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Results for “PARTICLE INTERACTIONS”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

SCIDAC Center for simulation of wave particle interactions CompX participation

Harnessing the energy that is released in fusion reactions would provide a safe and abundant source of power to meet the growing energy needs of the world population. The next step toward the development of fusion as a practical energy source is the construction of ITER, a device capable of producing and controlling the high performance plasma required for self-sustaining fusion reactions, or “burning” plasma. The input power required to drive the ITER plasma into the burning regime will be supplied primarily with a combination of external power from radio frequency waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies and energetic ions from neutral beam injection sources, in addition to internally generated Ohmic heating from the induced plasma current that also serves to create the magnetic equilibrium for the discharge. The ITER project is a large multi-billion dollar international project in which the US participates. The success of the ITER project depends critically on the ability to create and maintain burning plasma conditions, it is absolutely necessary to have physics-based models that can accurately simulate the RF processes that affect the dynamical evolution of the ITER discharge. The Center for Simulation of WavePlasma Interactions (CSWPI), also known as RF-SciDAC, is a multi-institutional collaboration that has conducted ongoing research aimed at developing: (1) Coupled core-to-edge simulations that will lead to an increased understanding of parasitic losses of the applied RF power in the boundary plasma between the RF antenna and the core plasma; (2) Development of models for core interactions of RF waves with energetic electrons and ions (including fusion alpha particles and fast neutral beam ions) that include a more accurate representation of the particle dynamics in the combined equilibrium and wave fields; and (3) Development of improved algorithms that will take advantage of massively parallel computing platforms at the petascale level and beyond to achieve the needed physics, resolution, and/or statistics to address these issues. CompX provides computer codes and analysis for the calculation of the electron and ion distributions in velocity-space and plasma radius which are necessary for reliable calculations of power deposition and toroidal current drive due to combined radiofrequency and neutral beam at high injected powers. It has also contributed to ray tracing modeling of injected radiofrequency powers, and to coupling between full-wave radiofrequency wave models and the distribution function calculations. In the course of this research, the Fokker-Planck distribution function calculation was made substantially more realistic by inclusion of finite-width drift-orbit effects (FOW). FOW effects were also implemented in a calculation of the phase-space diffusion resulting from radiofrequency full-wave models. Average level of funding for CompX was approximately three man-months per year.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Detailed numerical investigation of 90∘ scattering of energetic particles interacting with magnetic turbulence

In the present paper, we re-visit a well-known problem in diffusion theory, namely the 90∘ scattering problem. We use a test-particle code to compute the pitch-angle Fokker-Planck coefficient at 90∘ for different values of the turbulent magnetic field strength and the magnetic rigidity. We consider a slab model and compare our numerical findings with the analytical result provided by second-order quasilinear theory. We show that the latter theory accurately describes 90∘ scattering. We also replace the slab model by a more realistic two-component model to explore the influence of the turbulence model on 90∘ scattering.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Toward Optimizing Electrospun Nanofiber Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers: Polymer–Particle Interactions and Spinnability

We investigate the effect of the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) carrier polymer concentration on the microstructure and rheological properties of catalyst inks for electrospun polymer–electrolyte membrane fuel-cell catalyst layers. Characterization of an ink microstructure using oscillatory shear rheology showed that the catalyst particles (platinum on carbon) are significantly agglomerated in the absence of PAA or an ionomer. Both the ionomer and PAA promoted the stability of the particles against agglomeration via electrosteric stabilization by adsorbing onto the particle surface. Increasing the PAA concentration increased the stability of the particles (or reduced the agglomerated structure) due to increasing PAA coverage onto the free surface area of the particles. However, beyond a certain increase in concentration, PAA was found to predominantly remain as an excess free polymer in the ink due to an insufficient free/available surface area on the particles for further PAA coverage. Extensional rheology measurements demonstrated that PAA enhances the extensional viscosities of the inks. Consequently, increasing the PAA concentration in the ink promoted the evolution of uniform nanofibers. However, beyond a certain concentration, a significant increase in the shear viscosities of the inks led to defective fiber morphologies because of the onset of flow instabilities. Electrochemical performance comparisons between catalyst layers with different PAA concentrations showed maximum performance at the PAA concentration that led to the least agglomerated structure of the catalyst, most uniform fiber morphologies, and low concentrations of free (non-adsorbing) PAA in the electrode. These results provide a rationale for optimization of electrospun catalyst nanofibers for both spinnability and electrochemical performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced Luminescent Stability through Particle Interactions in Silicon Nanocrystal Aggregates

Close-packed assemblies of ligand-passivated colloidal nanocrystals can exhibit enhanced photoluminescent stability, but the origin of this effect is unclear. Here, we use experiment, simulation, and ab initio computation to examine the influence of interparticle interactions on the photoluminescent stability of silicon nanocrystal aggregates. The time-dependent photoluminescence emitted by structures ranging in size from a single quantum dot to agglomerates of more than a thousand is compared with Monte Carlo simulations of noninteracting ensembles using measured single-particle blinking data as input. In contrast to the behavior typically exhibited by the metal chalcogenides, the measured photoluminescent stability shows an enhancement with respect to the noninteracting scenario with increasing aggregate size. We model this behavior using time-dependent density functional theory calculations of energy transfer between neighboring nanocrystals as a function of nanocrystal size, separation, and the presence of charge and/or surface-passivation defects. In conclusion, our results suggest that rapid exciton transfer from “bright” nanocrystals to surface trap states in nearest-neighbors can efficiently fill such traps and enhance the stability of emission by promoting the radiative recombination of slowly diffusing excited electrons.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Coexistence of considerable inter-particle interactions and spin-glass behavior in La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} nanoparticles

We have studied the magnetic and spin-glass (SG) properties of La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} single-crystalline nanoparticles, which were prepared by the mechanical milling method with different milling times (t{sub m}). Analyzing the susceptibility data in the paramagnetic region indicates both ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-FM interactions coexisting in nanoparticles. Additionally, there is a peak associated with the freezing temperature (T{sub f}) appearing on the real part curve of the ac susceptibility, χ′(T). The T{sub f} value increases with increasing frequency as expected for SG systems. The SG behavior was also checked by using the criterion parameter c = ΔT{sub f}/T{sub f}Δ(log{sub 10}f), and the power law τ = τ{sub 0}(T/T{sub g} − 1){sup −zν}. The obtained values of c ≈ 5 × 10{sup −2}, τ{sub 0} ≈ 10{sup −5} s and zν ≈ 2–3 are consistent with those expected for SG-like systems, suggesting an existence of a SG phase transition at T{sub g} below T{sub f}, which decreases with decreasing 〈D〉. Basing on ln(f) versus T{sub f} data, and the Néel-Arrhenius model [ln(f) = ln(f{sub 0}) - E{sub a}/k{sub B}T] and Vogel–Fulcher law [ln(f) = ln(f{sub 0}) - E{sub a}/k{sub B}(T - T{sub 0})], the Larmor frequency (f{sub 0}), activation energy (E{sub a}) and effective temperature (T{sub 0}) for the samples with different 〈D〉 were determined. Obtained results indicate the existence a strong interaction between nanoparticles.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Experimental Studies of Elementary Particle Interactions at High Energies

In previous funding periods we studied several diffractive processes at Fermilab during the Tevatron Collider Run I: SD, single diffraction/dissociation, $\overline{p}p \to \overline{p} + G + X_{p}$, DD, double diffraction/dissociation, $\overline{p}p \to X_{\overline{p}} + G + X_{p}$, DPE or CD, double Pomeron exchange or central dissociation, $\overline{p}p \to \overline{p} + G + X_{c} + G + p$, and SDD, single plus double diffraction/dissociation, $\overline{p}p \to \overline{p} + G + X_{c} + G + X_{p}$, where $X_{\overline{p}}, X_{p} $ and $ X_{c}$ are regions with final-state particles and G is a pseudorapidity gap (region of pseudorapidity devoid of particles), presumed to be formed by a color-singlet partonic exchange with vacuum quantum numbers, referred to as Pomeron ($IP$) exchange. In this funding period, we concentrated on measuring diffractive W/Z and dijet production.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Elementary Particle Interactions (Final Technical Report)

Neutrinos provide a promising window to probe a wide range of fundamental physics. The past two decades have brought several remarkable neutrino-related discoveries indicating that one may answer the most sought after question of our matter dominated universe from within the neutrino sector. The global neutrino physics program is currently focused on studying neutrino oscillations, and to understand the implications of this phenomena on the evolution of the universe. Addressing all of these open questions and completing the story of neutrino oscillations requires technological advances in neutrino detection. Liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) are imaging detectors that offer fine-grained tracking, calorimetry and scalability, and are increasingly favored for the next generation of large neutrino detectors. Through leading technical and scientific roles on MicroBooNE, Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) LArTPC neutrino experiments, the research program supported through this funding has significantly advanced the understanding of neutrino properties along with technical development of LArTPCs for both short- and long-baseline neutrino oscillations physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Numerical study of a Vlasov equation for systems with interacting particles

We solve numerically the Vlasov equation for the self-gravitating sheet model. We used the method introduced by Cheng and Knorr [Comput Phys 22, 330-351 (1976)]. We discuss the quasi-stationary state for some thermodynamical observables, specifically the kinetic energy, whose trend is depicted for early evolution.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗