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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 451 records · Page 25

Axion helioscopes as solar magnetometers

Axion helioscopes search for solar axions and axionlike particles via inverse Primakoff conversion in strong laboratory magnets pointed at the Sun. Anticipating the detection of solar axions, in this work, we determine the potential for the planned next-generation helioscope, the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), to measure or constrain the solar magnetic field. To do this we consider a previously neglected component of the solar axion flux at sub-keV energies arising from the conversion of longitudinal plasmons. This flux is sensitively dependent to the magnetic field profile of the Sun, with lower energies corresponding to axions converting into photons at larger solar radii. If the detector technology eventually installed in IAXO has an energy resolution better than 200 eV, then solar axions could become an even more powerful messenger than neutrinos of the magnetic field in the core of the Sun. For energy resolutions better than 10 eV, IAXO could access the inner 70% of the Sun and begin to constrain the field at the tachocline: the boundary between the radiative and convective zones. The longitudinal plasmon flux from a toroidal magnetic field also has an additional 2% geometric modulation effect which could be used to measure the angular dependence of the magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Self-assembly of multiferroic core-shell particulate nanocomposites through DNA-DNA hybridization and magnetic field directed assembly of superstructures

Multiferroic composites of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric phases are of importance for studies on mechanical strain mediated coupling between the magnetic and electric subsystems. This work is on DNA-assisted self-assembly of superstructures of such composites with nanometer periodicity. The synthesis involved oligomeric DNA-functionalized ferroelectric and ferromagnetic nanoparticles, 600 nm BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) and 200 nm NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (NFO), respectively. Mixing BTO and NFO particles, possessing complementary DNA sequences, resulted in the formation of ordered core-shell heteronanocomposites held together by DNA hybridization. The composites were imaged by scanning electron microscopy and scanning microwave microscopy. The presence of heteroassemblies along with core-shell architecture is clearly observed. The reversible nature of the DNA hybridization allows for restructuring the composites into mm-long linear chains and 2D-arrays in the presence of a static magnetic field and ring-like structures in a rotating-magnetic field. Strong magneto-electric (ME) coupling in as-assembled composites is evident from static magnetic field H induced polarization and low-frequency magnetoelectric voltage coefficient measurements. Upon annealing the nanocomposites at high temperatures, evidence for the formation of bulk composites with excellent cross-coupling between the electric and magnetic subsystems is obtained by H-induced polarization and low-frequency ME voltage coefficient. The ME coupling strength in the self-assembled composites is measured to be much stronger than in bulk composites with randomly distributed NFO and BTO prepared by direct mixing and sintering.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE POWERED BY MAGNETOROTATIONAL INSTABILITY IN NASCENT PROTONEUTRON STARS

Magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a convectively stable layer around the neutrinosphere is simulated by a three-dimensional model of a supernova core. To resolve MRI-unstable modes, a thin layer approximation considering only the radial global stratification is adopted. Our intriguing finding is that the convectively stable layer around the neutrinosphere becomes fully turbulent due to the MRI and its nonlinear penetration into the strongly stratified MRI-stable region. The intensity of the MRI-driven turbulence increases with magnetic flux threading the core, but is limited by the free energy stored in the differential rotation. The turbulent neutrinosphere is a natural consequence of rotating core-collapse and could exert a positive impact on the supernova mechanism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Mapping the sawtooth

The sawtooth oscillation involves a topological change of the magnetic field lines in the core of a tokamak discharge. In this work, we simulate a steady state sawtoothing discharge using the M3DC 1 -code. During the sawtooth the topological structure of the magnetic field is analyzed by tracking the fixed points of the field line map: the mapping induced by the field lines going once around the tokamak. We numerically locate the fixed points of the field line map (of which the magnetic axis is one) and use them construct a Poincaré section that resolves the core region and the (1, 1) island. Finally, by following the evolution of the magnetic field through the motion and bifurcation of the fixed points of the field line map we get an intuitive picture of the processes that take place during a Kadomtsev style sawtooth crash.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Multifunctional properties of CoNi alloy embedded in the SiO{sub 2} host: Role of interparticle interaction

Nanocrystalline CoNi alloy is synthesized using sol-gel technique having average size {approx}8.5 and {approx}12nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirms absence of any oxide phase at the grain boundary. We observe multifunctionality ascribed to large loop shift after the field-cooling and saturation magnetization (M{sub S}) depending on interparticle interaction in CoNi alloy embedded in SiO{sub 2} matrix. A large loop shift 1.2 kOe is noticed at 5 K for 10.5% volume fraction ({phi}). The loop shift decreases with increasing temperature and vanishes around {approx}210K where a maximum is observed in zero-field-cooled magnetization. The loop shift decreases with decreasing {phi} and vanishes at {phi}=0.01%. Interestingly, M{sub S} increases with decreasing {phi} and value at {phi}=0.01% approaches to the calculated value of M{sub S} for the bulk counterpart. A model has been proposed with ferromagnetic-core and disordered magnetic-shell structure to interpret the results. - Graphical abstract: Plot of loop shift (left axis) and saturation magnetization (right axis) with volume fraction ({phi}). Inset: loop shift after field-cooling with 50 kOe field and no shift after zero-field-cooling. Highlights: > Strong exchange bias (EB) effect is observed for 10.5% volume fraction. > EB decreases with decreasing volume fraction ({phi}) and vanishes at {phi}=0.01%. > In contrast, saturation magnetization increases with decreasing volume fraction. > Saturation magnetization (M{sub S}) approaches to bulk value at 0.01% volume fraction. > Large EB and M{sub S} at different {phi} are appealing for multifunctional applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effective anisotropy due to the surface of magnetic nanoparticles

Analytical solution has been discovered for the second-order effective anisotropy of magnetic nanoparticles of a cubic shape due to the surface anisotropy (SA) of the Néel type. Similarly to the spherical particles, for the simple cubic lattice the grand-diagonal directions (±1,±1,±1) are favored by the effective cubic anisotropy but the effect is twice as strong. Uniaxial core anisotropy and applied magnetic field cause screening of perturbations from the surface at the distance of the domain-wall width and reduce the effect of SA near the energy minima. Yet, screening disappears near the uniaxial energy barrier, and the uniform barrier state of larger particles may become unstable. For these effects the analytical solution is obtained as well, and the limits of the additive formula with the uniaxial and effective cubic anisotropies for the particle are established. Thermally-activated magnetization-switching rates have been computed by the pulse-noise technique for the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz equation for a system of spins.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

An overview of 3D field optimization for control of transport and edge instabilities on KSTAR

An international team from several laboratories and universities has made key advances over the last few years in the control of plasma transport and edge instabilities with applied 3D fields in the KSTAR tokamak to optimize long pulse operation scenarios. This overview begins with the optimization of both core and edge resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) to improve fast ion confinement to avoid excessive limiter heat loads due to fast ion losses and successful modeling of the experimental results. Integrated and advanced plasma control techniques with machine learning (ML) and adaptive control were then used to optimize the 3D field spectrum in real-time to control edge localized modes (ELMs) while avoiding core locked modes that could disrupt the plasma. Accelerating the offline model of 3D fields with a surrogate ML model can optimize ELM suppression in the edge while limiting the impact of the applied RMP fields deeper in the plasma core in real-time. In addition, the impact of the 3D fields on the divertor heat load has been modeled and compared with experimental measurements. An analysis of a multi-machine database including KSTAR has been performed to better understand the metrics for the observed RMP thresholds for ELM suppression and the resulting plasma performance. Predictive modeling of the operational space for ELM suppression and density pumpout due to RMP has shown the importance of magnetic islands in the plasma edge and their impact on plasma turbulence. This research has culminated in the development of successful long pulse operational scenarios on KSTAR while attempting to overcome challenges of the new tungsten divertor.

3D fields↗

Hysteresis and degaussing of H1 dipole magnets

Hysteresis was observed in the H1 dipole magnets in CBETA SX line. This study is the first step in order to understand and mitigate the effects this has on field reproducibility. Ansys Maxwell 19.2 was used to model the MS1DIP05 magnet with a hysteretic core. The parameter space for a degaussing procedure using the trim coils was explored. It was found that significant degaussing can be obtained with a decaying ringing waveform of magnitudes above 10 A, so long as the frequency ƒ and decay constant w were chosen such that ƒ >> w. The circuit properties of the magnet were simulated and explored using a sinusoidal voltage input. It was found that for low frequencies ƒ << 1 Hz, the magnet behaves as a series LR circuit with R = (28.3 ± 0.5) mΩ and L = (5.7 ± 0.1) mH. At higher frequencies, hysteretic effects become significant, and resistance becomes proportional to the frequency due to hysteretic losses. A drop and saturation in inductance for higher frequencies was observed in the simulation data. Numerical instabilities were found for excitations below small voltages V < 50 mV. Experimental results on degaussing and current corrections were collected with Hall probe measurements. Good qualitative agreement with simulation results was found, but due to B-H curve details quantitative comparisons were inaccurate. Two procedures, MaxOp and MaxNull, were designed to produce repeatable operating field values to within 0.1 G.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Exploration of non-resonant divertor features on the Compact Toroidal Hybrid

Abstract Non-resonant divertors (NRDs) separate the confined plasma from the surrounding plasma facing components (PFCs). The resulting striking field line intersection pattern on these PFCs is insensitive to plasma equilibrium effects. However, a complex scrape-off layer (SOL), created by chaotic magnetic topology in the plasma edge, connects the core plasma to the PFCs through varying magnetic flux tubes. The Compact Toroidal Hybrid (CTH) serves as a test-bed to study this by scanning across its inductive current. Simulations observe a significant change of the chaotic edge structure and an effective distance between the confined plasma and the instrumented wall targets. The intersection pattern is observed to be a narrow helical band, which we claim is a resilient strike line pattern. However, signatures of finger-like structures, defined as heteroclinic tangles in chaotic domains, within the plasma edge connect the island chains to this resilient pattern. The dominant connection length field lines intersecting the targets are observed via heat flux modeling with EMC3-EIRENE. At low inductive current levels, the excursion of the field lines resembles a limited plasma wall scenario. At high currents, a private flux region is created in the area where the helical strike line pattern splits into two bands. These bands are divertor legs with distinct SOL parallel particle flow channels. The results demonstrate the NRD strike line pattern resiliency within CTH, but also show the underlying chaotic edge structure determining if the configuration is diverted or limited. This work supports future design efforts for a mechanical structure for the NRD.

Physics↗

Localized divertor leakage measurements using isotopic tungsten sources during edge-localized mode-y H-mode discharges on DIII-D

Experiments carried out on DIII-D using a novel setup of isotopic tungsten (W) sources in the outer divertor have characterized how the W leakage from this region depends on both the exact source location and edge-localized mode (ELM) behavior. The sources are toroidally-symmetric and poloidally-localized to two regions: (1) the outer strike point (OSP) with natural abundance of W isotopes; and (2) the far-target with highly-enriched 182 W isotopes. With the use of a dual-faced collector probe (CP) in the main scrape-off layer (SOL) near the outside midplane and source-rate spectroscopy, a proxy for divertor impurity leakage is developed herein. Using this proxy, it is found that for the OSP W location, there is a nearly linear increase of leakage with the power across the separatrix ( ), which is consistent with the effect of an increased upstream ion temperature parallel gradient force in the near-SOL; trends in the pedestal density and collisionality are also seen. Conversely, it is found that for the far-target W location leakage falls off rapidly as increases and ELM size decreases, which is suggestive that ELM size plays a role in the leakage from this location. Indications for main SOL W contamination is evidenced by the measurement of large deposition asymmetries on the two opposite CP faces. These measurements are coupled with interpretive modeling showing SOL W accumulation near the separatrix furthest from both targets driven by forces parallel to the magnetic field. This experimental setup, together with the target and upstream W measurements, provides information on the transport from different divertor W source locations and leakage. These studies help to elucidate the physics driving divertor impurity source rates and leakage, with and without ELMs, and provide better insight on the link in the chain connecting wall impurity sources to core impurity levels in magnetic fusion devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

CONTEMPORANEOUS VLBA 5 GHz OBSERVATIONS OF LARGE AREA TELESCOPE DETECTED BLAZARS

The radio properties of blazars detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have been observed contemporaneously by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). In total, 232 sources were observed with the VLBA. Ninety sources that were previously observed as part of the VLBA Imaging and Polarimetry Survey (VIPS) have been included in the sample, as well as 142 sources not found in VIPS. This very large, 5 GHz flux-limited sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provides insights into the mechanism that produces strong {gamma}-ray emission. In particular, we see that {gamma}-ray emission is related to strong, uniform magnetic fields in the cores of the host AGN. Included in this sample are non-blazar AGNs such as 3C84, M82, and NGC 6251. For the blazars, the total VLBA radio flux density at 5 GHz correlates strongly with {gamma}-ray flux. The LAT BL Lac objects tend to be similar to the non-LAT BL Lac objects, but the LAT flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) are significantly different from the non-LAT FSRQs. Strong core polarization is significantly more common among the LAT sources, and core fractional polarization appears to increase during LAT detection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Particle Energization via Tearing Instability with Global Self-Organization Constraints

The presentation reviews how tearing magnetic reconnection leads to powerful ion energization in reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas. A mature MHD model for tearing instability has been developed that captures key nonlinear dynamics from the global to intermediate spatial scales. A turbulent cascade is also present that extends to at least the ion gyroradius scale, within which important particle energization mechanisms are anticipated. In summary, Ion heating and acceleration associated with magnetic reconnection from tearing instability is a powerful process in the RFP laboratory plasma (gyro-resonant and stochastic processes are likely candidates to support the observed rapid heating and other features, reconnection-driven electron heating appears weaker or even absent, energetic tail formation for ions and electrons). Global self-organization strongly impacts particle energization (tearing interactions that span to core to edge, global magnetic flux change produces a larger electric field and runaway, correlations in electric and magnetic field fluctuations needed for dynamo feedback, impact of transport processes (which can be quite different for ions and electrons), inhomogeneity on the system scale, e.g., strong edge gradients).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Transport of Protostellar Cosmic Rays in Turbulent Dense Cores

We report recent studies have suggested that low-energy cosmic rays (CRs) may be accelerated inside molecular clouds by the shocks associated with star formation. We use a Monte Carlo transport code to model the propagation of CRs accelerated by protostellar accretion shocks through protostellar cores. We calculate the CR attenuation and energy losses and compute the resulting flux and ionization rate as a function of both radial distance from the protostar and angular position. We show that protostellar cores have nonuniform CR fluxes that produce a broad range of CR ionization rates, with the maximum value being up to two orders of magnitude higher than the radial average at a given distance. In particular, the CR flux is focused in the direction of the outflow cavity, creating a "flashlight" effect and allowing CRs to leak out of the core. The radially averaged ionization rates are less than the measured value for the Milky Way of ζ ≈ 10 -16 s -1 ; however, within r ≈ 0.03 pc from the protostar, the maximum ionization rates exceed this value. We show that variation in the protostellar parameters, particularly in the accretion rate, may produce ionization rates that are a couple of orders of magnitude higher or lower than our fiducial values. Finally, we use a statistical method to model unresolved subgrid magnetic turbulence in the core. We show that turbulence modifies the CR spectrum and increases the uniformity of the CR distribution but does not significantly affect the resulting ionization rates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

FORMATION OF TURBULENT AND MAGNETIZED MOLECULAR CLOUDS VIA ACCRETION FLOWS OF H I CLOUDS

Using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations, including the effects of radiative cooling/heating, chemical reactions, and thermal conduction, we investigate the formation of molecular clouds in the multi-phase interstellar medium. As suggested by recent observations, we consider the formation of molecular clouds due to accretion of H I clouds. Our simulations show that the initial H I medium is piled up behind the shock waves induced by accretion flows. Since the initial medium is highly inhomogeneous as a consequence of thermal instability, a newly formed molecular cloud becomes very turbulent owing to the development of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. The kinetic energy of the turbulence dominates the thermal, magnetic, and gravitational energies throughout the entire 10 Myr evolution. However, the kinetic energy measured using CO-fraction-weighted densities is comparable to the other energies, once the CO molecules are sufficiently formed as a result of UV shielding. This suggests that the true kinetic energy of turbulence in molecular clouds as a whole can be much larger than the kinetic energy of turbulence estimated using line widths of molecular emission. We find that clumps in a molecular cloud show the following statistically homogeneous evolution: the typical plasma {beta} of the clumps is roughly constant ({beta}) {approx_equal} 0.4; the size-velocity dispersion relation is {Delta}v {approx_equal} 1.5 km s{sup -1} (l/1 pc){sup 0.5}, irrespective of the density; the clumps evolve toward magnetically supercritical, gravitationally unstable cores; and the clumps seem to evolve into cores that satisfy the condition for fragmentation into binaries. These statistical properties may represent the initial conditions of star formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Moving-mesh Simulations of Star-forming Cores in Magneto-gravo-turbulence

Star formation in our Galaxy occurs in molecular clouds that are self-gravitating, highly turbulent, and magnetized. We study the conditions under which cloud cores inherit large-scale magnetic field morphologies and how the field is governed by cloud turbulence. We present four moving-mesh simulations of supersonic, turbulent, isothermal, self-gravitating gas with a range of magnetic mean-field strengths characterized by the Alfvénic Mach number M{sub A,0}, resolving prestellar core formation from parsec to a few astronomical unit scales. In our simulations with the turbulent kinetic energy density dominating over magnetic pressure (M{sub A,0}>1), we find that the collapse is approximately isotropic with B ∝ ρ {sup 2/3}, core properties are similar regardless of initial mean-field strength, and the field direction on 100 au scales is uncorrelated with the mean field. However, in the case of a dominant large-scale magnetic field (M{sub A,0}=0.35), the collapse is anisotropic with B ∝ ρ {sup 1/2}. This transition at M{sub A,0}∼1 is not expected to be sharp, but clearly signifies two different paths for magnetic field evolution in star formation. Based on observations of different star-forming regions, we conclude that star formation in the interstellar medium may occur in both regimes. Magnetic field correlation with the mean field extends to smaller scales as M{sub A,0} decreases, making future Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations useful for constraining M{sub A,0} of the interstellar medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Sausage instabilities on top of kinking lengthening current-carrying magnetic flux tubes

We theoretically explore the possibility of sausage instabilities developing on top of a kink instability in lengthening current-carrying magnetic flux tubes. Observations indicate that the dynamics of magnetic flux tubes in our cosmos and terrestrial experiments can involve topological changes faster than time scales predicted by resistive magnetohydrodynamics. Recent laboratory experiments suggest that hierarchies of instabilities, such as kink and Rayleigh-Taylor, could be responsible for initiating fast topological changes by locally accessing two-fluid and kinetic regimes. Sausage instabilities can also provide this coupling mechanism between disparate scales. Flux tube experiments can be classified by the flux tube's evolution in a configuration space described by a normalized inverse aspect-ratio $\bar{k}$ and current-to-magnetic flux ratio $\bar{λ}$. A lengthening current-carrying magnetic flux tube traverses this $\bar{k}$-$\bar{λ}$ space and crosses stability boundaries. We derive a single general criterion for the onset of the sausage and kink instabilities in idealized magnetic flux tubes with core and skin currents. The criterion indicates a dependence of the stability boundaries on current profiles and shows overlapping kink and sausage unstable regions in the $\bar{k}$-$\bar{λ}$ space with two free parameters. Finally, numerical investigation of the stability criterion reduces the number of free parameters to a single one that describes the current profile and confirms the overlapping sausage and kink unstable regions in $\bar{k}$-$\bar{λ}$ A lengthening, ideal current-carrying magnetic flux tube can therefore become sausage unstable after it becomes kink unstable.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Stability of superthermal strahl electrons in the solar wind

We present a kinetic stability analysis of the solar wind electron distribution function consisting of the Maxwellian core and the magnetic-field aligned strahl, a superthermal electron beam propagating away from the sun. We use an electron strahl distribution function obtained as a solution of a weakly collisional drift-kinetic equation, representative of a strahl affected by Coulomb collisions but unadulterated by possible broadening from turbulence. This distribution function is essentially non-Maxwellian and varies with the heliospheric distance. The stability analysis is performed with the Vlasov–Maxwell linear solver leopard. We find that depending on the heliospheric distance, the core-strahl electron distribution becomes unstable with respect to sunward-propagating kinetic-Alfvén, magnetosonic, and whistler modes, in a broad range of propagation angles. The wavenumbers of the unstable modes are close to the ion inertial scales, and the radial distances at which the instabilities first appear are on the order of 1 au. However, we have not detected any instabilities driven by resonant wave interactions with the superthermal strahl electrons. Instead, the observed instabilities are triggered by a relative drift between the electron and ion cores necessary to maintain zero electric current in the solar wind frame (ion frame). Contrary to strahl distributions modelled by shifted Maxwellians, the electron strahl obtained as a solution of the kinetic equation is stable. Our results are consistent with the previous studies based on a more restricted solution for the electron strahl.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Structural Changes in Metal Chalcogenide Nanoclusters Associated with Single Heteroatom Incorporation

Atomically precise nanoclusters (NCs) are promising building blocks for designing materials and interfaces with unique properties. By incorporating heteroatoms into the core, the electronic and magnetic properties of NCs can be precisely tuned. To accurately predict these properties, density functional theory (DFT) is often employed, making the rigorous benchmarking of DFT results particularly important. In this study, we present a benchmarking approach based on metal chalcogenide NCs as a model system. We synthesized a series of bimetallic, iron-cobalt chalcogenide NCs [Co 6-x Fe x S 8 (PEt 3 ) 6 ] + (x = 0-6) (PEt = triethyl phosphine) and investigated the effect of heteroatoms in the octahedral metal chalcogenide core on their size and electronic properties. Using ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), we observed a gradual increase in the collision cross section (CCS) with an increase in the number of Fe atoms in the core. DFT calculations combined with trajectory method CCS simulations successfully reproduced this trend, revealing that the increase in cluster size is primarily due to changes in metal-ligand bond lengths, while the electronic properties of the core remain largely unchanged. Moreover, this method allowed us to exclude certain multiplicity states of the NCs, as their CCS values were significantly different from those predicted for the lowest-energy structures. Here, this study demonstrates that gas-phase IM-MS is a powerful technique for detecting subtle size differences in atomically precise NCs, which are often challenging to observe using conventional NC characterization methods. Accurate CCS measurements are established as a benchmark for comparison with theoretical calculations. The excellent correspondence between experimental data and theoretical predictions establishes a robust foundation for investigating structural changes of transition metal NCs of interest to a broad range of applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗