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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Scalings of intermittent structures in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Turbulence is ubiquitous in plasmas, leading to rich dynamics characterized by irregularity, irreversibility, energy fluctuations across many scales, and energy transfer across many scales. Another fundamental and generic feature of turbulence, although sometimes overlooked, is the inhomogeneous dissipation of energy in space and in time. This is a consequence of intermittency, the scale-dependent inhomogeneity of dynamics caused by fluctuations in the turbulent cascade. Intermittency causes turbulent plasmas to self-organize into coherent dissipative structures, which may govern heating, diffusion, particle acceleration, and radiation emissions. In this paper, we present recent progress on understanding intermittency in incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with a strong guide field. We focus on the statistical analysis of intermittent dissipative structures, which occupy a small fraction of the volume but arguably account for the majority of energy dissipation. We show that, in our numerical simulations, intermittent structures in the current density, vorticity, and Elsässer vorticities all have nearly identical statistical properties. We propose phenomenological explanations for the scalings based on general considerations of Elsässer vorticity structures. Finally, we examine the broader implications of intermittency for astrophysical systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observation of subcritical shocks in a collisional laboratory plasma: scale dependence near the resistive length

We present a study of subcritical shocks in a highly collisional laboratory plasma with a dynamically significant magnetic field. Shocks were produced by placing cylindrical obstacles into the supermagnetosonic ( $M_{{\rm MS}} \sim 1.9$ ) outflow from an inverse wire array z-pinch at the MAGPIE pulsed power facility ( $n_{e} \sim 8.5 \times 10^{17}\,{\rm cm}^{-3}$ , $v \sim 45\,{\rm km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$ ). We demonstrate the existence of subcritical shocks in this regime and find that secondary stagnation shocks form in the downstream which we infer from interferometry and optical Thomson scattering measurements are hydrodynamic in nature. The subcritical shock width is found to be approximately equal to the resistive diffusion length and we demonstrate the absence of a jump in hydrodynamic parameters. Temperature measurements by collective optical Thomson scattering showed little temperature change across the subcritical shock ( ${<}10\,\%$ of the ion kinetic energy) which is consistent with a balance between adiabatic and Ohmic heating and radiative cooling. We demonstrate the absence of subcritical shocks when the obstacle diameter is less than the resistive diffusion length due to decoupling of the magnetic field from the plasma. These findings are supported by magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the Gorgon and AstroBEAR codes and discrepancies between the simulations and experiment are discussed.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2015

3D magnetic field configuration of small-scale reconnection events in the solar plasma atmosphere

The outer solar atmosphere, i.e., the corona and the chromosphere, is replete with small energy-release events, which are accompanied by transient brightening and jet-like ejections. These events are considered to be magnetic reconnection events in the solar plasma, and their dynamics have been studied using recent advanced observations from the Hinode spacecraft and other observatories in space and on the ground. These events occur at different locations in the solar atmosphere and vary in their morphology and amount of the released energy. The magnetic field configurations of these reconnection events are inferred based on observations of magnetic fields at the photospheric level. Observations suggest that these magnetic configurations can be classified into two groups. In the first group, two anti-parallel magnetic fields reconnect to each other, yielding a 2D emerging flux configuration. In the second group, helical or twisted magnetic flux tubes are parallel or at a relative angle to each other. Reconnection can occur only between anti-parallel components of the magnetic flux tubes and may be referred to as component reconnection. The latter configuration type may be more important for the larger class of small-scale reconnection events. The two types of magnetic configurations can be compared to counter-helicity and co-helicity configurations, respectively, in laboratory plasma collision experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

The two-fluid dynamics and energetics of the asymmetric magnetic reconnection in laboratory and space plasmas

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in magnetized plasma where magnetic energy is converted to plasma energy. Despite huge differences in the physical size of the reconnection layer, remarkably similar characteristics are observed in both laboratory and magnetosphere plasmas. Here we present the comparative study of the dynamics and physical mechanisms governing the energy conversion in the laboratory and space plasma in the context of two-fluid physics, aided by numerical simulations. In strongly asymmetric reconnection layers with negligible guide field, the energy deposition to electrons is found to primarily occur in the electron diffusion region where electrons are demagnetized and diffuse. A large potential well is observed within the reconnection plane and ions are accelerated by the electric field toward the exhaust region. In conclusion, the present comparative study identifies the robust two-fluid mechanism operating in systems over six orders of magnitude in spatial scales and over a wide range of collisionality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

First principles-based multiscale atomistic methods for input into first principles nonequilibrium transport across interfaces

This issue of PNAS features “nonequilibrium transport and mixing across interfaces,” with several papers describing the nonequilibrium coupling of transport at interfaces, including mesoscopic and macroscopic dynamics in fluids, plasma, and other materials over scales from microscale to celestial. Most such descriptions describe the materials in terms of the density and equations of state rather than specific atomic structures and chemical processes. It is at interfacial boundaries where such atomistic information is most relevant. However, there is not yet a practical way to couple these phenomena with the atomistic description of chemistry. The starting point for including such information is the quantum mechanics (QM). However, practical QM calculations are limited to a hundred atoms for dozens of picoseconds, far from the scales required to inform the continuum level with the proper atomistic description. To bridge this enormous gap, we need to develop practical methods to extend the scale of the atomistic simulation by several orders of magnitude while retaining the level of QM accuracy in describing the chemical process. Here, these developments would enable continuum modeling of turbulent transport at interfaces to incorporate the relevant chemistry. In this perspective, we will focus on recent progress in accomplishing these extensions in first principles-based atomistic simulations and the strategies being pursued to increase the accuracy of very large scales while dramatically decreasing the computational effort.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Extracting dynamical frequencies from invariants of motion in finite-dimensional nonlinear integrable systems

Integrable dynamical systems play an important role in many areas of science, including accelerator and plasma physics. An integrable dynamical system with n degrees of freedom possesses n nontrivial integrals of motion, and can be solved, in principle, by covering the phase space with one or more charts in which the dynamics can be described using action-angle coordinates. To obtain the frequencies of motion, both the transformation to action-angle coordinates and its inverse must be known in explicit form. However, no general algorithm exists for constructing this transformation explicitly from a set of n known (and generally coupled) integrals of motion. In this study we describe how one can determine the dynamical frequencies of the motion as functions of these n integrals in the absence of explicitly known action-angle variables, and we provide several examples.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Case for Electron-Astrophysics

Abstract The smallest characteristic scales, at which electron dynamics determines the plasma behaviour, are the next frontier in space and astrophysical plasma research. The analysis of astrophysical processes at these scales lies at the heart of the research theme of electron-astrophysics. Electron scales are the ultimate bottleneck for dissipation of plasma turbulence, which is a fundamental process not understood in the electron-kinetic regime. In addition, plasma electrons often play an important role for the spatial transfer of thermal energy due to the high heat flux associated with their velocity distribution. The regulation of this electron heat flux is likewise not understood. By focussing on these and other fundamental electron processes, the research theme of electron-astrophysics links outstanding science questions of great importance to the fields of space physics, astrophysics, and laboratory plasma physics. In this White Paper, submitted to ESA in response to the Voyage 2050 call, we review a selection of these outstanding questions, discuss their importance, and present a roadmap for answering them through novel space-mission concepts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Novel Surface Restoration Method for Hydropower Steel Components: Plasma Gouging and Inconel Cold Spray Coating for Material Repair

A novel surface restoration approach combining plasma gouging with subsequent cold spray deposition is demonstrated in this study. Plasma gouging effectively removes the damaged steel surface, leaving grooves and forming a plasma gouging affected zone up to ~300?µm thick. Within this zone, a hardened martensitic layer with a peak hardness of ~370?HV—almost twice that of the base substrate (~200?HV)—is produced. Following plasma gouging, cold spray deposition is applied to rebuild the surface. Experimental results reveal that cold spray coatings deposited at low energy suffer from delamination, whereas high energy cold spray deposits yield a well-bonded coating. Microstructural analysis further shows that the martensitic layer formed by plasma gouging undergoes dynamic recrystallization during cold spray, reducing the hardness to 317?HV. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this hybrid method for effective surface restoration of damaged steel components.

Wang, Tianhao↗
DOE OSTI2026

Revealing the Formation of the <20 MeV Inner Proton Radiation Belt at L ∼ 2 During the 10–11 May 2024 Superstorm

A new proton radiation belt was identified during the geomagnetic superstorm of 10–11 May 2024. To investigate its origin, we use an MHD-test particle simulation to model solar energetic proton (SEP) trapping and the evolution of the initial trapped proton population during the storm. The simulation weights the injected SEP population with interplanetary proton measurements and the initial trapped proton radial profile with energy-resolved Weather System Follow-on-Microwave (WSF-M) proton data, enabling quantitative comparison with observations. Results show that SEP contributions are minimal; the new ∼2–18 MeV belt at L ∼ 2 forms mainly through redistribution and energization of the initial trapped population within hours of the CME shock, driven by subsequent electric field impulses, rather than the initial shock alone. These results provide quantitative evidence based on realistic, plasma-dependent field dynamics and significantly advance understanding of inner radiation belt formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

X-ray microscopy and talbot imaging with the matter in extreme conditions X-ray imager at LCLS

The last decade has shown the great potential that X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL) have to study High Energy Density (HED) physics. Experiments at FELs have made significant breakthroughs in Shock Physics and Dynamic Diffraction, Dense Plasma Physics and Warm Dense Matter Science, using techniques such as isochoric heating, inelastic scattering, small angle scattering and X-ray diffraction. In addition, and complementary to these techniques, the coherent properties of the FEL beam can be used to image HED samples with high fidelity. We present new imaging diagnostics and techniques developed at the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument at Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) over the last few years. We show results in Phase Contrast Imaging geometry, where the X-ray beam propagates from the target to a camera revealing its phase, as well as in Direct Imaging geometry, where a real image of the sample plane is produced in the camera with a spatial resolution down to 200 nm. Last, we show an implementation of the Talbot Imaging method allowing both X-ray phase and intensity measurements change introduced by a target with sub-micron resolution.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron yield enhancement in laser-induced deuterium-deuterium fusion using a novel shaped target

Neutron yields have direct correlation with the energy of incident deuterons in experiments of laser deuterated target interaction [Roth et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 044802 (2013) and Higginson et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 100703 (2011)], while deuterated plasma density is also an important parameter. Experiments at the Shenguang II laser facility have produced neutrons with energy of 2.45 MeV using d (d, n) He reaction. Deuterated foil target and K-shaped target were employed to study the influence of plasma density on neutron yields. Neutron yield generated by K-shaped target (nearly 10{sup 6}) was two times higher than by foil target because the K-shaped target results in higher density plasma. Interferometry and multi hydro-dynamics simulation confirmed the importance of plasma density for enhancement of neutron yields.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Beam imaging in the injection line of the INFN-LNS superconducting cyclotron

A cheap and efficient diagnostic system for beam monitoring has been recently developed at INFN-LNS in Catania. It consists of a high sensitivity CCD camera detecting the light produced by an ion beam hitting the surface of a scintillating screen and a frame grabber for image acquisition. A scintillating screen, developed at INFN-LNS and consisting of a 2 μm BaF{sub 2} layer evaporated on an aluminium plate, has been tested by using {sup 20}Ne and {sup 40}Ar beams in the keV energy range. The CAESAR ECR ion source has been used for investigating the influence of the frequency and magnetic field tuning effects, the impact of the microwave injected power, and of the focusing solenoids along the low energy beam transport on the beam shape and current. These tests will allow to better understand the interplay between the plasma and beam dynamics and, moreover, to improve the transport efficiency along the low energy beam line and the matching with the superconducting cyclotron, particularly relevant in view of the expected upgrade of the machine.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Chiral streamers

The interaction of time-varying electromagnetic fields and solid, liquid, and gaseous matter may lead to electrical breakdown phenomena through the excitation of ionization waves or streamers that control the dynamics of localized plasma propagation through the media. The streamers usually propagate along straight lines, either between random points in space or along a certain direction in a guided mode. Here, we report on a new type of plasma discharges with the regular helical propagation pattern driven by a pulsed dc voltage in nitrogen at sub-atmospheric-pressure conditions. The helical guided streamers, named chiral streamers or chi-streamers, are excited without any external magnetic fields, which commonly cause helical plasma motions. We also demonstrate a hybrid propagation mode involving the interchangeable chiral streamers and the straight-line propagating plasmas. High-speed, time-resolved optical imaging reveals that the chiral streamers and the hybrid patterns are made of spatially localized discrete plasma bullets, similar to the straight-line guided streamers. These results may enable effective control of propagation of confined plasmas and electromagnetic energy along pre-determined, potentially deterministic paths, which have important implications for the development of next-generation plasma-based radiation sources, communication devices, and medical treatments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Final design of thermal diagnostic system in SPIDER ion source

The prototype radio frequency source of the ITER heating neutral beams will be first tested in SPIDER test facility to optimize H{sup −} production, cesium dynamics, and overall plasma characteristics. Several diagnostics will allow to fully characterise the beam in terms of uniformity and divergence and the source, besides supporting a safe and controlled operation. In particular, thermal measurements will be used for beam monitoring and system protection. SPIDER will be instrumented with mineral insulated cable thermocouples, both on the grids, on other components of the beam source, and on the rear side of the beam dump water cooled elements. This paper deals with the final design and the technical specification of the thermal sensor diagnostic for SPIDER. In particular the layout of the diagnostic, together with the sensors distribution in the different components, the cables routing and the conditioning and acquisition cubicles are described.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flow visualization in high-energy-density laboratory plasmas

Flow visualization is often essential for evaluating high-energy-density (HED) laboratory plasmas, examining their dynamics, and assessing design strategies. However, imaging at fine phenomenological flow scales is a major challenge. Here, a zone-plate–based radiography system tailored for applications in HED physics is demonstrated. The burst-mode radiography system combines a dual-flash laser-generated x-ray source, a high-magnification zone plate optic, and a multiple frame hybrid complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (hCMOS) sensor for image detection. Operating at a magnification of 42 x⁠, a pair of radiographs is measured in rapid succession, each time gated by a 4.75 keV flash of x rays lasting 100 ps. The system achieves a spatial resolution below 3 μm. The potential of this approach for applications in HED physics is exemplified by observing small-scale spike morphologies at a pusher-foam interface impacted by a strong, laser-driven blast wave.

Flow instabilities↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nozzle geometry optimization for high-current aluminum ion beam acceleration via direct plasma injection scheme

We report the generation of a record aluminum ion beam current exceeding 58 mA at the Al 11+ charge state, accelerated to an energy of 5.5 MeV using the direct plasma injection scheme, which integrates a laser ion source (LIS) with a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator. The effect of nozzle geometry on beam extraction was systematically investigated using 8 and 12 mm tapered designs and an 18 mm cylindrical configuration. The 18 mm nozzle achieved the highest Al 11+ beam current, while the 12 mm aperture provided a favorable balance between beam intensity and current density. Beam extraction simulations confirmed effective RFQ matching across multiple charge states, and solenoidal field tuning further enhanced plasma collimation. This work not only establishes a new benchmark for high-current ion beam generation but also provides a fundamental understanding of plasma–beam interface dynamics crucial for the next generation of high-intensity particle accelerators, particularly those employing LIS-RFQ systems.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DRIVING SOLAR SPICULES AND JETS WITH MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE: TESTING A PERSISTENT IDEA

The solar chromosphere contains thin, highly dynamic strands of plasma known as spicules. Recently, it has been suggested that the smallest and fastest (Type II) spicules are identical to intermittent jets observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph. These jets appear to expand out along open magnetic field lines rooted in unipolar network regions of coronal holes. In this paper we revisit a thirty-year-old idea that spicules may be caused by upward forces associated with Alfvén waves. These forces involve the conversion of transverse Alfvén waves into compressive acoustic-like waves that steepen into shocks. The repeated buffeting due to upward shock propagation causes nonthermal expansion of the chromosphere and a transient levitation of the transition region (TR). Some older models of wave-driven spicules assumed sinusoidal wave inputs, but the solar atmosphere is highly turbulent and stochastic. Thus, we model this process using the output of a time-dependent simulation of reduced magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The resulting mode-converted compressive waves are strongly variable in time, with a higher TR occurring when the amplitudes are large and a lower TR when the amplitudes are small. In this picture, the TR bobs up and down by several Mm on timescales less than a minute. These motions produce narrow, intermittent extensions of the chromosphere that have similar properties as the observed jets and Type II spicules.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗