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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

New, improved analysis of correlation ECE data to accurately determine turbulent electron temperature spectra and magnitudes (invited)

Turbulent electron temperature fluctuation measurement using a correlation electron cyclotron emission (CECE) radiometer has become an important diagnostic for studying energy transport in fusion plasmas, and its use is widespread in tokamaks (DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade, Alcator C-Mod, Tore Supra, EAST, TCV, HL-2A, etc.). The CECE diagnostic typically performs correlation analysis between two closely spaced (within the turbulent correlation length) ECE channels that are dominated by uncorrelated thermal noise emission. This allows electron temperature fluctuations embedded in the thermal noise to be revealed and fluctuation level and spectra determined. We have demonstrated a new, improved CECE coherency-based analysis for calculating the temperature fluctuation frequency spectrum and level, which has been verified both numerically through the simulation of synthetic ECE radiometer data and through analysis of experimental data from the CECE system on DIII-D. The new formulation places coherency-based analysis on a firm foundational footing and corrects some currently published methodologies. This new method accurately accounts for bias error in the coherence function and correctly calculates noise levels for a fixed data record length. It provides excellent accuracy in determining temperature fluctuation level (e.g., <10% error) even for a small realization number in the ensemble average. The method also has a smaller uncertainty (i.e., error bar) in the power spectrum when compared to the more standard cross-power method when evaluated at low coherency. Direct calculation of system noise level using correlation between randomized intermediate frequency signals is recommended.

Wang, G. (ORCID:0000000225739827)↗
NASA NTRS1991

Numerical simulations of high-speed solar wind streams within 1 AU and their signatures at 1 AU

A parametric study of the evolution within, and signatures at, 1 AU of high-speed streams is performed with the use of a MHD two-and-a-half-dimensional time-dependent model. This study is an extension of an earlier one by Smith and Dryer (1990) who examined the ecliptic plane consequences of relatively short-duration, energetic solar disturbances. The present study examines both the erupting and corotating parts of long-duration, high-speed streams characteristic of coronal hole flows. By examining the variation of the simulated plasma velocity, density, temperature, and magnetic field at 1 AU, as well as the location of the solar coronal hole sources relative to the observer at 1 AU, it was possible to provide some insight into the identification of the solar sources of interplanetary disturbances. Two definitions for angle locating the solar source of interplanetary disturbances at 1 AU are presented and discussed. The results are applied to the suggestion by Hewish (1988) that low-latitude coronal holes are suitably positioned to be the sources of major geomagnetic storms when the holes are in the eastern half of the solar hemisphere at the time of the commencement of the storm. The results indicate that, for these cases, the streams emanating from within the hole must be very fast, greater than 1000 km/s, or very wide, greater than 60 deg, at the inner boundary of 18 solar radii.

Smith, Z.↗
DOE OSTI2025

MMMnet: A Neural Network Surrogate for Real-Time Transport Prediction Based on the Updated Multi-Mode Model

The Multi-Mode Model (MMM) is a physics-based anomalous transport model integrated into TRANSP for predicting electron and ion thermal transport, electron and impurity particle transport, and toroidal and poloidal momentum transport. While MMM provides valuable predictive capabilities, its computational cost, although manageable for standard simulations, is too high for real-time control applications. MMMnet, a neural network-based surrogate model, is developed to address this challenge by significantly reducing computation time while maintaining high accuracy. Trained on TRANSP simulations of DIII-D discharges, MMMnet incorporates an updated version of MMM (9.0.10) with enhanced physics, including isotopic effects, plasma shaping via effective magnetic shear, unified correlation lengths for ion-scale modes, and a new physics-based model for the electromagnetic electron temperature gradient mode. A key advancement is MMMnet’s ability to predict all six transport coefficients, providing a comprehensive representation of plasma transport dynamics. MMMnet achieves a two-order-of-magnitude speed improvement while maintaining strong correlation with MMM diffusivities, making it well-suited for real-time tokamak control and scenario optimization.

DIII-D↗
NASA NTRS1971

Ordinary-mode electromagnetic instability in colliding plasma streams.

The instability of the electromagnetic linearly polarized mode propagating perpendicularly to the magnetic field is studied for a system composed of two colliding plasma streams, in each of which the electrons and ions are streaming at the same velocity. Using linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations and allowing for anisotropic temperatures, it is found that in the presence of streaming ions the instability can occur in very low-beta plasmas. The plasma is increasingly susceptible to the electromagnetic instability with increasing values of beta, streaming velocity, temperature ratio of parallel to perpendicular electrons, and temperature ratio of perpendicular electrons to perpendicular ions.

Lee, K. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

DE-1 observations of counterstreaming electrons at high altitudes

Observations of plasma at altitudes of 2-3 earth radii with the High Altitude Plasma Instrument (HAPI) on DE-1 indicate two distinct types of counterstreaming electron events. The type 1 event is characterized by two Maxwellian distribution functions, an isotropic high-temperature component and a field-aligned low temperature component. The type 2 event is distinguished by beams parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field direction. The observations suggest two distinct mechanisms for accelerating counterstreaming electrons. Type 1 events appear to involve wave-particle interactions while type 2 events imply direct acceleration by oppositely-directed electric fields pointing toward the satellite along magnetic field lines.

Lin, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The dayside Venus ionosphere. I - Pioneer-Venus retarding potential analyzer experimental observations

The median values of the principal ionospheric quantities of the Venus dayside ionosphere are presented. The values are derived from the quantities measured by the Pioneer-Venus orbiter retarding potential analyzer over a period of two earth years at solar cycle maximum. Quantities reported are total ion density, O(+) density, O2(+) density, sum density (NO(+) + N2(+) + CO(+)), CO2(+) density, ion temperature, electron temperature, and plasma particle pressure. The data are organized to reveal altitude, solar zenith angle, solar longitude, and latitude dependences. The O(+) density exhibits both a solar longitude and a latitude dependence which may be caused by superrotation of the thermosphere and/or ionosphere. Asymmetry between the dawn and dusk terminator regions in the behavior of other quantities is also described.

Miller, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A unifying picture of gas-phase formation and growth of PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), soot, diamond and graphite

A variety of seemingly different carbon formation processes -- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diamond in the interstellar medium, soot in hydrocarbon flames, graphite and diamond in plasma-assisted-chemical vapor deposition reactors -- may all have closely related underlying chemical reaction mechanisms. Two distinct mechanisms for gas-phase carbon growth are discussed. At high temperatures it proceeds via the formation of carbon clusters. At lower temperatures it follows a polymerization-type kinetic sequence of chemical reactions of acetylene addition to a radical, and reactivation of the resultant species through H-abstraction by a hydrogen atom.

Frenklach, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Ulysses solar wind plasma investigation - Experiment description and initial in-ecliptic results

During the in-ecliptic flight of Ulysses from the Earth toward its encounter with Jupiter, the Los Alamos solar wind plasma experiment has performed well. Briefly described, the instrumentation contains two independent electrostatic analyzers, one for ions and one for electrons. Initial analysis of solar wind electron core temperatures obtained between 1.15 and 3.76 AU yields a gradient of T (proportional to) R(exp -0.7) which is flatter than expected for adiabatic expansion of a single-temperature Maxwellian velocity distribution and steeper than that obtained from Mariner-Voyager.

Bame, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mode properties of low-frequency waves: Kinetic theory versus Hall-MHD

In fluid theory, the ordering of low-frequency modes in a homogeneous plasma is based on the phase velocity, since modes do not intersect each other in dispersion diagrams as a function of wavenumber or other parameters. In linear kinetic theory, modes cross each other. Thus a consistent and useful classification should be based on the physical properties of the modes instead. This paper attempts such a classification by documeting the dispersion and general mode properties of the low-frequency waves (omega much less than (OMEGA(sub ci) OMEGA(sub ce) (exp 1/2)), where OMEGA(sub ci), OMEGA(sub ce) are the cyclotron frequencies of the ions and electrons, respectively) in kinetic theory, and by comparing them to the results of two-fluid theory. Kinetic theory gives a seperate Alfven/ion-cyclotron (A/IC) wave with phase speed Omega/k approximately = v(sub A) cos theta for omega much less than OMEGA(sub ci), where v(sub A) is the Alfven velocity and theta the angle of propagation between wave vector k and background magnetic field B(sub o). For a given wavenumber, the magnetosonic mode is a double-valued solution with a singular point in theta, beta parameter space, where beta is the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure. It is shown that a branch cut starting at the singular point theta approximately 30 deg, beta approximately 3 and leading to larger beta gives a practical and consitent seperation of this double-valued magnetosonic solution. Selection of this branch cut results in a moderately damped fast/magnetos onic and a heavily damped slow/sound wave. A comprehensive review of the polarization, compressibility and other mode properties is given and shown to be consistent with the selected branch cut. At small wavenumbers, the kinetic mode properties typically start to deviate significantly from their fluid counterparts at beta approximately 0.5. At larger beta, there is no longer a consistent correspondence between the fluid and kinetic modes. Kinetic theory also dictates the use of different mode properties to distinguish between them in observational data. For example, the phase between the density and magnetic field perturbation may become useless at high beta, whereas the direction of the magnetic field perturbations with respect to k and B(sub o) remains a useful characteristic. Two quantities based on this characteristic are suggested and are shown to be useful also to distinguish between the mirror mode and A/IC waves in a plasma with temperature anisotropy.

Krauss-Varban, D.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Summary of 2006 to 2010 FPMU Measurements of International Space Station Frame Potential Variations

Electric potential variations on the International Space Station (ISS) structure in low Earth orbit are dominated by contributions from interactions of the United States (US) 160 volt solar arrays with the relatively high density, low temperature plasma environment and inductive potentials generated by motion of the large vehicle across the Earth?s magnetic field. The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) instrument suite comprising two Langmuir probes, a plasma impedance probe, and a floating potential probe was deployed in August 2006 for use in characterizing variations in ISS potential, the state of the ionosphere along the ISS orbit and its effect on ISS charging, evaluating effects of payloads and visiting vehicles, and for supporting ISS plasma hazard assessments. This presentation summarizes observations of ISS frame potential variations obtained from the FPMU from deployment in 2006 through the current time. We first describe ISS potential variations due to current collection by solar arrays in the day time sector of the orbit including eclipse exit and entry charging events, potential variations due to plasma environment variations in the equatorial anomaly, and visiting vehicles docked to the ISS structure. Next, we discuss potential variations due to inductive electric fields generated by motion of the vehicle across the geomagnetic field and the effects of external electric fields in the ionosphere. Examples of night time potential variations at high latitudes and their possible relationship to auroral charging are described and, finally, we demonstrate effects on the ISS potential due to European Space Agency and US plasma contactor devices.

Minow, Joseph I.↗
NASA NTRS2017

THE NuSTAR Hard X-Ray Survey of the Norma Arm Region

We present a catalog of hard X-ray sources in a square-degree region surveyed by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) in the direction of the Norma spiral arm. This survey has a total exposure time of 1.7 Ms, and the typical and maximum exposure depths are 50 ks and 1 Ms, respectively. In the area of deepest coverage, sensitivity limits of 5 x 10(exp -14) and 4 x 10(exp -14) ergs/s/sq cm in the 3-10 and 10-20 keV bands, respectively, are reached. Twenty-eight sources are firmly detected, and 10 are detected with low significance; 8 of the 38 sources are expected to be active galactic nuclei. The three brightest sources were previously identified as a low-mass X-ray binary, high-mass X-ray binary, and pulsar wind nebula. Based on their X-ray properties and multiwavelength counterparts, we identify the likely nature of the other sources as two colliding wind binaries, three pulsar wind nebulae, a black hole binary, and a plurality of cataclysmic variables (CVs). The CV candidates in the Norma region have plasma temperatures of approx. 10-20 keV, consistent with the Galactic ridge X-ray emission spectrum but lower than the temperatures of CVs near the Galactic center. This temperature difference may indicate that the Norma region has a lower fraction of intermediate polars relative to other types of CVs compared to the Galactic center. The NuSTAR logN-logS distribution in the 10-20keV band is consistent with the distribution measured by Chandra at 2-10 keV if the average source spectrum is assumed to be a thermal model with kT approx. =15 keV, as observed for the CV candidates.

general – Galaxy: disk – novae↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cross-field electron diffusion due to the coupling of drift-driven microinstabilities

In this paper, the nonlinear interaction between kinetic instabilities driven by multiple ion beams and magnetized electrons is investigated. Electron diffusion across magnetic field lines is enhanced by the coupling of plasma instabilities. Here, a two-dimensional collisionless particle-in-cell simulation is performed accounting for singly and doubly charged ions in a cross-field configuration. Consistent with prior linear kinetic theory analysis and observations from coherent Thomson scattering experiments, the present simulations identify an ion-ion two-stream instability due to multiply charged ions (flowing in the direction parallel to the applied electric field) which coexists with the electron cyclotron drift instability (propagating perpendicular to the applied electric field and parallel to the ExB drift). Small-scale fluctuations due to the coupling of these naturally driven kinetic modes are found to be a mechanism that can enhance cross-field electron transport and contribute to the broadening of the ion velocity distribution functions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Production of relativistic electrons at subrelativistic laser intensities

Relativistic electron temperatures were measured from kilojoule, subrelativistic laser-plasma interactions. Experiments reflect an order of magnitude higher temperatures than expected from a ponderomotive scaling, where temperatures of up to 2.2 MeV were generated using an intensity of 1 × 10 18 W/cm 2 . Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations suggest that electrons gain superponderomotive energies by stochastic acceleration as they sample a large area of rapidly changing laser phase. We further demonstrate that such high temperatures are possible from subrelativistic intensities by using lasers with long pulse durations and large spatial scales.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Absolute stimulated Raman side scatter in direct-drive laser-produced plasmas

Production of suprathermal electrons by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is a principal concern for contemporary direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility and similar systems since such electrons penetrate and preheat the target core, preventing efficient implosion. The higher temperatures and longer scale lengths in these experiments favor SRS over two-plasmon decay, which predominated in earlier experiments. In particular, current experiments are expected to exceed the threshold for absolute Raman side scatter, which would then dominate the interaction since it grows temporally until saturated by nonlinear mechanisms such as hot-electron production. Until recently, analyses of SRS side scatter have treated the case of a single laser beam incident on a plasma, but the direct-drive approach to laser fusion employs a multitude of beams to drive the implosion. Here in this paper, we present an analysis that can be applied to an arbitrary number of beams with varied angles of incidence and polarizations. In the case of a single beam, it allows a physically motivated derivation and verification of an analytic threshold formula. In the general case of multiple beams and arbitrary orientation and polarizations, the threshold is found by numerical integration of a set of first-order linear partial differential equations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

XMM-Newton and TESS observations of the highly variable polar V496 UMa

We studied the temporal and spectral behavior of V496 UMa from the optical to the X-ray regimes. Methods. We used archival XMM-Newton and TESS observations obtained in 2017 and 2019, respectively, to perform a spectral and timing analysis of the highly variable magnetic CV. Results. The light curves of the TESS and XMM-Newton satellites reveal a double-humped pattern modulated with the periodicity of 91.058467 ± 0.00001 min. V496 UMa displays a two-pole accretion geometry in the high accretion state. X-ray spectra from these regions are composed of thermal plasma radiation and soft blackbody components with almost identical temperatures and a total accretion rate of $\dot{M}$ = 1.4(8) × 10 -11 M ⊙ yr -1 . The X-ray centers of the humps show longitudinal shifts of -18° and 4°, and shifts around photometric phase zero of -172° and -186°, for the main hump and second hump, respectively. The long-term ZTF light curves reveal high and low accretions states. Low-state ZTF and SDSS photometric data are consistent with an 0.8 M ⊙ white dwarf at 10 000 K and a main-sequence donor star with a spectral type of M5.0 at a Gaia determined distance of 758 pc. Conclusions. V496 UMa is a very bright polar in X-rays when it is in the high state. Due to its unusual geometric structure, mass accretion onto the second accretion pole is interrupted occasionally. This discontinuous behavior does not follow a certain pattern in time and has been observed so far only in the high state. The X-ray light curves display clear evidence of an accretion stream at the photometric phase of φ = 0.81, which does not show up in optical light curves. An accurate period was derived using the combined TESS and XMM-Newton data, which differs by 3.8 σ from published results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Higher Harmonics in Multipactor Induced Plasma Ionization Breakdown near a Dielectric Surface

In this Letter, the novel physics of higher harmonic (HH) generation of the normal electric field near a dielectric surface is reported in multipactor induced plasma ionization breakdown, as determined by kinetic particle-in-cell simulations. The observed HH frequency is around ten times the fundamental rf driving frequency, but lower than the electron plasma frequency. A theory is constructed which indicates that stream plasma interaction-induced instability is the mechanism of HH generation in the collisional regime. The HH frequency and its corresponding growth rate of the HH oscillation amplitude from the theory are in good agreement with kinetic particle-in-cell simulations.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Boundary of the Distribution of Solar Wind Proton Beta versus Temperature Anisotropy

Abstract The frequency distribution of solar wind protons, measured in the vicinity of Earth’s orbit, is customarily plotted in ( β ∥ , T ⊥ / T ∥ ) phase space. Here, T ⊥ / T ∥ is the ratio of perpendicular and parallel temperatures, and β ∥ = 8 π nT ∥ / B 2 is the ratio of parallel thermal energy to background magnetic field energy, the so-called “parallel beta,” with ⊥ and ∥ denoting directions with respect to the ambient magnetic field. Such a frequency distribution, plotted as a two-dimensional histogram, forms a peculiar rhombic shape defined with an outer boundary in the said phase space. Past studies reveal that the threshold conditions for temperature anisotropy–driven plasma instability partially account for the boundary on the high- β ∥ side. The low- β ∥ side remains largely unexplained despite some efforts. Work by Vafin et al. recently showed that certain contours of collisional relaxation frequency, ν pp , when parameterized by T ⊥ / T ∥ and β ∥ , could match the overall shape of the left-hand boundary, thus suggesting that the collisional relaxation process might be closely related to the formation of the left-hand boundary. The present paper extends the analysis by Vafin et al. and carries out the dynamical computation of the collisional relaxation process for an ensemble of initial proton states with varying degrees of anisotropic temperatures. The final states of the relaxed protons are shown to closely match the observed boundary to the left of the ( β ∥ , T ⊥ / T ∥ ) phase space. When coupled with a similar set of calculations for the ensemble in the collective instability regime, it is found that the combined collisional/collective effects provide the baseline explanation for the observation.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Kink Instability of Flux Ropes in Partially Ionized Plasmas

In the solar atmosphere, flux ropes are subject to current-driven instabilities that are crucial in driving plasma eruptions, ejections, and heating. A typical ideal magnetohydrodynamics instability developing in flux ropes is the helical kink, which twists the flux rope axis. The growth of this instability can trigger magnetic reconnection, which can explain the formation of chromospheric jets and spicules, but its development has never been investigated in a partially ionized plasma (PIP). Here, we study the kink instability in PIP to understand how it develops in the solar chromosphere, where it is affected by charge-neutral interactions. Partial ionization speeds up the onset of the nonlinear phase of the instability, as the plasma β of the isolated plasma is smaller than the total plasma β of the bulk. The distribution of the released magnetic energy changes in fully ionized plasma and PIP, with a larger increase in internal energy associated with the PIP cases. The temperature in PIP increases faster also due to heating terms from the two-fluid dynamics. PIP effects trigger kink instability on shorter time scales, which is reflected in more explosive chromospheric flux rope dynamics. These results are crucial to understanding the dynamics of small-scale chromospheric structures—minifilament eruptions—that thus far have been largely neglected but could significantly contribute to chromospheric heating and jet formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗