Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “MAGNETIC FUSION ENERGY”

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 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Lifting particle coordinate changes of magnetic moment type to Vlasov-Maxwell Hamiltonian dynamics

Techniques for coordinate changes that depend on both dependent and independent variables are developed and applied to the Maxwell-Vlasov Hamiltonian theory. Particle coordinate changes with a new velocity variable dependent on the magnetic field, with spatial coordinates unchanged, are lifted to the field theoretic level, by transforming the noncanonical Poisson bracket and Hamiltonian structure of the Vlasov-Maxwell dynamics. Several examples are given including magnetic coordinates, where the velocity is decomposed into components parallel and perpendicular to the local magnetic field, and the case of spherical velocity coordinates. An example of the lifting procedure is performed to obtain a simplified version of gyrokinetics, where the magnetic moment is used as a coordinate and the dynamics is reduced by elimination of the electric field energy in the Hamiltonian.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Preplasma effects on the generation of high-energy protons in ultraintense laser interaction with foil targets

It is shown that the intense quasistatic electric and magnetic fields self-generated near the axis of the laser-driven channel in an appropriately profiled preplasma during ultraintense laser interaction with a thin target can create dense relativistic electron bunches. The latter easily penetrate through the target and can greatly enhance the sheath field at the rear, resulting in significant increase in the laser-to-ion energy conversion efficiency and the maximum energy of the target normal sheath accelerated ions. Particle-in-cell simulations show that with a hydrogen targets a proton beam of peak energy ∼38 MeV and energy conversion efficiency ≥6.5% can be produced by a linearly polarized 5 × 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} laser. An analytical model is also proposed and its results agree well with those of the simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

A novel coaxial Ku-band transit radiation oscillator without external guiding magnetic field

A novel coaxial transit radiation oscillator without external guiding magnetic field is designed to generate high power microwave at Ku-band. By using a coaxial structure, the space-charge potential energy is suppressed significantly, that is good for enhancing efficient beam-wave interaction. In order to improve the transmission stability of the unmagnetized intense relativistic electron beam, a Pierce-like cathode is employed in the novel device. By contrast with conventional relativistic microwave generators, this kind of device has the advantages of high stability, non-guiding magnetic field, and high efficiency. Moreover, with the coaxial design, it is possible to improve the power-handing capacity by increasing the radial dimension of the Ku-band device. With a 550 keV and 7.5 kA electron beam, a 1.25 GW microwave pulse at 12.08 GHz has been obtained in the simulation. The power conversion efficiency is about 30%.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Influence of the Weibel instability on the expansion of a plasma slab into a vacuum

The development of the Weibel instability during the expansion of a thin plasma foil heated by an intense laser pulse is investigated, using both analytical models and relativistic particle-in-cell simulations. When the plasma has initially an anisotropic electron distribution, this electromagnetic instability develops from the beginning of the expansion. Then it contributes to suppress the anisotropy and eventually saturates. After the saturation, the strength of the magnetic field decreases because of the plasma expansion until it becomes too weak to maintain the distribution isotropic. For this time, the anisotropy rises as electrons give progressively their longitudinal energy to ions, so that a new instability can develop.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Investigations of high-energy electrons of the microwave discharge plasma at configuration of the 'Magnetor' Bi-dipole magnetic confinement system by X-ray radiation analyses

The results of the investigations of a group of fast electrons in a microwave discharge plasma in the 'Magnetor' magnetic trap are presented. The data on the presence and location of this group of electrons is important for estimating the total plasma pressure taking the previous probe measurements into account. Fast electrons are found to be localized within the magnetic separatrix in the region of confinement of the main plasma. The maximal energy of fast electrons is higher than 25 keV.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Parametric study and optimization trends for the Von-Kármán-sodium dynamo experiment

In this paper, we present magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of liquid sodium flow performed with the PLUTO compressible MHD code. We investigated the influence of the remanent magnetic field orientation and intensity, the impinging velocity field due to Ekman pumping as well as the impeller dimensions on the magnetic field collimation by helical flows in-between the impeller blades. For a simplified Cartesian geometry, we model the flow dynamics of a multi-blade impeller inspired by the Von-Kármán-Sodium experiment. This study shows that a remanent magnetic field oriented in the toroidal direction is the less efficient configuration to collimate the magnetic field, although if the radial or vertical components are not negligible, the collimation is significantly improved. As the intensity of the remanent magnetic field increases, the system magnetic energy becomes larger, but the magnetic field collimation efficiency remains the same, so the gain of magnetic energy is smaller as the remanent magnetic field intensity increases. The magnetic field collimation is modified if the impinging velocity field changes: the collimation is weaker if the impinging velocity increases from Γ = 0.8 to 0.9 and slightly larger if the impinging velocity decreases from Γ = 0.8 to 0.7. The analysis of the impeller dimensions points out that the most efficient configuration to collimate the magnetic field requires a ratio between the impeller blade height and the base longitude between 0.375 and 0.5. The largest enhancement of the hypothetical α 2 dynamo loop, compared to the hypothetical Ω-α dynamo loop, is observed for the model that mimics the TM 73 impeller configuration rotating in the unscooping direction with a remanent magnetic field of 10 –3 T orientated in the radial or vertical direction. Finally, the optimization trends obtained in the parametric analysis are also confirmed by simulations with a higher resolution and turbulence degree.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron spectra from beam-target reactions in dense Z-pinches

The energy spectrum of neutrons emitted by a range of deuterium and deuterium-tritium Z-pinch devices is investigated computationally using a hybrid kinetic-MHD model. 3D MHD simulations are used to model the implosion, stagnation, and break-up of dense plasma focus devices at currents of 70 kA, 500 kA, and 2 MA and also a 15 MA gas puff. Instabilities in the MHD simulations generate large electric and magnetic fields, which accelerate ions during the stagnation and break-up phases. A kinetic model is used to calculate the trajectories of these ions and the neutron spectra produced due to the interaction of these ions with the background plasma. It is found that these beam-target neutron spectra are sensitive to the electric and magnetic fields at stagnation resulting in significant differences in the spectra emitted by each device. Most notably, magnetization of the accelerated ions causes the beam-target spectra to be isotropic for the gas puff simulations. It is also shown that beam-target spectra can have a peak intensity located at a lower energy than the peak intensity of a thermonuclear spectrum. A number of other differences in the shapes of beam-target and thermonuclear spectra are also observed for each device. Finally, significant differences between the shapes of beam-target DD and DT neutron spectra, due to differences in the reaction cross-sections, are illustrated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Towards a better comprehension of plasma formation and heating in high performances electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (invited)

Further improvements of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRIS) output currents and average charge state require a deep understanding of electron and ion dynamics in the plasma. This paper will discuss the most recent advances about modeling of non-classical evidences like the sensitivity of electron energy distribution function to the magnetic field detuning, the influence of plasma turbulences on electron heating and ion confinement, the coupling between electron and ion dynamics. All these issues have in common the non-homogeneous distribution of the plasma inside the source: the abrupt density drop at the resonance layer regulates the heating regimes (from collective to turbulent), the beam formation mechanism and emittance. Possible means to boost the performances of future ECRIS will be proposed. In particular, the use of Bernstein waves, in preliminary experiments performed at Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) on MDIS (microwave discharge ion sources)-type sources, has permitted to sustain largely overdense plasmas enhancing the warm electron temperature, which will make possible in principle the construction of sources for high intensity multicharged ions beams with simplified magnetic structures.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The time evolution of turbulent parameters in reversed-field pinch plasmas

Turbulence is abundant in fully ionized fusion plasmas, with unique turbulent characteristics in different phases of the discharge. Using Fourier and chaos-based techniques, a set of parameters have been developed to profile the time evolution of turbulence in high temperature, fusion plasmas, specifically in self-organized, reversed-field pinch plasma in the Madison Symmetric Torus. With constant density and plasma current, the turbulence profile is measured during ramp-up, magnetic reconnection, and increased confinement phases. During magnetic reconnection, a scan of plasma current is performed with a constant density. Analysis revealed that the energy associated with turbulence (turbulent energy) is found to increase when changes in magnetic energy occur and is correlated to edge ion temperatures. As the turbulent energy increases with increasing current, the rate at which this energy flow between scales (spectral index) and anti-persistence of the fluctuations increases (Hurst exponent). These turbulent parameters are then compared to the ramp-up phase and increased confinement regime.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Temperature relaxation in a magnetized plasma

A magnetic field greatly affects the relaxation phenomena in a plasma when the particles’ thermal gyro-radii are smaller than the Debye length. Its influence on the temperature relaxation (TR) is investigated through consideration of binary collisions between charged particles in the presence of a uniform magnetic field within a perturbation theory. The relaxation times are calculated. It is shown that the electron-electron (e-e) and ion-ion (i-i) TR rates first increase and then decrease as the magnetic field grows, and the doubly logarithmic term contained in the electron-ion (e-i) TR rate results from the exchange between the electron parallel and the ion perpendicular kinetic energies.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Dynamic magnetic island coalescence and associated electron acceleration

The system size dependence of electron acceleration during large-scale magnetic island coalescence is studied via a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. Using a simulation box that is larger than those used in previous studies, injection by merging line acceleration and subsequent reacceleration inside a merged island are found to be the mechanisms for producing the most energetic electrons. This finding and knowledge of the reacceleration process enable us to predict that the high energy end of the electron energy spectrum continues to expand as the merged island size increases. Both the merging line acceleration and the reacceleration within a merged island require the island coalescence process to be so dynamic as to involve fast in-flow toward the center of a merged island. Once this condition is met in an early stage of the coalescence, it is likely to stay in the subsequent phase. In other words, if the thin elongated current sheet is initially able to host the dynamic magnetic island coalescence process, it will be a site where repeated upgrades in the maximum energy of electrons occur in a systematic manner.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Introduction to Plasma Dynamo, Reconnection and Shocks

In our plasma universe, most of what we can observe is composed of ionized gas, or plasma. This plasma is a conducting fluid, which advects magnetic fields when it flows. Magnetic structure occurs from the smallest planetary to the largest cosmic scales. We introduce at a basic level some interesting features of non linear magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). For example, in our plasma universe, dynamo creates magnetic fields from gravitationally driven flow energy in an electrically conducting medium, and conversely magnetic reconnection annihilates magnetic field and accelerates particles. Shocks occur when flows move faster than the local velocity (sonic or Alfven speed) for the propagation of information. Both reconnection and shocks can accelerate particles, perhaps to gigantic energies, for example as observed with 10 20 eV cosmic rays.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Particle-in-cell simulation study of a lower-hybrid shock

The expansion of a magnetized high-pressure plasma into a low-pressure ambient medium is examined with particle-in-cell simulations. The magnetic field points perpendicular to the plasma's expansion direction and binary collisions between particles are absent. The expanding plasma steepens into a quasi-electrostatic shock that is sustained by the lower-hybrid (LH) wave. The ambipolar electric field points in the expansion direction and it induces together with the background magnetic field a fast E cross B drift of electrons. The drifting electrons modify the background magnetic field, resulting in its pile-up by the LH shock. The magnetic pressure gradient force accelerates the ambient ions ahead of the LH shock, reducing the relative velocity between the ambient plasma and the LH shock to about the phase speed of the shocked LH wave, transforming the LH shock into a nonlinear LH wave. The oscillations of the electrostatic potential have a larger amplitude and wavelength in the magnetized plasma than in an unmagnetized one with otherwise identical conditions. The energy loss to the drifting electrons leads to a noticeable slowdown of the LH shock compared to that in an unmagnetized plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

SYSTEMATIC CALCULATIONS OF ENERGY LEVELS AND TRANSITION RATES OF C-LIKE IONS WITH Z = 13-36

Based on systematic calculations using a combined relativistic configuration interaction and a many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) approach, we provide a complete and consistent data set for 46 levels belonging to the 2s {sup 2}2p {sup 2}, 2s2p {sup 3}, 2p {sup 4}, 2s {sup 2}2p3s, 2s {sup 2}2p3p, and 2s {sup 2}2p3d configurations in C-like ions with 13 ≤ Z ≤ 36. The data set includes energy levels as well as electric dipole, magnetic dipole, electric quadrupole, and magnetic quadrupole transition properties. Extensive comparisons with available observed and calculated results are made and indicate that the present MBPT calculations are highly accurate. The present data set can be used reliably for many purposes, such as the line identification of observed spectra, and modeling and diagnostics of astrophysical and fusion plasmas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lithium Divertor Targets and Walls for the ASTER Liquid Stellarator Reactor, Distributed Divertor

Stellarators may have advantages for certain liquid metal options as Plasma Facing Components (PFC) for divertor targets and first walls due to the wide range of possible magnetic configurations, which additionally are free of disruptions and fast field variations. In a previous work (V. Queral et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 52, 2024), a concept of stellarator reactor (ASTER-CP) based on swirling Li-molten salts and liquid lithium floating on the molten salt as PFC was presented. The divertor matters were not studied then and, thus, they are being studied and experimentally tested now. The ASTER-CP reactor concept, the initial liquid metal experiments and potential concepts for the ASTER-CP divertor and first wall are reported. Concerning the experiments, several small scale experiments of galinstan in a small rotating cylinder under magnetic field have been produced, including one experiment with high viscosity galinstan-mixture for increased thickness of layer. An experiment of floating lithium on the molten salt LiCl-PbCl2 gave fast volatilization/decomposition of the molten salt. Particularly for divertors, the traditional free-flow, Capillary Porous Systems and ‘divertorlets’ have been studied for application to ASTER-CP. Surface waves (hot spots), lack of enough surface fluid turbulence and excessive fluid speed are the main issues found in fast free-flow. The perhaps original concept of Distributed Divertor and Equi-power Surface is tentatively proposed and studied, taking advantage of stellarator fields and low recycling regime.

distributed divertor↗
NASA NTRS2011

Fusion Propulsion Z-Pinch Engine Concept

Fusion-based nuclear propulsion has the potential to enable fast interplanetary transportation. Due to the great distances between the planets of our solar system and the harmful radiation environment of interplanetary space, high specific impulse (Isp) propulsion in vehicles with high payload mass fractions must be developed to provide practical and safe vehicles for human spaceflight missions. The Z-Pinch dense plasma focus method is a Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) approach that may potentially lead to a small, low cost fusion reactor/engine assembly1. Recent advancements in experimental and theoretical understanding of this concept suggest favorable scaling of fusion power output yield 2. The magnetic field resulting from the large current compresses the plasma to fusion conditions, and this process can be pulsed over short timescales (10(exp -6 sec). This type of plasma formation is widely used in the field of Nuclear Weapons Effects testing in the defense industry, as well as in fusion energy research. A Decade Module 2 (DM2), approx.500 KJ pulsed-power is coming to the RSA Aerophysics Lab managed by UAHuntsville in January, 2012. A Z-Pinch propulsion concept was designed for a vehicle based on a previous fusion vehicle study called "Human Outer Planet Exploration" (HOPE), which used Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) 3 propulsion. The reference mission is the transport of crew and cargo to Mars and back, with a reusable vehicle.

Miernik, J.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Theoretical and computational studies on the scattering of radio frequency waves by fluctuations

The practical and economic viability of tokamak fusion reactors depends, in a significant way, on the efficiency of radio frequency (RF) waves to deliver energy and momentum to the plasma in the core of the reactor. Among the various attributes of RF waves is their ability to heat magnetically confined plasmas, induce plasma currents in an effort to achieve steady state, and modify the current profile so as to control plasma instabilities like the neoclassical tearing modes. The RF electromagnetic waves, excited by antenna structures placed near the wall of a tokamak, have to propagate through the turbulent plasma in the scrape-off layer (SOL) along their path to the core plasma. While the propagation and damping of RF waves in the core is reasonably well understood, the same is not true for RF propagation through the SOL. In present day fusion devices, the radial width of the SOL is of the order of a few centimeters. In ITER and in future fusion reactors this width will be of the order of tens of centimeters. Any deleterious effects on RF waves due to plasma turbulence in the SOL has to be properly understood in order to optimize the delivery of RF energy and momentum into the core. This paper is on a multi-pronged approach that is being pursued to quantify the effect of SOL plasma on RF waves. The SOL is composed of coherent filamentary, or blob like, structures and incoherent fluctuations. For coherent structures a full-wave theoretical model has been developed. This model is used to benchmark computational codes that are subsequently used to study general distribution of filaments, thereby extending the range of the theoretical formulation. For incoherent fluctuations, a common approach towards quantifying the effects of turbulence is the Kirchhoff technique. This technique is based on physical optics and the wave fields at any point on a spatially varying surface are approximated to be the same as the fields on a tangent plane at that point. The results from the theoretical analysis are compared with full-wave numerical simulations for incoherent fluctuations. The final part of these studies is to construct the effective permittivity of a turbulent plasma that is a mix of coherent and incoherent fluctuations. Towards this end, the ``effective medium approximation'' is being used to construct the permittivity of the turbulent plasma that will be used in full-wave and physical optics studies of scattering. All these approaches are distinctly different from previous studies on the RF wave propagation through turbulent plasmas. The theory and computations discussed in this paper apply to RF waves in any frequency range and for arbitrary variations in density, and reveal new and important physical insights into the scattering of RF waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

On the asymptotic balance between electric and magnetic energies for hydromagnetic relativistic flows

In the equations of classical magnetohydrodynamics, the displacement current is considered vanishingly small due to low plasma velocities. For velocities comparable to the speed of light, the full relativistic electromagnetic equations must be used. In the absence of gravitational forcings and with an isotropic Ohm's law, it is proved that for poloidal magnetic field and velocity and toroidal electric field, the electric and magnetic energies tend to be equivalent in average for large times. This represents a partial extension of Cowling's theorem for axisymmetric fields.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗