries considered are a hemispherical-bottom cylinder and a truncated cylinder with a cylindrical moon pool. Three prescribed focused waves are generated in both codes, and the simulated displacements and mooring loads are obtained for each of the hydrodynamic bodies. The resulting STAR-CCM+ generated focused waves have approximately the same accuracy, in comparison with the analytic solution, as experimentally generated focused waves. The WEC-Sim simulated responses, when using viscous coefficients tuned to the measured displacements, are, on average, within 11.5% of experimentally measured values, whereas the STAR-CCM+ simulated responses are, on average, within 14.2% of the experimental values.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

An explanation for the plateau phenomenon in isoelectric focusing

Isoelectric focusing of mixtures of simple ampholytes occurs in two phases, an initial rapid separation phase and a second relatively slow stabilizing phase. Transient and steady-state computer simulation data are shown to predict the development of pH plateaus around neutrality during the stabilizing phase of the focusing of such mixtures. This occurs because a nonzero electrophoretic flux is present in a pure zone of focused ampholyte, which is a function of both its isolectric point (pI) and its Delta-pK value. For an ampholyte with a pI greater than 9 or less than 5, this flux causes the development of a significant concentration gradient within its focused zone which is accompanied by a contraction of this zone along the focusing axis. Acidic and basic ampholytes are thereby displayed toward the anode and cathode respectively, creating a pH plateau in the neutral region. Thus, there will be regions of the focusing column, closer to the electrodes and containing more acidic or basic pH values, within which the resolution of samples will reach a maximum and then decrease.

Mosher, Richard A.↗

Preliminary demonstrations of a focusing schlieren system for flow field diagnostics - Research in progress

A preliminary study to demonstrate the potential of the focusing schlieren technique to provide quantitative measurements of a three-dimensional flow field is described. The light intensity distribution in a focusing schlieren plane of view is shown to be related to the density gradients both in the focus plane and in the out of focus planes. The potential to implement digital filtering techniques to compensate for the out of focus features and to enhance the in focus features is discussed.

Doggett, G. P.↗

Axial focusing of impact energy in the Earth's interior: Proof-of-principle tests of a new hypothesis

A causal link between major impact events and global processes would probably require a significant change in the thermal state of the Earth's interior, presumably brought about by coupling of impact energy. One possible mechanism for such energy coupling from the surface to the deep interior would be through focusing due to axial symmetry. Antipodal focusing of surface and body waves from earthquakes is a well-known phenomenon which has previously been exploited by seismologists in studies of the Earth's deep interior. Antipodal focusing from impacts on the Moon, Mercury, and icy satellites has also been invoked by planetary scientists to explain unusual surface features opposite some of the large impact structures on these bodies. For example, 'disrupted' terrains have been observed antipodal to the Caloris impact basis on Mercury and Imbrium Basin on the Moon. Very recently there have been speculations that antipodal focusing of impact energy within the mantle may lead to flood basalt and hotspot activity, but there has not yet been an attempt at a rigorous model. A new hypothesis was proposed and preliminary proof-of-principle tests for the coupling of energy from major impacts to the mantle by axial focusing of seismic waves was performed. Because of the axial symmetry of the explosive source, the phases and amplitudes are dependent only on ray parameter (or takeoff angle) and are independent of azimuthal angle. For a symmetric and homogeneous Earth, all the seismic energy radiated by the impact at a given takeoff angle will be refocused (minus attenuation) on the axis of symmetry, regardless of the number of reflections and refractions it has experienced. Mantle material near the axis of symmetry will experience more strain cycles with much greater amplitude than elsewhere and will therefore experience more irreversible heating. The situation is very different than for a giant earthquake, which in addition to having less energy, has an asymmetric focal mechanism and a larger area. Two independent proof-of-principle approaches were used. The first makes use of seismic simulations, which are being performed with a realistic Earth model to determine the degree of focusing along the axis and to estimate the volume of material, if any, that experiences significant irreversible heating. The second involves two-dimensional hydrodynamic code simulations to determine the stress history, internal energy, and temperature rise as a function of radius along the axis.

Boslough, M. B.↗

AXAF VETA-I mirror ring focus measurements

The AXAF VETA-I mirror ring focus measurements were made with an HRI (microchannel plate) X-ray detector. The ring focus is a sharply focused ring formed by X-rays before they reach the VEAT-I focal plane. It is caused by spherical aberrations due to the finite source distance and the despace in the VETA-I test. The ring focus test reveals some aspects fo the test system distortions and the mirror surface figure which are difficult or impossible to detect at the focal plane. The test results show periodic modulations of the ring radius and width which could be caused by gravity, thermal, and/or epoxy shrinkage distortions. The strongest component of the modulation had a 12-fold symmetry, because these distortions were exerted on the mirror through 12 flexures of the VETA-I mount. Ring focus models were developed to simulate the ring image. The models were compared with the data to understand the test system distortions and the mirror glass imperfection. Further studies will be done to complete this work. The ring focus measurement is a very powerful test. We expect that a similar test for the finally assembled mirror of AXAD-I will be highly valuable.

Tananbaum, H. D.↗

Reflective Focused Schlieren System Improved for Use in 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

The reflective focused schlieren system that was developed for use in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (10x10 SWT) at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field as part of the Unstart Test Program was improved this past year. In April 1999, the development and use of the system was presented at the Supersonic Tunnel Association International in Bedford, England. A focused schlieren system is similar to a standard schlieren system in that shock waves coming from an object in supersonic flow can be seen using a standard video camera. Unlike the standard schlieren system, which produces a two-dimensional schlieren image, a focused schlieren system can produce a threedimensional image. The preceding drawing shows the components of the reflective focused schlieren system being developed for use in the 10x10 SWT. Although the system worked well for the Unstart Test Program, it was not sensitive enough to be classified as a facility capability. Therefore, a program was implemented to improve the sensitivity of the reflective focused schlieren system so that it could be a facility capability for Glenn's 10x10 SWT. Several techniques were implemented to increase the sensitivity and to improve the overall operation of the system. These included refinement of the source grid, improvement in the cutoff grid production, improvement of the source grid and cutoff grid alignment, installation of an improved light source, and incorporation of an image-enhancing system. These changes are being implemented with the system set up in the laboratory. A checkout test of the system is planned in the 10x10 SWT in March 2000. Of these techniques, the most developed is the refinement of the source grid. The original system had a pattern of -in. by -in. squares on -in. centers (distance between the center points of adjacent squares). This gave a ratio of light to dark (reflective to nonreflective area) of 3:1. The recommended ratio is 1:1. In order to accomplish this, a pattern of -in.-diameter dots on 3/8-in. centers was developed. Preliminary tests with this pattern showed an increase in system sensitivity and image clarity. Further testing and refinement are scheduled. The former and improved dot patterns are shown. The use of glass plates to produce the cutoff grid improved the cutoff grid's quality and helped to align it with the source grid. The cutoff grid, which is the negative of the source grid, is made by exposing photography film (or glass plates) to the proper light while it is installed in the focused schlieren system. The exposed film or plate is removed from the system and then developed as a photograph negative. Because the glass plates are rigid, they eliminate the risk of distortion when the negative is reinstalled in the system and realigned with the source grid.

Williamson, Gary Scott↗

Recent Development Work with Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren

A novel compact focusing schlieren instrument has recently been developed that eliminates the need for a separate source and cutoff grid. The technique works by projecting an image of a grid onto a retroreflective surface and then reimaging the projection back onto the original grid. By manipulating the polarization state of the light passing through the instrument, a single Rochon polarizing prism can be used to adjust the schlieren sensitivity by translating it along the instrument’s optical axis, which changes the in-plane offset between the reimaged projection and the original grid. This arrangement makes the instrument inherently self-aligned. Relative to conventional focusing schlieren instruments, which require alignment of a separate source grid and cutoff grid to achieve sensitivity, the setup time required in order to obtain high quality focusing schlieren images is significantly reduced. Further, the self-aligned nature of this instrument makes it insensitive to vibrations and allows for on-the-fly adjustments to field-of-view. In this paper we discuss recent work that has been performed to expand the capabilities of this self-aligned focusing schlieren instrument including: schlieren visualization at extreme angles for optically-restricted test facilities, 3D schlieren visualization using a light field camera, acquisition of high quality focusing schlieren images from facilities with low quality windows, and obtaining focusing schlieren images in full-scale ground test facilities.

Brett Bathel↗

Focusing ions at atmospheric pressure using nonlinear DC voltage sequences applied to a stacked ring ion guide

Many modern ion mobility (IM) and mass spectrometers (MS) operate under low pressure (= 10 Torr) and employ high voltage radiofrequencies (RF) to provide ion confinement. Unfortunately, RF effectiveness drastically decreases as pressure increases, and few techniques for focusing ions at elevated pressures exist. Here we demonstrate a new approach for focusing ions at atmospheric pressure (AP) by applying nonlinear DC voltage sequences following quadratic and power (exponential) functions to a stacked ring ion guide. In this work, we used ion trajectory simulations to rigorously explore how ions react to nonlinear electric fields and validate the simulations with a set of ion current measurements performed at AP. Ion trajectory simulations show that ions initially defocus near the entrance of the device but then become intensely focused as they travel through the device. Contour plots for both nonlinear voltage sequences show electric field lines that increasingly curve inwards as a function of distance, resulting in spatial ion focusing. Experimental ion current and spot size measurements were performed at AP using a 10-cm stacked ring ion guide and a segmented Faraday cup detector. Quadratic sequences produced ~5% smaller spot sizes (~22.8 mm) and ~25% higher ion current compared to a linear voltage sequence (~24.0 mm). Alternatively, power sequences produced ~64% smaller spot sizes (~8.7 mm), albeit with ~10x lower ion current. However, both nonlinear voltage sequences produced similar ion currents at the center of the Faraday cup detector, indicating that higher ion densities are achieved when using nonlinear voltage gradients. These results demonstrate a new way to focus ions at AP, and the capabilities demonstrated here provide fundamental insights on how to keep ions inside analytical devices at elevated pressures without RF.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Remote Detection of Uranium Using Self-Focusing Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulses

Optical measurement techniques can address certain important challenges associated with nuclear safety and security. Detection of uranium over long distances presents one such challenge that is difficult to realize with traditional ionizing radiation detection, but may benefit from the use of techniques based on intense femtosecond laser pulses. When a high-power laser pulse propagates in air, it experiences collapse and confinement into filaments over an extended distance even without external focusing. In our experiments, we varied the initial pulse chirp to optimize the emission signal from the laser-produced uranium plasma at an extended distance. While the ablation efficiency of filaments formed by self-focusing is known to be significantly lower when compared to filaments produced by external focusing, we show that filaments formed by self-focusing can still generate luminous spectroscopic signatures of uranium detectable within seconds over a 10-m range. The intensity of uranium emission varies periodically with laser chirp, which is attributed to the interplay among self-focusing, defocusing, and multi-filament fragmentation along the beam propagation axis. Grouping of multi-filaments incident on target is found to be correlated with the uranium emission intensity. The results show promise towards long-range detection, advancing the diagnostics and analytical capabilities in ultrafast laser-based spectroscopy of high-Z elements.

42 ENGINEERING↗