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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
NASA NTRS1977

On propagation direction of ring current proton ULF waves observed by ATS 6 at 6.6 R sub E

From June 11 to September 16, 1974, the NOAA low-energy proton detector on board the ATS 6 satellite observed 71 cases of ultralow-frequency oscillations of proton flux intensities. The oscillation periods varied from 40 s to 6 min, and the events were observed most frequently during moderate geomagnetic conditions. The flux oscillations occurred at various local times, yet almost two thirds of the events were detected in the near-dusk region of the magnetosphere. For a majority of the events in this set a substantial phase shift in flux oscillation was detected between different energy channels and/or between two oppositely oriented detector telescopes. The phase shift is mainly due to the finite gyroradius effect of the protons gyrating in the geomagnetic field. By examining this finite gyroradius effect on the perturbed particle distribution function associated with the wave in a nonuniform magnetic field, the propagation direction of the wave from particle observations made by a single spacecraft is determined

Su, S.-Y.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Downstream energetic proton and alpha particles during quasi-parallel interplanetary shock events

This paper considers the energetic particle populations in the downstream region of three quasi-parallel interplanetary shock events, which was explored using the ISEE 3 Ultra Low Energy Charge Analyzer sensor, which unambiguously identifies protons and alpha particles using the electrostatic deflection versus residual energy technique. The downstream particles were found to exhibit anisotropies due largely to convection in the solar wind. The spectral indices of the proton and the alpha-particle distribution functions were found to be remarkably constant during the downstream period, being generally insensitive to changes in particle flux levels, magnetic field direction, and solar wind densities. In two of the three events, the proton and the alpha spectra were the same throughout the entire downstream period, supporting the prediction of diffusive shock acceleration theory.

Tan, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hybrid simulations of thin current sheets

A one-dimensional, hybrid simulation code is used to study current sheets with a nonzero normal magnetic field B(sub z) and a dawn-to-dusk electric field E(sub y). Such configurations are dependent upon only two parameters: we use the normalized normal magnetic field B-normalized (sub z) = B(sub z)/(4(pi)(n(sub b)) (v(exp 2 sub T))(exp 1/2) and normalized electric field V-normalized (sub D) = (1/V(sub T)(cE(sub y)/B(sub z)), where V(sub T) is the thermal velocity of ions prior to their interaction with the current sheet and n(sub b) is the number density outside the current sheet (at the simulation boundary). A third parameter that is relevant to the motion of particles in current sheets is kappa(sub A), the value of kappa = (R(sub min)/rho(sub max))(exp 1/2) for particles of average energy. We find that if either B-normalized (sub z) is close to or greater than 1, or if kappa(sub A) is close to 1, a rotational mode develops in which the z = 0 current rotates with the ion sense about the normal magnetic field, while for small values of both B-normalized (sub z) or kappa(sub A), the configuration is quasi-steady. To achieve values of kappa(sub A) of the order of or larger than 1, we decrease the value of V-normalized (sub D) uniformly. We find that the magnetic field fluctuations and particle distribution functions are similar in many respects to what was observed in the day 240, 1986, Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer (AMPTE)/CCE current disruption event, an event that appears to be located at the site of initiation of current disruption and related particle energization.

Burkhart, G. R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Numerical Investigation of Enhanced Dehumidification Processes By Using Dielectrophoresis Principles in Moist Airflows

Dispersed particle-laden flows are encountered in many building and industrial applications, such as flow in a fluidized bed, hydrocarbon transportation in pipelines, and the fouling of air-cooled heat exchangers (Kuruneru et al., 2016; Ray et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2019). Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models have been developed in recent years to depict particle-fluid and particle-particle interactions in laminar or turbulent flows with increasing accuracy and stability. One particular particle-laden system of interest for moisture control is electrically-enhanced condensation in air and water droplet flows. Electrically-enhanced condensation consists of the use of highly charged water droplets injected in the moist air. The droplets become electric seeds that attract polar water vapor molecules to their surfaces and promote condensation. The nucleation and growth of the charged droplets deplete the vapor phase near a droplet, which is compensated for by the dielectrophoresis flow and diffusion. Dielectrophoresis flow involves surrounding vapor at a distance of about 10 to 100 nm for droplets charged by an electrospray compared to ~2 nm for a single electron charge in a droplet. As the vapor molecules collapse on the surface of the droplets, their initial electrical charge decreases with time due to the neutralization of the ions. While the physics of this phenomena is well known, engineering models for predicting the condensation rates are not available. This work computationally investigates dehumidification of moist airflow in a converging rectangular duct. The objective is to develop an engineering model that predicts water vapor condensation by employing dielectrophoresis principles. We construct a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the duct with electrically-enhanced condensation. The model is implemented in the open-source software OpenFOAM. We utilize the Multi-Phase Particle-In-Cell (MP-PIC) method coupled with a Population Balance Equation (PBE) approach to simulate the particle-laden system. This methodology is an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach used to simulate the droplets' behavior in the humid air. The MP-PIC approach (Andrews and O'Rourke, 1996) mitigates the computational cost by parceling several fundamental particles with similar properties (such as types, sizes, and temperature) into one computational particle. Thus, the billions of particles can be substituted by millions of computational particles without significant loss of information. The PBE was considered with the Lagrangian frame to combine the particle distribution function used in MP-PIC (Kim et al., 2020). This approach preserves mass and energy conservation between the phases in the Eulerian and Lagrangian structures. The PBE in this procedure was directly linked to the discrete parcels, making the simulation of the particle distribution computationally efficient and robust. The MP-PIC-PBE approach used in the present work was applied to the dehumidification of air. Water droplets were injected in the air stream and forced to grow according to experimentally derived correlation. The experiments were conducted on a converging duct with the same geometry and boundary conditions used to build the CFD model. This approach enabled us to approximate the effect of dielectrophoresis phenomena on the droplet and air interface. This presentation will discuss the details of the new CFD model built for the duct, the implementation of the model in OpenFOAM CFD programming language, and the experimental validation of the newly developed model. The results revealed a moderate yet measurable increase in droplet diameter due to water vapor condensation at the vapor-liquid interface of the electrically charged droplets' surface. The seed water droplet particles grew in size by capturing the water vapor in the surrounding air. The OpenFOAM model predicted reductions of humidity in the air from 5 to 10 percent.

Yel Mahi, Maliha↗
DOE OSTI2023

Required toroidal confinement for fusion and omnigeneity

Deuterium–tritium (DT) burning requires a long energy confinement times compared to collision times, so the particle distribution functions must approximate local Maxwellians. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is applicable, which gives relations among transport, entropy production, the collision frequency, and the deviation from a Maxwellian. The distribution functions are given by the Fokker–Planck equation, which is an advection–diffusion equation. A large hyperbolic operator, the Vlasov operator with the particle trajectories as its characteristics, equals a small diffusive operator, the collision operator. The collisionless particle trajectories would be chaotic in stellarators without careful optimization. This would lead to rapid entropy production and transport—far beyond what is consistent with a self-sustaining DT burn. Omnigeneity is the weakest general condition that is consistent with a sufficiently small entropy production associated with the thermal particle trajectories. Omnigeneity requires that the contours of constant magnetic field strength be unbounded in at least one of the two angular coordinates in magnetic surfaces and that there be a symmetry in the field-strength wells along the field lines. Even in omnigenous plasmas, fluctuations due to microturbulence can produce chaotic particle trajectories and the gyro-Bohm transport is seen in many stellarator and tokamak experiments. The higher the plasma temperature above 10 keV, the smaller the transport must be compared to gyro-Bohm for a self-sustaining DT burn. The hot alphas of DT fusion heat the electrons. When the ion–electron equilibration time is long compared to the ion energy confinement time, a self-sustaining DT burn is not possible, which sets a limit on the electron temperature.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Simulating pitch angle scattering using an explicitly solvable energy-conserving algorithm

Particle distribution functions evolving under the Lorentz operator can be simulated with the Langevin equation for pitch angle scattering. This approach is frequently used in particle based Monte-Carlo simulations of plasma collisions, among others. However, most numerical treatments do not guarantee energy conservation, which may lead to unphysical artifacts such as numerical heating and spectra distortions. In this paper, we present a novel structure-preserving numerical algorithm for the Langevin equation for pitch angle scattering. Similar to the well-known Boris algorithm, the proposed numerical scheme takes advantage of the structure-preserving properties of the Cayley transform when calculating the velocity-space rotations. The resulting algorithm is explicitly solvable, while preserving the norm of velocities down to machine precision. We demonstrate that the method has the same order of numerical convergence as the traditional stochastic Euler-Maruyama method. The numerical scheme is benchmarked by simulating the pitch angle scattering of a particle beam, and comparing with the analytical solution. Benchmark results show excellent agreement with theoretical predictions, showcasing the remarkable long time accuracy of the proposed algorithm.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Simulating pitch angle scattering using an explicitly solvable energy-conserving algorithm

Particle distribution functions evolving under the Lorentz operator can be simulated with the Langevin equation for pitch angle scattering. This approach is frequently used in particle based Monte-Carlo simulations of plasma collisions, among others. However, most numerical treatments do not guarantee energy conservation, which may lead to unphysical artifacts such as numerical heating and spectra distortions. We present a novel structure-preserving numerical algorithm for the Langevin equation for pitch angle scattering. Similar to the well-known Boris algorithm, the proposed numerical scheme takes advantage of the structure-preserving properties of the Cayley transform when calculating the velocity-space rotations. The resulting algorithm is explicitly solvable, while preserving the norm of velocities down to machine precision. We demonstrate that the method has the same order of numerical convergence as the traditional stochastic Euler-Maruyama method.

Zhang, Xin↗
NASA NTRS1983

A theoretical model study of observed correlations between whistler mode waves and energetic electron precipitation events in the magnetosphere

A recently extended test particle computer model of the gyroresonance wave-particle interaction in the magnetosphere is applied to previously reported cases of observed correlations between whistler mode waves and ionospheric responses to particle precipitation. Three different ionospheric effects, namely, X-ray bursts, photoemissions, and D region perturbations, all correlated with VLF waves and believed to be caused by precipitated particles, are considered. The precipitation flux level, the pulse shape, and the associated time delays are computed for the parameters relevant to each case and are compared with values deduced from the data. The results demonstrate that the existing theoretical model can be useful for interpreting experimental results of this kind. Furthermore, the model results and observations, used together, provide a basis for additional diagnostics of the various parameters of the cold and energetic particle distributions in the magnetosphere. For example, when applied to the observed photoemission case (Helliwell et al., 1980) the model results imply that the trapped energetic particle distribution function at the time could be modeled as proportional to E exp -n/2 with n about 3.5 to 6, where E is the particle energy.

Chang, H. C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

A two-dimensional numerical study of ion-acoustic turbulence

We investigate the linear and nonlinear evolution of the current-driven ion-acoustic instability in a collisionless plasma via two-dimensional (2-D) Vlasov–Poisson numerical simulations. We initialise the system in a stable state and gradually drive it towards instability with an imposed, weak external electric field, thus avoiding physically unrealisable super-critical initial conditions. A comprehensive analysis of the nonlinear evolution of ion-acoustic turbulence (IAT) is presented, including the detailed characteristics of the evolution of the particles’ distribution functions, (2-D) wave spectrum and the resulting anomalous resistivity. Our findings reveal the dominance of 2-D quasi-linear effects around saturation, with nonlinear effects, such as particle trapping and nonlinear frequency shifts, becoming pronounced during the later stages of the system's nonlinear evolution. Remarkably, the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) spectrum is observed immediately after the saturation of the instability. Another crucial and noteworthy result is that no steady saturated nonlinear state is ever reached: strong ion heating suppresses the instability, which implies that the anomalous resistivity associated with IAT is transient and short-lived, challenging earlier theoretical results. Towards the conclusion of the simulation, electron-acoustic waves are triggered by the formation of a double layer and strong modifications to the particle distribution induced by IAT.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Medium-energy electrons and heavy ions in Jupiter's magnetosphere - Effects of lower hybrid wave-particle interactions

A theory of medium-energy (about keV) electrons and heavy ions in Jupiter's magnetosphere is presented. Lower hybrid waves are generated by the combined effects of a ring instability of neutral wind pickup ions and the modified two-stream instability associated with transport of cool Iogenic plasma. The quasi-linear energy diffusion coefficient for lower hybrid wave-particle interactions is evaluated, and several solutions to the diffusion equation are given. Calculations based on measured wave properties show that the noise substantially modifies the particle distribution functions. The effects are to accelerate superthermal ions and electrons to keV energies and to thermalize the pickup ions on time scales comparable to the particle residence time. The S(2+)/S(+) ratio at medium energies is a measure of the relative contribution from Iogenic thermal plasma and neutral wind ions, and this important quantity should be determined from future measurements. The theory also predicts a preferential acceleration of heavy ions with an accleration time that scales inversely with the root of the ion mass. Electrons accelerated by the process contribute to further reionization of the neutral wind by electron impact, thus providing a possible confirmation of Alfven's critical velocity effect in the Jovian magnetosphere.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Test particle study of minor ions in solar wind turbulence

We perform a parameter study of the temporal evolution of a test particle distribution function in MHD turbulence. The turbulent fields are calculated using a pseudo-spectral method and periodic boundary conditions on a regular grid of 180(exp 3) points, appropriate for incompressible, homogeneous and isotropic turbulence. Initially, the kinetic and the magnetic energy are equal on the average. Both, deterministic and random initial conditions are used, in the former case with zeros of the magnetic field located at grid points, in the latter case located by interpolation between grid points. The evolution of the minor ion distribution function is studied in detail as these turbulent fields evolve, developing strong current and vorticity sheets. Using the full collisionless equation of motion for the test particles, the efficiency of nonlinear interactions can be studied. The results are compared to theoretical predictions and are then discussed in connection with the observations of the dynamical properties of solar wind minor ions derived from in situ observations.

Zurbuchen, Th.↗
DOE OSTI2021

A field–particle correlation analysis of a perpendicular magnetized collisionless shock

Using the field–particle correlation technique, we examine the particle energization in a three-dimensional (one spatial dimension and two velocity dimensions; 1D-2V) continuum Vlasov–Maxwell simulation of a perpendicular magnetized collisionless shock. The combination of the field–particle correlation technique with the high-fidelity representation of the particle distribution function provided by a direct discretization of the Vlasov equation allows us to ascertain the details of the exchange of energy between the electromagnetic fields and the particles in phase space. We identify the velocity-space signatures of shock-drift acceleration of the ions and adiabatic heating of the electrons arising from the perpendicular collisionless shock by constructing a simplified model with the minimum ingredients necessary to produce the observed energization signatures in the self-consistent Vlasov–Maxwell simulation. We are thus able to completely characterize the energy transfer in the perpendicular collisionless shock considered here and provide predictions for the application of the field–particle correlation technique to spacecraft measurements of collisionless shocks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2021

A Field-Particle Correlation Analysis of a Perpendicular Magnetized Collisionless Shock

Using the field-particle correlation technique, we examine the particle energization in a 1D-2V continuum Vlasov-Maxwell simulation of a perpendicular magnetized collisionless shock. The combination of the field-particle correlation technique with the high fidelity representation of the particle distribution function provided by a direct discretization of the Vlasov equation allows us to ascertain the details of the exchange of energy between the electromagnetic fields and the particles in phase space. We identify the velocity-space signatures of shock-drift acceleration of the ions and adiabatic heating of the electrons due to the perpendicular collisionless shock by constructing a simplified model with the minimum ingredients necessary to produce the observed energization signatures in the self-consistent Vlasov-Maxwell simulation. We are thus able to completely characterize the energy transfer in the perpendicular collisionless shock considered here and provide predictions for the application of the field-particle correlation technique to spacecraft measurements of collisionless shocks.

James Juno↗
DOE OSTI2024

Phase-space entropy cascade and irreversibility of stochastic heating in nearly collisionless plasma turbulence

We consider a nearly collisionless plasma consisting of a species of “test particles” in one spatial and one velocity dimension, stirred by an externally imposed stochastic electric field—a kinetic analog of the Kraichnan model of passive advection. The mean effect on the particle distribution function is turbulent diffusion in velocity space—known as stochastic heating. Accompanying this heating is the generation of fine-scale structure in the distribution function, which we characterize with the collisionless (Casimir) invariant C 2 ∝ ∫ ∫ d x d v 〈 f 2 〉 —a quantity that here plays the role of (negative) entropy of the distribution function. We find that C 2 is transferred from large scales to small scales in both position and velocity space via a phase-space cascade enabled by both particle streaming and nonlinear interactions between particles and the stochastic electric field. We compute the steady-state fluxes and spectrum of C 2 in Fourier space, with k and s denoting spatial and velocity wave numbers, respectively. In our model, the nonlinearity in the evolution equation for the spectrum turns into a fractional Laplacian operator in k space, leading to anomalous diffusion. Whereas even the linear phase mixing alone would lead to a constant flux of C 2 to high s (towards the collisional dissipation range) at every k , the nonlinearity accelerates this cascade by intertwining velocity and position space so that the flux of C 2 is to both high k and high s simultaneously. Integrating over velocity (spatial) wave numbers, the k -space ( s -space) flux of C 2 is constant down to a dissipation length (velocity) scale that tends to zero as the collision frequency does, even though the rate of collisional dissipation remains finite. The resulting spectrum in the inertial range is a self-similar function in the ( k , s ) plane, with power-law asymptotics at large k and s . Our model is fully analytically solvable, but the asymptotic scalings of the spectrum can also be found via a simple phenomenological theory whose key assumption is that the cascade is governed by a “critical balance” in phase space between the linear and nonlinear timescales. We argue that stochastic heating is made irreversible by this entropy cascade and that, while collisional dissipation accessed via phase mixing occurs only at small spatial scales rather than at every scale as it would in a linear system, the cascade makes phase mixing even more effective overall in the nonlinear regime than in the linear one. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1994

New description of charged particle propagation in random magnetic fields

When charged particles spiral along a large constant magnetic field, their trajectories are scattered by random components that are superposed on the guiding field. In the simplest analysis of this situation, scattering causes the particles to diffuse parallel to the guiding field. At the next level of approximation, moving pulses that correspond to a coherent mode of propagation are present, but they are represented by delta-functions whose infinitely narrow width makes no sense physically and is inconsistent with the finite duration of coherent pulses observed in solar energetic particle events. To derive a more realistic description, the transport problem is formulated in terms of 4 x 4 matrices, which derive from a representation of the particle distribution function in terms of eigenfunctions of the scattering operator, and which lead to useful approximations that give explicit predictions of the detailed evolution not only of the coherent pulses, but also of the diffusive wake. More specifically, the new description embodies a simple convolution of a narrow Gaussian with the solutions above that involve delta-functions, but with a slightly reduced coherent velocity. The validity of these approximations, which can easily be calculated on a desktop computer, has been exhaustively confirmed by comparison with results of Monte Carlo simulations which kept track of 50 million particles and which were carried out on the Maspar computer at Goddard Space Flight Center.

Earl, James A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Kinetic characterization of 3D magnetic reconnection: A transformative step (Final Report)

We investigated magnetic reconnection in the Earth’s magnetopause, magnetotail, and the bow shock, by means of fully kinetic simulations and analysis of space data obtained by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We elucidated signatures of particle energization in particle distribution functions in the vicinity of reconnection X-line, properties of reconnection in shock-driven turbulence, and wave excitations and nonlinear structures. We advanced the understanding of magnetic reconnection from the viewpoint of particle kinetics in the diffusion region.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Binary collision rates of relativistic thermal plasmas. II - Spectra

Spectra of importance for the analysis of relativistic thermal plasmas are numerically calculated assuming a thermal form for the particle distribution functions. Complete sets of optically thin thermal electron-proton, electron-electron, and electron-positron bremsstrahlung spectra are calculated throughout the transrelativistic regime of electron temperatures and compared with approximate expressions for the spectra in the nonrelativistic and extreme relativistic regimes of temperature. A method for calculating accurate secondary particle production spectra in proton-proton collisions from threshold to the highest energies is presented based on an isobaric model near threshold and scaling representations at high energies. The production spectra of charged and neutral pions resulting from proton-proton collisions in relativistic proton plasmas are calculated, and the resultant electron, positron, and gamma-ray spectra from the decay of secondary pions are presented.

Dermer, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Some aspects of double layer formation in a plasma constrained by a magnetic mirror

The shift from wave-generated anomalous resistivity toward the more large-scale effects of magnetic confinement of current carrying plasmas was inspired by the more extensive data on auroral particle distribution functions that were made available, data that may often seem consistent with a dissipation-free acceleration of auroral electrons over an extended altitude range. Efforts to interpret these data have brought new vigor to the concept that a smooth and static electric field can be self-consistently generated by suitable pitch angle anisotropies among the high altitude particle populations, different for electrons and ions, and that such an electric field is both necessary and sufficient to maintain the plasma in a quasi-neutral steady state. Certain aspects of this concept are reviewed and criticized, both from a general theoretical standpoint and from the standpoint of what is known about the magnetospheric environment. It is argued that this concept has flaws and that the actual physical problem is considerably more complicated, requiring a more complex electric field, possibly including double layer structures.

Lennartsson, W.↗