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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 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Graphene-based modulation-doped superlattice structures

The electronic transport properties of graphene-based superlattice structures are investigated. A graphene-based modulation-doped superlattice structure geometry is proposed consisting of periodically arranged alternate layers: InAs/graphene/GaAs/graphene/GaSb. The undoped graphene/GaAs/graphene structure displays a relatively high conductance and enhanced mobilities at increased temperatures unlike the modulation-doped superlattice structure, which is more steady and less sensitive to temperature and the robust electrical tunable control on the screening length scale. The thermionic current density exhibits enhanced behavior due to the presence of metallic (graphene) monolayers in the superlattice structure. The proposed superlattice structure might be of great use for new types of wide-band energy gap quantum devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

On thermofield electron emission from metal microtips

The electric field in the vicinity of a cone apex has an integrable singularity. Therefore, in order to calculate the thermofield emission current from a conical tip, it is necessary to find the emission current density at extremely high electric fields at the cone apex. In this paper, an original method for correctly calculating the electric field near a perfect conical tip and a tip with a rounded apex is proposed. A universal numerical approach to calculating thermionic, field, and thermofield electron emission from metal in a wide range of surface electric fields is offered. It is shown that, at high electric fields, the thermofield current density tends to a certain limiting (saturated) value, and the reason for this saturation is revealed. It is found that, for moderate fields, the total electron emission current from a conical tip is determined by the current from the immediate vicinity of the apex and depends substantially on the curvature radius of its rounding.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Temperature dependences of the contact resistivity in ohmic contacts to n{sup +}-InN

The temperature dependences of the contact resistivity (ρ{sub c}) of ohmic contacts based on the Au-Ti-Pd-InN system are measured at an InN doping level of 2 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup −3} in the temperature range of 4.2–300 K. At temperatures T > 150 K, linearly increasing dependences ρ{sub c}(T) are obtained. The dependences are explained within the mechanism of thermionic current flow through metal shunts associated with dislocations. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental dependences is achieved assuming that the flowing current is limited by the total resistance of the metal shunts, and the density of conductive dislocations is ∼5 × 10{sup 9} cm{sup −2}. Using the X-ray diffraction method, the density of screw and edge dislocations in the structure under study is measured: their total density exceeds 10{sup 10} cm{sup −2}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hyperdiffusion of dust particles in a turbulent tokamak plasma

The effect of plasma turbulence on the trajectories of dust particles is investigated for the first time. The dynamics of dust particles is computed using the ad-hoc developed Dust Injection Simulator code, using a 3D turbulent plasma background computed with the TOKAM3X code. As a result, the evolution of the particle trajectories is governed by the ion drag force, and the shape of the trajectory is set by the Stokes number $St\propto a_d/n_0$, with $a_d$ the dust radius and $n_0$ the density at the separatrix. The plasma turbulence is observed to scatter the dust particles, exhibiting a hyperdiffusive regime in all cases. The amplitude of the turbulent spread of the trajectories $\Delta r^2$ is shown to depend on the ratio $Ku/St$, with $Ku\propto u_{rms}$ the Kubo number and $u_{rms}$ the fluctuation level of the plasma flow. These results are compared with a simple analytical model, predicting $\Delta r^2\propto (Ku/St)^2t^3$, or $\Delta r^2\propto (u_{rms}n_0/a_d)^2t^3$. As the dust is heated by the plasma fluxes, thermionic emission sets the dust charge, originally negative, to slightly positive values. This results in a substantial reduction of the ion drag force through the suppression of its Coulomb scattering component. The dust grain inertia is then no longer negligible, and drives the transition from a hyperdiffusive regime towards a ballistic one.

dust↗
DOE OSTI2017

INTERLEAVING LATTICE DESIGN FOR APS LINAC

The design of the lattice for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) injector linac suitable for the interleaving operation of the thermionic and photocathode rf electron guns is presented.

APS LINAC*↗
DOE OSTI2026

Efficient continuous-wave normal conducting accelerator for industrial applications

A normal conducting, high power, high efficiency copper linear accelerator prototype is being developed for industrial applications. The system will be powered by low-cost high-efficiency magnetron RF sources and will use a gridded thermionic cathode electron gun. Leveraging the significant accelerator expertise at JLab and industry partners, these technologies will be combined to deliver high-power (>100 kW) electron beams with energies of 1 MeV or higher that are cost-effective to produce and operate. The design is modular such that energy and power can be increased by adding additional sections as required. The status of the design, prototype fabrication and plans for a beam demonstration at JLab are described.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI1994

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 35, No. 1, January-June 1994]

Nuclear Safety is a review journal that covers significant developments in the field of nuclear safety. Its scope includes the analysis and control of hazards associated with nuclear energy, operations involving fissionable materials, and the products of nuclear fission and their effects on the environment. Primary emphasis is on safety in reactor design, construction, and operation; however, the safety aspects of the entire fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing, nuclear waste disposal, handling of radioisotopes, and environmental effects of these operations, are also treated. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT: 1 Chernobyl Accident Management Actions, A. R Sich 25 The IAEA-ASSET Approach to Avoiding Accidents is to Recognize the Precursors to Prevent Incidents, F. Reisch; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 36 A Review of the Available Information on the Triggering Stage of a Steam Explosion, D. F. Fletcher; 58 Analysis and Modeling of Flow-Blockage-Induced Steam Explosion Events in the High-Flux Isotope Reactor, R. P. Taleyarkhan, V. Georgevich, C. W. Nestor, U. Gat, B. L. Lepard, D. H. Cook, J. Freels, S. J. Chang, C. Luttrell, R. C. Gwaltney, and J. Kirkpatrick; 74 An Analysis of Disassembling the Radial Reflector of a Thermionic Space Nuclear Reactor Power System, M. S. El-Genk and D. V. Paramonov; CONTROL AND INSTRUMENTATION: 86 Standards for High-Integrity Software, D. R. Wallace, D. R. Kuhn, L M. Ippolito, and L. Beltracchi; DESIGN FEATURES: 98 Adoption of New Design Features for the Next Generation Nuclear Power Reactors, L. S. Tong; 114 Review of Nuclear Piping Seismic Design Requirements, G. C. Slagis and S. E. Moore; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 128 PC-Based Probabilistic Safety Assessment Study for a Geological Waste Repository Placed in a Bedded Salt Formation, S. A. Khan; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 142 Managing Aging in Nuclear Power Plants: Insights from NRC’s Maintenance Team Inspection Reports, A. Fresco and M. Subudhi; 150 Reactor Shutdown Experience, Compiled by J. W. Cletcher; 153 Selected Safety-Related Events, Compiled by G. A. Murphy; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 158 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides, D. S. Queener; 168 Proposed Rule Changes as of Dec. 31, 1993; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 177 Symposium on Radioactive and Mixed Waste—Risk as a Basis for Waste Classification; 177 1995 Incineration Conference 178 Ninth Power Plant Dynamics Control and Testing Symposium; 174 The Authors

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Preliminary Study on Two Possible Bunch Compression Schemes at NLCTA

In this paper, two possible bunch compression configurations are proposed and evaluated by numerical simulation in the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC. A bunch compression ratio up to 20 could be achieved under a perfect condition, without consideration for the timing jitter and other error sources. The NLCTA is a test accelerator built at SLAC, which is approximately 42 meters long and composed of X-band acceleration structures. The main aim of building NLCTA is to develop and demonstrate the X-band rf acceleration technologies for the next generation linear collider, with a relatively high acceleration gradient between 50 MV/m and 100 MV/m. The current operation configuration of NLCTA features a thermionic-cathode electron gun at its starting point which generates an electron beam with an energy of 5 MeV. This is followed by a roughly 1.5 meter long X-band acceleration structure which boosts the electron beam energy to 60 MeV. Then there is a four-dipole magnetic chicane which is 6 meters long and provides a first order longitudinal dispersion of R{sub 56} = -73mm. Next the electron beam passes by several matching quadrupoles and can be accelerated further to 120 MeV through another one-meter-long X-band acceleration structure. After that, there are three small chicanes downstream, with a total first order longitudinal dispersion of R{sub 56} = -10mm. A sketch of the main components of NLCTA is shown in Figure 1, where the total length of this accelerator is 45 meters. Free Electron Lasers (FELs), proposed by J. Madey and demonstrated for the first time at Stanford University in 1970s [2] [3], use the lasing of relativistic electron beam traveling through a magnetic undulator, which can reach high power and can be widely tunable in wavelength. Linac based FEL source can provide sufficient brightness, and a short X-ray wavelength down to angstrom scale, which promises in supporting wide range of research experiments. In order to have an electron beam lasing coherently in an undulator, one needs a very bright beam in all three dimensions. In other words, one needs an electron beam with very short bunch length (high intensity), very small transverse emittance and very small energy spread. Most FELs currently being operated, commissioned, constructed or proposed are based on RF acceleration in a frequency range from L-band ( 1 GHz) to C-band ( 6 GHz). As RF frequency goes higher, wake fields effects tend to be much stronger and jitter tolerances are tighter. To demonstrate that X-band acceleration structures can be applied in constructing an FEL, one could perform bunch compression experiments at NLCTA as a first step, and investigate tolerances on timing jitter, misalignments etc.. Another important point is to evaluate the transverse emittance growth in this bunch compression process. In the following sections, two possible bunch compression schemes are proposed to be tested at NLCTA. Elegant [4] 3-D simulation is performed to evaluate these two schemes, with wake fields, space charge and coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) effects included. One million macro particles are adopted in the numerical simulations. The simulation starts with an electron beam of 20 pC at a beam energy of 5 MeV. The initial RMS bunch length is taken as 0.5 ps at such a low bunch charge, and the RMS energy spread is 5 x 10{sup -3}. The normalized transverse emittance is 1 mm.mrad.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Experimental Investigation of Active Feedback Control of Turbulent Transport in a Magnetized Plasma

A new and unique basic plasma science laboratory device - the HelCat device (HELicon-CAThode) - has been constructed and is operating at the University of New Mexico. HelCat is a 4 m long, 0.5 m diameter device, with magnetic field up to 2.2 kG, that has two independent plasmas sources - an RF helicon source, and a thermionic cathode. These two sources, which can operate independently or simultaneously, are capable of producing plasmas with a wide range of parameters and turbulence characteristics, well suited to a variety of basic plasma physics experiments. An extensive set of plasma diagnostics is also operating. Experiments investigating the active feedback control of turbulent transport of particles and heat via electrode biasing to affect plasma ExB flows are underway, and ongoing.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Self-organisation Processes In The Carbon ARC For Nanosynthis

The atmospheric pressure carbon arc in inert gases such as helium is an important method for the production of nanomaterials. It has recently been shown that the formation of the carbon deposit on the cathode from gaseous carbon plays a crucial role in the operation of the arc, reaching the high temperatures necessary for thermionic emission to take place even with low melting point cathodes. Based on observed ablation and deposition rates, we explore the implications of deposit formation on the energy balance at the cathode surface, and show how the operation of the arc is self-organised process. Our results suggest that the can arc operate in two different regimes, one of which has an important contribution from latent heat to the cathode energy balance. This regime is characterised by the enhanced ablation rate, which may be favourable for high yield synthesis of nanomaterials. The second regime has a small and approximately constant ablation rate with a negligible contribution from latent heat.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Self-organisation Processes In The Carbon ARC For Nanosynthis

The atmospheric pressure carbon arc in inert gases such as helium is an important method for the production of nanomaterials. It has recently been shown that the formation of the carbon deposit on the cathode from gaseous carbon plays a crucial role in the operation of the arc, reaching the high temperatures necessary for thermionic emission to take place even with low melting point cathodes. Based on observed ablation and deposition rates, we explore the implications of deposit formation on the energy balance at the cathode surface, and show how the operation of the arc is self-organised process. Our results suggest that the can arc operate in two di erent regimes, one of which has an important contribution from latent heat to the cathode energy balance. This regime is characterised by the enhanced ablation rate, which may be favourable for high yield synthesis of nanomaterials. The second regime has a small and approximately constant ablation rate with a negligible contribution from latent heat.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

New Photocathode materials for electron-ion-colliders

Our aim has been to explore new photocathode materials and schemes to develop strategies and technologies for next generation nuclear physics accelerator capabilities, particularly for Electron Ion Colliders (EIC). Thus, we investigated thin film deposition and ensuing properties for several adequate magnetic materials applicable to spin-polarized photocathodes. We also implemented a full experimental setup for light incidence at an acute angle onto the photocathode surface in order to excite surface Plasmon resonance hence increasing light absorption by a metallic surface. We successfully tested the setup with a thermionic cathode as well as Plasmonic silver-MgO samples and obtained very encouraging results. Our first results are very encouraging since the photocurrent measured on this preliminary plasmonic Ag-MgO sample under low power (~ 1mW) cw red light from a HeNe laser was 256 pA, thus two orders magnitude larger than that reported by others following also plasmonic approaches. We extended our studies to shorter wavelengths and we also started preliminary work on chemically ordered MnAl thin films –a component of the tertiary Ag-Mn-Al (silmanal) alloy in order to develop spin-polarized photocathodes capable of sustaining surface Plasmon resonance. It is worthwhile mentioning that a graduate student has been directly involved during this project ensuring the training of next generation of scientists in this area of research.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

CLIC Drive Beam Gun

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a proposed future electron-positron collider, designed to perform collisions at energies from 0.5 to 5 TeV, with a nominal design optimized for 3 TeV (Dannheim, 2012). CLIC generates three beams: the drive beam, the main electron beam and the positron beam. The drive beam is a high current electron beam that is accelerated in an S-band linac and then decelerated in 12 GHz structures to generate the RF for accelerating the colliding main electron and positron beams. The drive beam employs a high current thermionic DC electron gun. This report explores the optimal anode – cathode geometry as well as analyzes the mechanical and electrical integrity of the gun structure designed by CERN.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pyrite Iron Sulfide Solar Cells Made from Solution Final Technical Report

This document summarizes research done under the SunShot Next Generation PV II project entitled, “Pyrite Iron Sulfide Solar Cells Made from Solution,” award number DE-EE0005324, at the University of California, Irvine, from 9/1/11 thru 11/30/16. The project goal was to develop iron pyrite (cubic FeS 2 ) as an absorber layer for solution-processible p-n heterojunction solar cells with a pathway to >20% power conversion efficiency. Project milestones centered around seven main Tasks: (1) make device-quality pyrite thin-films from solar ink; (2) develop an ohmic bottom contact with suitable low resistivity; (3) produce a p-n heterojunction with VOC > 400 mV; (4) make a solar cell with >5% power conversion efficiency; (5) use alloying to increase the pyrite band gap to ~1.2-1.4 eV; (6) produce a p-n heterojunction with VOC > 500 mV; and finally (7) make a solar cell with >10% power conversion efficiency. In response to project findings, the Tasks were amended midway through the project to focus particular effort on passivating the surface of pyrite in order to eliminate excessively-strong surface band bending believed to be responsible for the low VOC of pyrite diodes. Major project achievements include: (1) development and detailed characterization of several new solution syntheses of high-quality thin-film pyrite, including two “molecular ink” routes; (2) demonstration of Mo/MoS 2 bilayers as good ohmic bottom contacts to pyrite films; (3) fabrication of pyrite diodes with a glass/Mo/MoS 2 /pyrite/ZnS/ZnO/AZO layer sequence that show VOC values >400 mV and as high as 610 mV at ~1 sun illumination, although these high VOC values ultimately proved irreproducible; (4) established that ZnS is a promising n-type junction partner for pyrite; (5) used density functional theory to show that the band gap of pyrite can be increased from ~1.0 to a more optimal 1.2-1.3 eV by alloying with oxygen; (6) through extensive measurements of ultrahigh-purity pyrite single crystals, proved the existence of a conductive, hole-rich inversion layer at the surface of n-type pyrite crystals and established that the inversion layer is the likely reason for pyrite’s low VOC; (7) developed several surface passivation treatments to reduce the surface hole density, but not enough to expect a significant increase in VOC; (8) by controlling the single crystal growth conditions, reduced the concentration of near-surface deep donors by a factor of ~1000, which should be sufficient to avoid thermionic field emission (i.e., tunneling) across the pyrite surface and thereby increase pyrite VOC. Recent project results will be described in forthcoming peer-reviewed publications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tunneling-assisted transport of carriers through heterojunctions.

The formulation of carrier transport through heterojunctions by tunneling and thermionic emission is derived from first principles. The treatment of tunneling is discussed at three levels of approximation: numerical solution of the one-band envelope equation for an arbitrarily specified potential profile; the WKB approximation for an arbitrary potential; and, an analytic formulation assuming constant internal field. The effects of spatially varying carrier chemical potentials over tunneling distances are included. Illustrative computational results are presented. The described approach is used in exploratory physics models of irradiated heterojunction bipolar transistors within Sandia's QASPR program.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Design of a low-cost, compact SRF accelerator for flue gas and wastewater treatment

The treatment of flue gases from power plants and municipal or industrial wastewater using electron beam irradiation technology has been successfully demonstrated in small-scale pilot plants. The beam energy requirement is rather modest, of the order of few MeV, however the adoption of the technology at an industrial scale requires the availability of a high beam power, of the order of 1 MW, in a cost effective way. In this report we present the design of a compact superconducting accelerator capable of delivering a cw electron beam with a current of 1 A and an energy of 1 MeV. The main components are an rf-gridded thermionic gun and a conduction cooled beta= 0.5 elliptical Nb3Sn cavity with dual coaxial power couplers. An engineering and cost analysis shows that the proposed design would result in a processing cost competitive with alternative treatment methods.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Design of a low-cost, compact SRF accelerator for flue gas and wastewater treatment

The treatment of flue gases from power plants and municipal or industrial wastewater using electron beam irradiation technology has been successfully demonstrated in small-scale pilot plants. The beam energy requirement is rather modest, of the order of few MeV, however the adoption of the technology at an industrial scale requires the availability of a high beam power, of the order of 1 MW, in a cost effective way. In this report we present the design of a compact superconducting accelerator capable of delivering a cw electron beam with a current of 1 A and an energy of 1 MeV. The main components are an rf-gridded thermionic gun and a conduction cooled beta= 0.5 elliptical Nb3Sn cavity with dual coaxial power couplers. An engineering and cost analysis shows that the proposed design would result in a processing cost competitive with alternative treatment methods.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗