Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Accelerator Simulation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Evaluation of risk from space radiation with high-energy heavy ion beams

The most challenging radiation in space consists of fully ionized atomic elements with high energy for which only the few lowest energy ions can be stopped in shielding materials. The health risk from exposure to these ions and their secondary radiations generated in shield materials is poorly understood since there are few human data and a systematic study in relevant animal model systems has not been made. The accuracy of risk prediction is described as the major limiting factor in the management of space radiation risk. The expected impact of systematic studies is examined using the limited available biological data and models. Given the limitations of current predictions, models must be developed that are able to incorporate the required fundamental scientific data into accurate risk estimates. The important radiation components that can be provided for laboratory testing are identified. The use of ground-based accelerator beams to simulate space radiation is explained and quantitative scientific constraints on such facilities are derived. Three facilities, one each in the United States, in Germany and in Japan, currently have the partial capability to satisfy these constraints. A facility has been proposed using the Brookhaven National Laboratory Booster Synchrotron in the United States; in conjuction with other on-site accelerators, it will be able to provide the full range of heavy ion beams and energies required.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS2001

Dynamic Finite Element Predictions for Mars Sample Return Cellular Impact Test #4

The nonlinear finite element program MSC.Dytran was used to predict the impact pulse for (he drop test of an energy absorbing cellular structure. This pre-test simulation was performed to aid in the design of an energy absorbing concept for a highly reliable passive Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) that will directly impact the Earth without a parachute. In addition, a goal of the simulation was to bound the acceleration pulse produced and delivered to the simulated space cargo container. EEV's are designed to return materials from asteroids, comets, or planets for laboratory analysis on Earth. The EEV concept uses an energy absorbing cellular structure designed to contain and limit the acceleration of space exploration samples during Earth impact. The spherical shaped cellular structure is composed of solid hexagonal and pentagonal foam-filled cells with hybrid graphite-epoxy/Kevlar cell walls. Space samples fit inside a smaller sphere at the enter of the EEV's cellular structure. The material models and failure criteria were varied to determine their effect on the resulting acceleration pulse. Pre-test analytical predictions using MSC.Dytran were compared with the test results obtained from impact test #4 using bungee accelerator located at the NASA Langley Research Center Impact Dynamics Research Facility. The material model used to represent the foam and the proper failure criteria for the cell walls were critical in predicting the impact loads of the cellular structure. It was determined that a FOAMI model for the foam and a 20% failure strain criteria for the cell walls gave an accurate prediction of the acceleration pulse for drop test #4.

Fasanella, Edwin L.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electron acceleration by parallel and perpendicular electric fields during magnetic reconnection without guide field

In this work, electron acceleration due to the electric field parallel to the background magnetic field during magnetic reconnection with no guide field is investigated by theory and two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations and compared with acceleration due to the electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field. The magnitude of the parallel electric potential shows dependence on the ratio of the plasma frequency to the electron cyclotron frequency as (ω pe /Ω e ) -2 and on the background plasma density as N$^{-½}_{b}$ . In the Earth's magnetotail, the parameter ω pe /Ω e ~9 and the background (lobe) density can be of the order of 0.01 cm -3 , and it is expected that the parallel electric potential is not large enough to accelerate electrons up to 100 keV. Therefore, we must consider the effect of the perpendicular electric field to account for electron energization in excess of 100 keV in the Earth's magnetotail. Trajectories for high-energy electrons are traced in a simulation to demonstrate that acceleration due to the perpendicular electric field in the diffusion region is the dominant acceleration mechanism, rather than acceleration due to the parallel electric fields in the exhaust regions. For energetic electrons accelerated near the X line due to the perpendicular electric field, pitch angle scattering converts the perpendicular momentum to the parallel momentum. On the other hand, for passing electrons that are mainly accelerated by the parallel electric field, pitch angle scattering converting the parallel momentum to the perpendicular momentum occurs. In this way, particle acceleration and pitch angle scattering will generate heated electrons in the exhaust regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Beam dynamics simulations of post low energy beam transport section in RAON heavy ion accelerator

RAON (Rare isotope Accelerator Of Newness) heavy ion accelerator of the rare isotope science project in Daejeon, Korea, has been designed to accelerate multiple-charge-state beams to be used for various science programs. In the RAON accelerator, the rare isotope beams which are generated by an isotope separation on-line system with a wide range of nuclei and charges will be transported through the post Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) section to the Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to transport many kinds of rare isotope beams stably to the RFQ, the post LEBT should be devised to satisfy the requirement of the RFQ at the end of post LEBT, simultaneously with the twiss parameters small. We will present the recent lattice design of the post LEBT in the RAON accelerator and the results of the beam dynamics simulations from it. In addition, the error analysis and correction in the post LEBT will be also described.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Polymer dynamics under cylindrical confinement featuring a locally repulsive surface: A quasielastic neutron scattering study

We investigated the effect of intermediate cylindrical confinement with locally repulsive walls on the segmental and entanglement dynamics of a polymer melt by quasielastic neutron scattering. As a reference, we measured the corresponding polymer melt under identical conditions. The locally repulsive confinement was realized by hydrophilic anodic alumina nanopores with a diameter of 20 nm. The end-to-end distance of the hydrophobic infiltrated polyethylene-alt-propylene was close to this diameter. In the case of hard wall repulsion with negligible local attraction, several simulations predicted an acceleration of segmental dynamics close to the wall. Other than in attractive or neutral systems, where the segmental dynamics is slowed down, we found that the segmental dynamics in the nanopores is identical to the local mobility in the bulk. Even under very careful scrutiny, we could not find any acceleration of the surface-near segmental motion. On the larger time scale, the neutron spin-echo experiment showed that the Rouse relaxation was not altered by confinement effects. Moreover, the entanglement dynamics was not affected. Thus at moderate confinement conditions, facilitated by locally repulsive walls, the dynamics remains as in the bulk melt, a result that is not so clear from simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developments in SRW Code and Sirepo Framework Supporting Simulation of Time-Dependent Coherent X-ray Scattering Experiments

Physical optics simulations for beamlines and experiments are essential for the effective use of synchrotron light source facilities such as NSLS-II at BNL. The SRW software package supports such source-to-detector simulations for coherent X-ray scattering and imaging experiments through its Python interface and Sirepo browser-based graphical user interface. This allows one to define custom sample models, assess the feasibility of an experiment, and estimate most appropriate beamline settings before using valuable beamtime. We discuss the recent use of general-purpose GPU resources and coherent mode decomposition algorithms in SRW to accelerate physical optics simulations with partially coherent X-rays. To illustrate these new capabilities, we describe simulations of typical time series of partially coherent scattering images used in X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) experiments; aiming to characterize the nanoscale dynamics of a disordered sample, representing a solution of nanoparticles undergoing Brownian diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Maximum Energy of Particles Accelerated in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Shocks

Particle acceleration in relativistic collisionless shocks remains an open problem in high-energy astrophysics. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations predict that electron acceleration in weakly magnetized shocks proceeds via small-angle scattering, leading to a maximum electron energy significantly below the Bohm limit. This upper bound on electron energy manifests observationally as a characteristic synchrotron cutoff, providing a direct probe of the underlying acceleration physics. Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows offer an exceptional laboratory for testing these predictions. Here, we model the spectral evolution of GRB afterglows during the relativistic deceleration phase, incorporating PIC-motivated acceleration prescriptions and self-consistently computing synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton emission. We find that low-energy bursts in low-density environments, typical of short GRBs, exhibit a pronounced synchrotron cutoff in the GeV band within minutes to hours after the trigger. Applying our framework to GRB 190114C and GRB 130427A, we find that current observations are insufficient to discriminate between PIC-motivated acceleration and the Bohm limit, primarily due to poor photon statistics in the Fermi-Large Area Telescope band. Nevertheless, future MeV–TeV afterglow observations can break model degeneracies and place substantially tighter constraints on the mechanisms responsible for particle acceleration in relativistic shocks. To this end, we simulate a fiducial nearby short GRB as a promising probe of the cutoff location, for which the two acceleration scenarios are cleanly distinguishable and the detection of such an event in the near future remains feasible.

Wu, Zhao-Feng [Purdue University, West Lafayette, ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

X-57 Ground Dynamics Modeling and Analysis

This paper presents simulation work to assess the ground handling behavior of the X-57 airplane, prior to its first flight under electric propulsion. A tire deformation model was fit to manufacturer ground testing data to develop a detailed simulation model of previously unmodeled rolling drag forces on the tires. A special modeling effort corrected for a difference between the runway surface in the manufacturer data (grass) and in intended X-57 surface operations (asphalt/concrete). Analysis based on variation in the test conditions of the manufacturer test data showed that uncertainty in the new estimated rolling drag model should lead to no more than 1.5-percent uncertainty in the takeoff acceleration. Another batch simulation series swept across ground operating conditions and airplane configurations, characterizing turning radii and roll angles experienced for different open-loop steering commands in these various situations. This simulation allowed the identification of ground handling characteristics even beyond the regime of normal operations. As part of this task, a new, modified variant of the Fibonacci search algorithm identified the correct steering inputs for maintaining a straight path as a function of the operating condition. Finally, this paper describes a fixed-base piloted simulator assessment. This assessment supplements the previous simulated ground dynamics data with pilot-in-the-loop data and pilot feedback and confirms the overall acceptability of the ground handling qualities of the X-57 airplane prior to first flight.

Loren J. Newton↗
NASA NTRS1979

Acceleration of energetic protons by interplanetary shocks

The University of Iowa instrument aboard Pioneer 11 detected 69 energetic proton events (EPE) (in the 0.6-3.4 MeV energy range) during 1973-1974 in the heliocentric radial range 1-5 AU. Sixty percent of the EPE peak within plus or minus 5 hours of a corotating interaction region (CIR) boundary, while 19% peak inside and 21% peak outside the interaction regions. Of the CIR boundaries at which an EPE peaks with plus or minus 5 hours, 80% have associated shocks. The observed intensities and pitch angle distributions of protons near shock fronts are consistent with a theoretical simulation of the acceleration of protons by a drift in the electric field at the shock front.

Pesses, M. E.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Favorable target positions for intense laser acceleration of electrons in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions

Classical relativistic Monte Carlo simulations of petawatt laser acceleration of electrons bound initially in hydrogen-like, highly-charged ions show that both the angles and energies of the laser-accelerated electrons depend on the initial ion positions with respect to the laser focus. Electrons bound in ions located after the laser focus generally acquire higher (≈GeV) energies and are ejected at smaller angles with respect to the laser beam. Our simulations assume a tightly-focused linearly-polarized laser pulse with intensity approaching 10{sup 22 }W/cm{sup 2}. Up to fifth order corrections to the paraxial approximation of the laser field in the focal region are taken into account. In addition to the laser intensity, the Rayleigh length in the focal region is shown to play a significant role in maximizing the final energy of the accelerated electrons. Results are presented for both Ne{sup 9+} and Ar{sup 17+} target ions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Expected Dose Rates from 1 MeV Electron Accelerator

The purpose of this study was to simulate UCLA’s 1 MeV electron accelerator and calculate the expected dose rates at various locations inside of the lab and outside of the building to see if they fall into safe levels.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Properties and parameters of the electron beam injected into the mirror magnetic trap of a plasma accelerator

The parameters of the injector of an axial plasma beam injected into a plasma accelerator operating on the basis of gyroresonance acceleration of electrons in the reverse magnetic field are determined. The trapping of the beam electrons into the regime of gyroresonance acceleration is numerically simulated by the particle- in-cell method. The optimal time of axial injection of the beam into a magnetic mirror trap is determined. The beam parameters satisfying the condition of efficient particle trapping into the gyromagnetic autoresonance regime are found.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modeling laser-driven electron acceleration using WARP with Fourier decomposition

WARP is used with the recent implementation of the Fourier decomposition algorithm to model laser-driven electron acceleration in plasmas. Simulations were carried out to analyze the experimental results obtained on ionization-induced injection in a gas cell. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the ability of the code to take into account the physics of electron injection and reduce calculation time. We present a detailed analysis of the laser propagation, the plasma wave generation and the electron beam dynamics.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Machine learning dielectric screening for the simulation of excited state properties of molecules and materials

Accurate and efficient calculations of absorption spectra of molecules and materials are essential for the understanding and rational design of broad classes of systems. Solving the Bethe–Salpeter equation (BSE) for electron–hole pairs usually yields accurate predictions of absorption spectra, but it is computationally expensive, especially if thermal averages of spectra computed for multiple configurations are required. We present a method based on machine learning to evaluate a key quantity entering the definition of absorption spectra: the dielectric screening. We show that our approach yields a model for the screening that is transferable between multiple configurations sampled during first principles molecular dynamics simulations; hence it leads to a substantial improvement in the efficiency of calculations of finite temperature spectra. We obtained computational gains of one to two orders of magnitude for systems with 50 to 500 atoms, including liquids, solids, nanostructures, and solid/liquid interfaces. Importantly, the models of dielectric screening derived here may be used not only in the solution of the BSE but also in developing functionals for time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations of homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Overall, our work provides a strategy to combine machine learning with electronic structure calculations to accelerate first principles simulations of excited-state properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1993

Experimental analysis of computer system dependability

This paper reviews an area which has evolved over the past 15 years: experimental analysis of computer system dependability. Methodologies and advances are discussed for three basic approaches used in the area: simulated fault injection, physical fault injection, and measurement-based analysis. The three approaches are suited, respectively, to dependability evaluation in the three phases of a system's life: design phase, prototype phase, and operational phase. Before the discussion of these phases, several statistical techniques used in the area are introduced. For each phase, a classification of research methods or study topics is outlined, followed by discussion of these methods or topics as well as representative studies. The statistical techniques introduced include the estimation of parameters and confidence intervals, probability distribution characterization, and several multivariate analysis methods. Importance sampling, a statistical technique used to accelerate Monte Carlo simulation, is also introduced. The discussion of simulated fault injection covers electrical-level, logic-level, and function-level fault injection methods as well as representative simulation environments such as FOCUS and DEPEND. The discussion of physical fault injection covers hardware, software, and radiation fault injection methods as well as several software and hybrid tools including FIAT, FERARI, HYBRID, and FINE. The discussion of measurement-based analysis covers measurement and data processing techniques, basic error characterization, dependency analysis, Markov reward modeling, software-dependability, and fault diagnosis. The discussion involves several important issues studies in the area, including fault models, fast simulation techniques, workload/failure dependency, correlated failures, and software fault tolerance.

Iyer, Ravishankar, K.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dose Rate Evaluation for the ES-3100 Package with HEU Content Using MCNP, ADVANTG, Monaco, and MAVRIC

Here, this paper presents a comparative study of dose rate calculations for the ES-3100 package with highly enriched uranium (HEU) content for different source configurations using computer codes: (1) MCNP; (2) Automated Variance Reduction Generator (ADVANTG)/MCNP; (3) Monaco; and (4) Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations (MAVRIC). The Model ES-3100 package was developed at the Y-12 National Security Complex for domestic and international transportation of Type B fissile radioactive material. In this study, six different source configurations (i.e., solid cylinder, cylindrical hemi-shell, cylindrical shell, rectangular plate, cylindrical rod, or cylindrical segment form) having 36 kg of HEU metal inside the package containment vessel (based on configurations in the ES-3100/HEU safety analysis report for packaging) are evaluated. Dose rates at the package surfaces and 1 m from the package surfaces are calculated for these different source configurations. MCNP and Monaco cases are run without any biasing options to accelerate the convergence. Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) and Forward-Weighted CADIS (FW-CADIS) methods developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are implemented in ADVANTG/MCNP and MAVRIC codes to accelerate the convergence. ADVANTG generates variance reduction parameters using Denovo code, and MCNP is used with the variance reduction parameters to accelerate the convergence. MAVRIC uses Denovo code to construct an importance map and a biased source distribution that are supplied to Monaco to accelerate the Monte Carlo simulation. The FW-CADIS option in ADVANTG and MAVRIC is used to accelerate the convergence in this study. The accelerated convergence cases (ADVANTG/MCNP and MAVRIC) are about 100 times faster with 100 times less particle simulation than those cases run without biasing options (analog MCNP and analog Monaco). Lastly, the MCNP, ADVANTG/MCNP, Monaco, and MAVRIC calculated dose rates at the package surfaces and at 1 m from the package surfaces for the different source configurations are compared and are found to be in general agreement.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dose Rate Evaluation for the ES-3100 Package with HEU Content Using MCNP, ADVANTG, Monaco, and MAVRIC

This paper presents a comparative study of dose rate calculations for the ES-3100 package with highly enriched uranium (HEU) content for different source configurations using computer codes: (1) MCNP; (2) Automated Variance Reduction Generator (ADVANTG)/MCNP; (3) Monaco; and (4) Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations (MAVRIC). The Model ES-3100 package was developed at the Y-12 National Security Complex for domestic and international transportation of Type B fissile radioactive material. In this study, six different source configurations (i.e., solid cylinder, cylindrical hemi-shell, cylindrical shell, rectangular plate, cylindrical rod, or cylindrical segment form) having 36 kg of HEU metal inside the package containment vessel (based on configurations in the ES-3100/HEU safety analysis report for packaging) are evaluated. Dose rates at the package surfaces and 1 m from the package surfaces are calculated for these different source configurations. MCNP and Monaco cases are run without any biasing options to accelerate the convergence. Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) and Forward-Weighted CADIS (FW-CADIS) methods developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are implemented in ADVANTG/MCNP and MAVRIC codes to accelerate the convergence. ADVANTG generates variance reduction parameters using Denovo code, and MCNP is used with the variance reduction parameters to accelerate the convergence. MAVRIC uses Denovo code to construct an importance map and a biased source distribution that are supplied to Monaco to accelerate the Monte Carlo simulation. The FW-CADIS option in ADVANTG and MAVRIC is used to accelerate the convergence in this study. The accelerated convergence cases (ADVANTG/MCNP and MAVRIC) are about 100 times faster with 100 times less particle simulation than those cases run without biasing options (analog MCNP and analog Monaco). The MCNP, ADVANTG/MCNP, Monaco, and MAVRIC calculated dose rates at the package surfaces and at 1 m from the package surfaces for the different source configurations are compared and are found to be in general agreement.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

WARP

WARP, which can stand for ``Weaving All the Random Particles,'' is a three-dimensional (3D) continuous energy Monte Carlo neutron transport code developed at UC Berkeley to efficiently execute on NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU) platforms. WARP accelerates Monte Carlo simulations while preserving the benefits of using the Monte Carlo method, namely, that very few physical and geometrical simplifications are applied. WARP is able to calculate multiplication factors, neutron flux distributions (in both space and energy), and fission source distributions for time-independent neutron transport problems. It can run in both criticality or fixed source modes, but fixed source mode is currently not robust, optimized, or maintained in the newest version. WARP can transport neutrons in unrestricted arrangements of parallelepipeds, hexagonal prisms, cylinders, and spheres. The goal of developing WARP is to investigate algorithms that can grow into a full-featured, continuous energy, Monte Carlo neutron transport code that is accelerated by running on GPUs. The crux of the effort is to make Monte Carlo calculations faster while producing accurate results. Modern supercomputers are commonly being built with GPU coprocessor cards in their nodes to increase their computational efficiency and performance. GPUs execute efficiently on data-parallel problems, but most CPU codes, including those for Monte Carlo neutral particle transport, are predominantly task-parallel. WARP uses a data-parallel neutron transport algorithm to take advantage of the computing power GPUs offer.

Bergmann, RyanM. [University of California - Berke↗