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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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39 records · Page 3

Design study of an edge current density diagnostic using new high-performance single-channel beam emission spectrometers at DIII-D

A novel Motional Stark Effect spectroscopy system has been designed for application at the DIII-D tokamak. The system is optimized for studies of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field in the plasma pedestal region with frame rates of up to 10 kHz. Further, light from an existing high-photon-throughput collection lens is analyzed using four single-channel f/2.8 Czerny–Turner spectrometers that use custom-made lens systems instead of mirrors. Each spectrometer has two separate outgoing legs and is operated in a positive grating order, which allows for simultaneous observations of D-alpha and D-beta spectra. Forward modeling using the code FIDASIM shows a radial resolution of the system close to 0.6 cm and sufficiently good spectral resolution when masking the high throughput light collection lens in the horizontal direction to avoid overly strong Doppler broadening of beam emission lines. Moreover, a detailed sensitivity study considering realistic levels of readout and photon noise shows that the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field strengths can be inferred with an uncertainty of less than 1%, which will allow the inference of changes of the plasma current during transient events.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

All-Order Full-Coulomb Quantum Spectral Line-Shape Calculations

Understanding how atoms interact with hot dense matter is essential for astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Interactions in high-density plasmas broaden spectral lines, providing a rare window into interactions that govern, for example, radiation transport in stars. However, up to now, spectral line-shape theories employed at least one of three common approximations: second-order Taylor treatment of broadening operator, dipole-only interactions between atom and plasma, and classical treatment of perturbing electrons. In this Letter, we remove all three approximations simultaneously for the first time and test the importance for two applications: neutral hydrogen and highly ionized magnesium and oxygen. Finally, we found 15%–50% change in the spectral line widths, which are sufficient to impact applications including white-dwarf mass determination, stellar-opacity research, and laboratory plasma diagnostics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The influence of laser energy on deuterium emission characteristics from a Zircaloy-4 plasma

Laser-produced plasma coupled with optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is a promising technique for detecting certain isotopes, with unique capabilities such as standoff and rapid detection and minimal to no sample preparation requirements. The key figure-of-merit for isotopic analysis using optical spectroscopy tools is the linewidth relative to the isotope shift. Although the isotopes of hydrogen (1H, 2H, and 3H) possess large isotopic shifts (1H–2H ≈ 180 pm, 1H–3H ≈ 240 pm), being a light element, the H transitions are susceptible to various broadening mechanisms in the plasma environment. One of the critical parameters that influence the linewidth of a transition in an LPP is the incident laser energy. In the present study, we evaluated the role of laser energy on plume expansion dynamics, deuterium emission intensity, and linewidth in a nanosecond laser-produced Zircaloy-4 plasma. The changes in 2Hα emission intensity and linewidth were investigated for varying laser fluence and time after plasma onset. Spatially resolved and spatially integrated OES were performed and compared to investigate the emission spectral features and linewidth of 2Hα. Monochromatic two-dimensional time-resolved imaging was also performed to understand the morphology of the deuterium and protium emission relative to all species in the plume. Our results showed that 1Hα and 2Hα emissions predominantly occur closer to the target. Measurements of 2Hα linewidth approached similar values at later times of plasma evolution regardless of the laser energy. The linewidths of the 2Hα transition showed insignificant differences between spatially resolved and spatially integrated measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗