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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Particle-in-cell simulations and passive bulk model of collisional capacitive discharge

Intermediate pressure (0.2–6.0 Torr), radio frequency capacitive discharges are of increasing importance in the thin film processing industry. However, existing low pressure (<0.1 Torr) discharge models are often used beyond their applicability in this pressure range. In this work, the authors performed one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of a capacitive 2.5 cm gap argon discharge driven at 13.56 MHz with current density amplitude J 0 50 A/m 2 over a wide range of gas pressures p g = 0.04–20 Torr. For intermediate pressures, the PIC results showed that most of the ionization occurs near the plasma-sheath edges with very little occurring within the central bulk region. This led us to develop a “passive bulk” model of the discharge in which bulk electron heating does not contribute to ionization, and all the ionization is due solely to the sheath-heated electrons. The model assumes a constant ion-neutral mean free path λ i in the plasma bulk and either constant λ i or constant ion mobility μ i in the sheaths. The model is solved using an electron temperature iteration scheme. The PIC scalings of the discharge equilibrium parameters (e.g., electron density and temperature, sheath width, and voltage) with the input parameters p g and J 0 showed good agreement with those of the passive bulk model. A constant μ i sheath model showed the best agreement with the PIC results in the intermediate pressure regime of interest, but a constant λ i model is simpler to implement and showed reasonable agreement over a wide pressure range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Anisotropic Heating and Parallel Heat Flux in Electron-only Magnetic Reconnection with Intense Guide Fields

Electron-only reconnection (E-REC) is a process recently observed in the Earth’s magnetosheath, where magnetic reconnection occurs at electron kinetic scales, and ions do not couple to the reconnection process. Electron-only reconnection is likely to have a significant impact on the energy conversion and dissipation of turbulence cascades at kinetic scales in some settings. This paper investigates E-REC under different intensities of strong guide fields (the ratio between the guide field and the in-plane asymptotic field strength is 5, 10 and 20, respectively) via two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, focusing on electron heating. The simulations are initialized with a force-free current sheet equilibrium under various intensities of strong guide fields. Similarly to previous experimental studies, electron temperature anisotropy along separatrices is observed, which is found to be mainly caused by the variations of parallel temperature. Both regions of anisotropy and parallel temperature increase/decrease along separatrices become thinner with increasing guide fields. Besides, we find a transition from a quadrupolar to a hexapolar (six-polar) to an octopolar (eight-polar) structure in temperature anisotropy and parallel temperature as the guide field intensifies. Non-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution functions (EVDFs) at different locations in the three simulations are observed. Our results show that parallel electron velocity varies notably with different guide field intensities and finite parallel electron heat flux density is observed. The three simulations exhibit features of the Chew–Goldberger–Low theory, with the level of consistency increasing as the guide field strength increases. This explains the electron parallel temperature variations and the shape of the EVDFs observed along the separatrices. This work may provide insights into the understanding of electron heating and parallel heat flux density in E-REC observed in the turbulent magnetosheath.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measurements of Non-Maxwellian Electron Distribution Functions and Their Effect on Laser Heating

Electron velocity distribution functions driven by inverse bremsstrahlung heating are measured to be non-Maxwellian using a novel angularly resolved Thomson-scattering instrument and the corresponding reduction of electrons at slow velocities results in a ~40% measured reduction in inverse bremsstrahlung absorption. The distribution functions are measured to be super-Gaussian in the bulk (v/v th < 3) and Maxwellian in the tail (v/v th > 3) when the laser heating rate dominates over the electron-electron thermalization rate. Furthermore, simulations with the particle code quartz show the shape of the tail is dictated by the uniformity of the laser heating.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Overview of the TCV tokamak program: Scientific progress and facility upgrades

The TCV tokamak is augmenting its unique historical capabilities (strong shaping, strong electron heating) with ion heating, additional electron heating compatible with high densities, and variable divertor geometry, in a multifaceted upgrade program designed to broaden its operational range without sacrificing its fundamental flexibility. The TCV program is rooted in a three-pronged approach aimed at ITER support, explorations towards DEMO, and fundamental research. A 1 MW, tangential neutral beam injector (NBI) was recently installed and promptly extended the TCV parameter range, with record ion temperatures and toroidal rotation velocities and measurable neutral-beam current drive. ITER-relevant scenario development has received particular attention, with strategies aimed at maximizing performance through optimized discharge trajectories to avoid MHD instabilities, such as peeling-ballooning and neoclassical tearing modes. Experiments on exhaust physics have focused particularly on detachment, a necessary step to a DEMO reactor, in a comprehensive set of conventional and advanced divertor concepts. The specific theoretical prediction of an enhanced radiation region between the two X-points in the low-field-side snowflake-minus configuration was experimentally confirmed. Fundamental investigations of the power decay length in the scrape-off layer (SOL) are progressing rapidly, again in widely varying configurations and in both D and He plasmas; in particular, the double decay length in L-mode limited plasmas was found to be replaced by a single length at high SOL resistivity. Experiments on disruption mitigation by massive gas injection and electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) have begun in earnest, in parallel with studies of runaway electron generation and control, in both stable and disruptive conditions; a quiescent runaway beam carrying the entire electrical current appears to develop in some cases. Developments in plasma control have benefited from progress in individual controller design and have evolved steadily towards controller integration, mostly within an environment supervised by a tokamak profile control simulator. TCV has demonstrated effective wall conditioning with ECRH in He in support of the preparations for JT-60SA operation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

X-ray free electron laser heating of water and gold at high static pressure

Probing of reactive materials such as H 2 O ices and fluids at the high pressures and temperatures of planetary interiors is limited by unwanted chemical reactions and confinement failure. Faster experiments can mitigate such issues, but the common approach of adiabatic compression limits the conditions achieved. This study demonstrates a fast experimental strategy for the creation and probing of selected extreme states using static compression coupled with ultrafast X-ray laser heating. Indirect X-ray heating of H 2 O through the use of a gold absorber is evidenced by sample melting inferred from textural changes in the H 2 O diffraction lines and inter-dispersion of gold and H 2 O melts. Coupled with numerical analysis of femtosecond energy absorption, thermal equilibration, and heat transfer, all evidence indicates that temperatures in excess of an electron volt have been reached in the H 2 O at high pressure. Even after repeated heating, samples stayed chemically unchanged from the starting material.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Power transport efficiency during O-X-B 2nd harmonic electron cyclotron heating in a helicon linear plasma device

The principal objective of this work is to report on the power coupled to a tungsten target in the prototype-material plasma exposure experiment device during oblique injection of a microwave beam (<70 kW at 28 GHz) into a high-power (~100 kW at 13.56 MHz) over-dense (${n_e} > 1 \times {10^{19}}{\text{ }}{{\text{m}}^{ - 3}}$) deuterium helicon plasma column. The experimental setup, electron heating system, electron heating scheme, and IR thermographic diagnostic for quantifying the power transport is described in detail. It is demonstrated that the power transported to the target can be effectively controlled by adjusting the magnetic field profile. Using this method, heat fluxes up to 22 MW m -2 and power transport efficiencies in the range of 17%–20% have been achieved using 70 kW of microwave power. It is observed that most of the heat flux is confined to a narrow region at the plasma periphery. Ray-tracing calculations are presented which indicate that the power is coupled to the plasma electrons via an O-X-B mode conversion process. Calculations indicate that the microwave power is absorbed in a single pass at the plasma periphery via collisions and in the over-dense region via 2nd harmonic cyclotron resonance of the electron Bernstein wave. The impact of our results is discussed in the context of MPEX.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lower-Hybrid Drift Waves Driving Electron Nongyrotropic Heating and Vortical Flows in a Magnetic Reconnection Layer

Here, we report measurements of lower-hybrid drift waves driving electron heating and vortical flows in an electron-scale reconnection layer under a guide field. Electrons accelerated by the electrostatic potential of the waves exhibit perpendicular and nongyrotropic heating. The vortical flows generate magnetic field perturbations comparable to the guide field magnitude. The measurements reveal a new regime of electron-wave interaction and how this interaction modifies the electron dynamics in the reconnection layer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ion temperature clamping in Wendelstein 7-X electron cyclotron heated plasmas

The neoclassical transport optimization of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has not resulted in the predicted high energy confinement of gas fueled electron-cyclotron-resonance-heated (ECRH) plasmas as modelled in (Turkin et al 2011 Phys. Plasmas 18 022505) due to high levels of turbulent heat transport observed in the experiments. The electron-turbulent-heat transport appears non-stiff and is of the electron temperature gradient (ETG)/ion temperature gradient (ITG) type (Weir et al 2021 Nucl. Fusion 61 056001). As a result, the electron temperature T e can be varied freely from 1 keV–10 keV within the range of P ECRH = 1–7 MW, with electron density n e values from 0.1–1.5 × 10 20 m –3 . By contrast, in combination with the broad electron-to-ion energy-exchange heating profile in ECRH plasmas, ion-turbulent-heat transport leads to clamping of the central ion temperature at T i ~ 1.5 keV ± 0.2 keV. In a dedicated ECRH power scan at a constant density of $\langle n_{e} \rangle$ = 7 × 10 19 m –3 , an apparent 'negative ion temperature profile stiffness' was found in the central plasma for (r/a < 0.5), in which the normalized gradient ∇T i /T i decreases with increasing ion heat flux. The experiment was conducted in helium, which has a higher radiative density limit compared to hydrogen, allowing a broader power scan. This 'negative stiffness' is due to a strong exacerbation of turbulent transport with an increasing ratio of T e /T i in this electron-heated plasma. This finding is consistent with electrostatic microinstabilities, such as ITG-driven turbulence. Theoretical calculations made by both linear and nonlinear gyro-kinetic simulations performed by the GENE code in the W7-X three-dimensional geometry show a strong enhancement of turbulence with an increasing ratio of T e /T i . The exacerbation of turbulence with increasing T e /T i is also found in tokamaks and inherently enhances ion heat transport in electron-heated plasmas. This finding strongly affects the prospects of future high-performance gas-fueled ECRH scenarios in W7-X and imposes a requirement for turbulence-suppression techniques.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gyrokinetic profile prediction and validation of a negative triangularity plasma in ASDEX Upgrade

In this work, gyrokinetic simulations are performed with the CGYRO code (Candy et al 2016 J. Comput. Phys. 324 73–93) for a negative triangularity H-mode plasma in ASDEX Upgrade, and compared with experimental measurements. The PORTALS framework (Rodriguez-Fernandez et al 2024 Nucl. Fusion 64 076034) is used to accelerate the prediction of kinetic profiles for this plasma, using surrogate modeling and Bayesian optimization. Ion heat flux, electron heat flux, and electron particle flux are simultaneously matched across the simulated radial regime of the plasma (normalized radius $r/a = 0.35-0.90$), and the resulting ion temperature, electron temperature, and electron density profiles match well with the experimental profile data within this radial range. A synthetic Correlation Electron Cyclotron Emission diagnostic is applied to find well-matched electron temperature fluctuation properties between simulation and experiment. The flux-matched profiles provide a basis for investigation of the turbulence nature across the plasma radius, revealing the dominance of Trapped Electron Mode turbulence at $r/a = 0.35$, the dominance of Ion Temperature Gradient turbulence at $r/a = 0.55$, 0.75, and 0.83, and an instability boundary at $r/a = 0.90$.

gyrokinetic simulation↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment: Status of the Physics Basis Together With the Conceptual Design and Plans Forward

The Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) is a linear plasma device that will address the plasma–material interaction (PMI) science for future fusion reactors and will enable testing of plasma-facing components (PFCs). It is designed as a steady-state device eventually delivering an ion fluence of up to 10 31 m -2 to the target. The device will be designed to handle neutron-activated materials. These capabilities should push the technical readiness level of PFCs up to six for some end-of-life aspects. In order to achieve the relevant plasma conditions, as they are expected in future fusion reactor divertors, MPEX will utilize a novel plasma source concept. This plasma source concept uses a high-power helicon (200 kW, 13.56 MHz), an electron cyclotron heating (ECH) system, which will heat electrons via electron Bernstein wave (EBW) heating (about 400 kW, 70 GHz), and an ion cyclotron heating (ICH) system (400 kW, 6–9 MHz). The physics basis for this plasma source concept including the heating physics and transport is based on experiments on Proto-MPEX. An overview of the experimental results and the physics basis will be given. The physics basis directly translates into functional requirements of MPEX and the conceptual design. The status of the conceptual design of MPEX will be shown.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

New heat flux model for non-axisymmetric divertor infrared structures

A convective heat flux model for perturbed plasmas, based on guiding center ion drift in vacuum elds (A. Wingen, et al., Phys. Plasmas 21 (2014) 012509), has been updated. The old model only considered ion heat flux, while here also electron heat flux is included. The updated model predicts divertor heat flux distributions in non-axisymmetric (3D) plasmas with applied Resonant Magnetic Perturbation (RMP) fields, and includes electric scalar potentials. It is found that a radial electric field in the near Scrape-o Layer (SOL) can considerably shift the footprints toroidally, leading to a smearing out eff ect of the incident heat flux, while a simple model for sheath potential has little impact on footprints. Various approaches to model electron heat flux are studied. A convective electron model, based on collisionless free streaming, is found to yield the best agreement with measurements, while a conductive model requires a at temperature gradient inside lobes to yield acceptable peak heat ux values. A heuristic heat flux layer approach, based on a fixed layer width also requires a limited heat flux inside the last closed flux surface (LCFS); by selecting various locations of the LCFS, the results of the conductive or convective model can be recovered respectively. The sum of ion and electron heat fluxes, both obtained by the convective model, is compared to experimental data for multiple time slices in DIII-D. Strike point splitting is observed with peak heat fluxes and layer widths that compare well to infrared camera (IR) measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Turbulent broadening of electron heat-flux width in electromagnetic gyrokinetic simulations of a helical scrape-off layer model

Here, we demonstrate that cross field transport in the scrape-off layer (SOL) can be moderately increased by electromagnetic effects in high-beta regimes, resulting in broadening of the electron heat-flux width on the endplates. This conclusion is taken from full- f electromagnetic gyrokinetic simulations of a helical SOL model that roughly approximates the SOL of the National Spherical Torus Experiment. The simulations have been performed with the Gkeyll code, which recently became the first code to demonstrate the capability to simulate electromagnetic gyrokinetic turbulence on open magnetic field lines with sheath boundary conditions. We scan the source rate and thus β, so that the normalized pressure gradient (the MHD ballooning parameter $α ∝ ∂β/∂r ∝ β/Lρ$) is scanned over an experimentally relevant range, α = 0.3 - 1.5. While there is little change in the pressure gradient scale length L p near the midplane as beta is increased, a 10% increase in cross field transport near the midplane results in an increase in the electron heat-flux width λ q and a 25% reduction of the peak electron heat flux to the endplates.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fokker-Planck simulations of fast ion ICRF and electron EC heating in a mirror plasma using CQL3D-m

The CQL3D-m continuum bounce-average Fokker-Planck code is adapted for magnetic mirror plasmas [1] and is now routinely used in no-free-parameter classical integrated modeling of mirror devices [2, 3]. In the present effort, we report on two RF methods of plasma heating in mirror machine. The fast ions (FI) are heated by Fast waves at 2nd-4th harmonic, where FIs originate from neutral beam injection at 45 degrees to the magnetic field. The scenario shows an efficient ion heating near the FI bouncing point. The electrons are heated by X-mode launched from the high magnetic field side towards the resonance. Different from the tokamak applications, CQL3D-m provides an evolving self-consistent ambipolar parallel electric field, which determines the shape of the loss cone and hence an accurate confinement time of both ions and electrons. Also, it includes a description of ion and electron sources and sinks (related to charge exchange and impact ionization) which are updated at every time step. CQL3D-m utilizes a fully nonlinear Coulomb collision operator that is important for the significantly non-Maxwellian ion distributions typically established in mirror plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laser-driven ionization mechanisms of aluminum for single particle aerosol mass spectrometry

Single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS), an analytical technique for measuring the size and composition of individual micron-scale particles, is capable of analyzing atmospheric pollutants and bioaerosols much more efficiently and with more detail than conventional methods which require the collection of particles onto filters for analysis in the laboratory. Despite SPAMS’ demonstrated capabilities, the primary mechanisms of ionization are not fully understood, which creates challenges in optimizing and interpreting SPAMS signals. In this paper, we present a well-stirred reactor model for the reactions involved with the laser-induced vaporization and ionization of an individual particle. The SPAMS conditions modeled in this paper include a 248 nm laser which is pulsed for 8 ns to vaporize and ionize each particle in vacuum. The ionization of 1 μm, spherical Al particles was studied by approximating them with a 0-dimensional plasma chemistry model. The primary mechanism of absorption of the 248 nm photons was pressure-broadened direct photoexcitation to Al(y 2 D). Atoms in this highly excited state then undergo superelastic collisions with electrons, heating the electrons and populating the lower energy excited states. We found that the primary ionization mechanism is electron impact ionization of various excited state Al atoms, especially Al(y 2 D). Because the gas expands rapidly into vacuum, its temperature decreases rapidly. The rate of three-body recombination (e - + e - + Al + → Al + e - ) increases at low temperature, and most of the electrons and ions produced recombine within several μs of the laser pulse. The importance of the direct photoexcitation indicates that the relative peak heights of different elements in SPAMS mass spectra may be sensitive to the available photoexcitation transitions. We also discuss the effects of laser intensity, particle diameter, and expansion dynamics.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

A two-fluid solar-wind model with intermittent Alfvénic turbulence

In one of the leading theories for the origin of the solar wind, photospheric motions launch Alfvén waves (AWs) that propagate along open magnetic-field lines through the solar atmosphere and into the solar wind. The radial variation in the Alfvén speed causes some of the AWs to reflect, and counter-propagating AWs subsequently interact to produce Alfveńic turbulence, in which AW energy cascades from long wavelengths to short wavelengths and dissipates, heating the plasma. In this paper we develop a one-dimensional two-fluid solar-wind model that includes Alfvénic turbulence, proton temperature anisotropy and a novel method for apportioning the turbulent heating rate between parallel proton heating, perpendicular proton heating and electron heating. We employ a turbulence model that accounts for recent observations from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which find that AW fluctuations in the near-Sun solar wind are intermittent and less anisotropic than in previous models of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. Our solar-wind model reproduces a wide range of remote observations of the corona and in-situ measurements of the solar wind, and our turbulent heating model consists of analytic equations that could be usefully incorporated into other solar-wind models and numerical models of more distant astrophysical plasmas.

astrophysical plasmas↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simultaneous reproduction of experimental profiles, fluxes, transport coefficients, and turbulence characteristics via nonlinear gyrokinetic profile predictions in a DIII-D ITER similar shape plasma

Experimental conditions obtained on the DIII-D tokamak in the ITER Similar Shape (ISS) have been compared extensively with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation using the CGYRO code [Candy et al., J. Comput. Phys. 324, 73–93 (2016)] with comparisons spanning ion and electron heat fluxes, electron and impurity particle transport, and turbulent fluctuation levels and characteristics. Bayesian optimization techniques [Rodriguez-Fernandez et al., Nucl. Fusion 62(7), 076036 (2022)], combined with nonlinear gyrokinetics, have been used to obtain simultaneously Qi, Qe, and Γe flux-matched profiles that are found to be in good agreement with experimental profile measurements. Synthetic diagnostics were used to compare measured beam emission spectroscopy and correlation electron cyclotron emission turbulent fluctuations with nonlinear simulation. Although some disagreements exist, nonlinear simulations are found to be in generally good agreement with measured fluctuation levels, spectral shapes, and measured radial trends in low-k δne/ne and δTe/Te. Low (Li and C) and mid-Z (Ca) impurity transport was also compared with these flux-matched simulations. Fully stripped, low-Z impurities are well reproduced by the gyrokinetic modeling while clear disagreement exists in comparisons with mid-Z impurities. Nonlinear gyrokinetic investigation into the Z dependence of impurity transport in the ISS conditions is also performed, demonstrating clear trends of impurity diffusion with impurity Z (both D∝Z and D∝1/Z) that vary with the radial location studied. These trends are shown to result from the local dominance of ion temperature gradient or ∇n driven trapped electron mode turbulence and may contribute to the disagreement between simulation and experiment in mid-Z impurity transport. The results of this work represent one of the most complete validation studies of the gyrokinetic model performed to date and provide an example of new capabilities for predicting performance in future fusion devices.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Using Direct Laboratory Measurements of Electron Temperature Anisotropy to Identify the Heating Mechanism in Electron-Only Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection

Anisotropic electron heating during electron-only magnetic reconnection with a large guide magnetic field is directly measured in a laboratory plasma through in situ measurements of electron velocity distribution functions. Electron heating preferentially parallel to the magnetic field is localized to one separatrix, and anisotropies of 1.5 are measured. The mechanism for electron energization is identified as the parallel reconnection electric field because of the anisotropic nature of the heating and spatial localization. These characteristics are reproduced in a 2D particle-in-cell simulation and are also consistent with numerous magnetosheath observations. A measured increase in the perpendicular temperature along both separatrices is not reproduced by our 2D simulations. Here, this work has implications for energy partition studies in magnetosheath and laboratory reconnection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

DIII-D Electron Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive System Status and Plans

The DIII-D 110 GHz Electron Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive (ECH/ECCD) System supports a wide range of experiments at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility and is pioneering innovative new techniques for future fusion reactors. Here, the system currently includes 8 sockets with 4 installed gyrotrons, 31.75 mm circular corrugated transmission lines, four dual real time steerable launchers plus two Top Launchers. After the successful testing of the first Top Launcher, that injects the EC waves downward nearly parallel to the resonance layer with double current drive efficiency and a long absorption path, a second new Top Launcher was designed and installed with an upgraded design. Some of the operational limitations encountered for the 110 GHz X-mode second harmonic resonance scenario launched in over-dense plasmas were overcome with the alternative use of O-mode second harmonic launch. Two new gyrotrons in a new series manufactured by CPI were installed and tested, bringing up the total installed power to 3 MW. The installation of repaired and new gyrotrons will increase the number of installed gyrotrons to 7 in 2023. An addition to the DIII-D building will be completed in early 2022 to provide the space to expand the ECH/ECCD system to ten gyrotron systems, plus an extra gyrotron test socket.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗