Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “ELECTROMAGNETIC 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.

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

At least 973 records · Page 54

Structurally Integrated Antenna Concepts for HALE UAVs

This technical memorandum describes work done in support of the Multifunctional Structures and Materials Team under the Vehicle Systems Program's ITAS (Integrated Tailored Aero Structures) Project during FY 2005. The Electromagnetics and Sensors Branch (ESB) developed three ultra lightweight antenna concepts compatible with HALE UAVs (High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). ESB also developed antenna elements that minimize the interaction between elements and the vehicle to minimize the impact of wing flexure on the EM (electromagnetic) performance of the integrated array. In addition, computer models were developed to perform phase correction for antenna arrays whose elements are moving relative to each other due to wing deformations expected in HALE vehicle concepts. Development of lightweight, conformal or structurally integrated antenna elements and compensating for the impact of a lightweight, flexible structure on a large antenna array are important steps in the realization of HALE UAVs for microwave applications such as passive remote sensing and communications.

Cravey, Robin L.↗

Onset of stimulated Raman scattering of a laser in a plasma in the presence of hot drifting electrons

Stimulated Raman scattering of a laser in plasmas with energetic drifting electrons was investigated by analyzing the growth of interacting waves during the Raman scattering process. The Langmuir wave and scattered electromagnetic sideband wave grow initially and are dampened after attaining a maximum level that indicates a periodic exchange of energy between the pump wave and the daughter waves. The presence of energetic drifting electrons in the laser-produced plasma influences the stimulated Raman scattering process. The plasma wave generated by Raman scattering may be influenced by the energetic electrons, which enhance the growth rate of the instability. Our results show that the presence of energetic (hot) drifting electrons in a plasma has an important effect on the evolution of the interacting waves. This phenomenon is modeled via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the propagation and interaction of the laser under Raman instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Milli-magnetic monopole dark matter and the survival of galactic magnetic fields

A bstract Dark sectors with Abelian gauge symmetries can interact with ordinary matter via kinetic mixing. In such scenarios, magnetic monopoles of a broken dark U(1) will appear in our sector as confined milli-magnetically charged objects under ordinary electromagnetism. Halo ellipticity constraints are shown to significantly bound the strength of dark magnetic Coulomb monopole interactions. The bound magnetic monopole ground state, which in vacuum is stable and has no magnetic charge or moment, is shown to become quantum mechanically unstable in the presence of an external, ordinary magnetic field. If these states contribute sizably to the local dark matter density, they extract significant energy from the galactic magnetic field. We revise and extend this “Parker Bound” on galactic magnetic energy loss to milli-magnetic monopoles which leads to the strongest existing constraints on these states, satisfying our halo ellipticity bounds, over a wide range of magnetic monopole masses.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electromagnetic radiation from filamentary sources in the presence of axially magnetized cylindrical plasma scatterers

Electromagnetic radiation from filamentary electric-dipole and magnetic-current sources of infinite length in the presence of gyrotropic cylindrical scatterers in the surrounding free space is studied. The scatterers are assumed to be infinitely long, axially magnetized circular plasma columns parallel to the axis of the filamentary source. The field and the radiation pattern of each source are calculated in the case where the source frequency is equal to one of the surface plasmon resonance frequencies of the cylindrical scatterers. It is shown that the presence of even a single resonant magnetized plasma scatterer of small electrical radius or a few such scatterers significantly affects the total fields of the filamentary sources, so that their radiation patterns become essentially different from those in the absence of scatterers or the presence of isotropic scatterers of the same shape and size. It is concluded that the radiation characteristics of the considered sources can efficiently be controlled using their resonance interaction with the neighboring gyrotropic scatterers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Electromagnetic signatures of a chiral quantum spin liquid

Quantum spin liquids (QSL) have emerged as a captivating subject within interacting spin systems that exhibit no magnetic ordering even at the lowest temperature accessible experimentally. However, definitive experimental evidence remains elusive. In light of the recent surge in theoretical and experimental interest in the half-filled Hubbard model on a triangular lattice, which offers the potential for stabilizing a chiral QSL, we investigate the electromagnetic signatures of this phase to facilitate experimental detection. Utilizing a combination of parton mean-field theory and unbiased density-matrix renormalization group calculations, we systematically examine the electrical charge and orbital electrical current associated with a spinon excitation in the chiral QSL. Additionally, we calculate the longitudinal and transverse optical conductivities below the Mott gap. Furthermore, employing quantum field theory analysis, we unravel the connection between spinon excitations and emergent as well as physical gauge fields. Our results demonstrate that the chiral QSL phase exhibits a distinct electromagnetic response, even within a Mott insulator regime. This finding holds great potential for enabling the experimental detection of this long-sought-after phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electromagnetic Radiation in the Plasma Environment Around the Shuttle

As part of the SAMPIE (The Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment) program, the Langmuir probe (LP) was employed to measure plasma characteristics during the flight STS-62. The whole set of data could be divided into two parts: (1) low frequency sweeps to determine voltage-current characteristics and to find electron temperature and number density; (2) high frequency turbulence (HFT dwells) data caused by electromagnetic noise around the shuttle. The broadband noise was observed at frequencies 250-20,000 Hz. Measurements were performed in ram conditions; thus, it seems reasonable to believe that the influence of spacecraft operations on plasma parameters was minimized. The average spectrum of fluctuations is in agreement with theoretical predictions. According to purposes of SAMPIE, the samples of solar cells were placed in the cargo bay of the shuttle, and high negative bias voltages were applied to them to initiate arcing between these cells and surrounding plasma. The arcing onset was registered by special counters, and data were obtained that included the amplitudes of current, duration of each arc, and the number of arcs per one experiment. The LP data were analyzed for two different situations: with arcing and without arcing. Electrostatic noise spectra for both situations and theoretical explanation of the observed features are presented in this report.

Vayner, Boris V.↗

Strong interplay between superluminosity and radiation friction during direct laser acceleration

Using a test-particle model, we examine direct laser acceleration of electrons within a magnetic filament that has been shown to form inside a laser-irradiated plasma. We focus on ultra-high intensity interactions where the force of radiation friction caused by electron emission of electromagnetic radiation must be taken into account. It is shown that even relatively weak superluminosity of laser wave fronts—the feature that has been previously neglected—qualitatively changes the electron dynamics, leading to a so-called attractor effect. As a result of this effect, electrons with various initial energies reach roughly the same maximum energy and emit roughly the same power in the form of x-rays and gamma-rays. Our analysis implies that the primary cause of the superluminosity is the laser-heated plasma. The discovered strong interplay between superluminosity and radiation friction is of direct relevance to laser-plasma interactions at high-intensity multi-PW laser facilities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Reversible electron heating vs. wave-particle interactions in quasi-perpendicular shocks

The energy necessary to explain the electron heating in quasi-perpendicular collisionless shocks can be derived either from the electron acceleration in the d.c. cross shock electric potential, or by the interactions between the electrons and the waves existing in the shock. A Monte Carlo simulation has been performed to study the electron distribution function evolution through the shock structure, with and without particle diffusion on waves. This simulation has allowed us to clarify the relative importance of the two possible energy sources; in particular it has been shown that the electron parallel temperature is determined by the d.c. electromagnetic field and not by any wave-particle-induced heating. Wave particle interactions are effective in smoothing out the large gradients in phase space produced by the 'reversible' motion of the electrons, thus producing a 'cooling' of the electrons.

Veltri, P.↗

Toward Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Neutral Pion Cross Section Measurements at ICARUS

At ICARUS and the broader Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, few neutrino interaction channels offer as much utility as those producing neutral pions, which are an important background to electron neutrino searches and provide a standard candle for calibrating the electromagnetic shower energy scale. Beyond this, measurements of neutrino-induced neutral pions offer a probe of resonant interactions that are relevant to future accelerator neutrino experiments like the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. In this document, a measurement of charged-current muon neutrino interactions in liquid argon with a single neutral pion in the final state is presented, making use of neutrino interaction events recorded with the ICARUS T600 detector at Fermilab while exposed to the Booster Neutrino Beam. Event selection is carried out with a fully-automated machine learning reconstruction framework, allowing for the extraction of single-differential cross section measurements as a function of muon and neutral pion kinematic observables.

Carber, Dan [Colorado State U.]↗

Strong QCD Insights from Excited Nucleon Structure Studies with CLAS and CLAS12

Studies of the spectrum of hadrons and their structure in experiments with electromagnetic probes offer unique insight into many facets of the strong interaction in the regime of large quark-gluon running coupling, i.e. the regime of strong QCD. The experimental program within Hall B at Jefferson Laboratory based on data acquired with the CLAS spectrometer using electron and photon beams with energies up to 6 GeV has already considerably extended the scope of research in hadron physics in joint efforts between experiment and phenomenological data analysis. Impressive progress in relating the hadron structure observables inferred from the data to the strong QCD mechanisms underlying hadron mass generation has been achieved in the past decade. Furthermore, these results will be considerably extended with data from the experimental program with the new CLAS12 spectrometer that has begun data taking using electron beams with energies up to 11 GeV. With this extended kinematic reach the structure of nucleon resonances will be probed at the highest photon virtualities ever achieved in the studies of exclusive electroproduction, which will allow for the exploration of the distance scale where>98% of light hadron mass emerges from QCD in the transition of the strong interaction from the regime of quark-gluon confinement to perturbative QCD.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The impact of cold electrons and cold ions in magnetospheric physics

A review of the impact of the cold-ion and cold-electron populations in the Earth’s magnetosphere is presented in this paper. The cold populations are defined by total energy less than approximately 100 eV, i.e. in the energy range which is strongly affected by spacecraft charging and that often dominates the total plasma density. We also include the warm plasma cloak in the review, since it overlaps partially with the cold energy range and is a population that is still not well understood. The known impacts of cold ions and cold electrons that are discussed are: the source of magnetospheric plasma, solar-wind/magnetosphere coupling, magnetotail reconnection and substorms, Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at the magnetopause, chorus, hiss, electromagnetic-ion-cyclotron and ultra-low-frequency wave-particle interactions, aurora structuring and spacecraft charging. Other possible impacts are associated with refilling on open-drift trajectories, the remnant layer and plasmapause disruption. A discussion of the difficulty of cold-plasma measurements and the need for new measurement techniques that measure the full cold-ion and cold-electron distribution functions is also presented. There remain a lot of unknowns about the cold-ion and cold-electron populations, associated with their origin, properties, drivers and impacts. These populations will need to be fully understood before the magnetosphere-ionosphere system can be fully understood.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Nanoscale transfer of angular momentum mediated by the Casimir torque

Casimir interactions play an important role in the dynamics of nanoscale objects. Here, we investigate the noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale through the analysis of the Casimir torque acting on a chain of rotating nanoparticles. We show that this interaction, which arises from the vacuum and thermal fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, enables an efficient transfer of angular momentum between the elements of the chain. Working within the framework of fluctuational electrodynamics, we derive analytical expressions for the Casimir torque acting on each nanoparticle in the chain, which we use to study the synchronization of chains with different geometries and to predict unexpected dynamics, including a “rattleback”-like behavior. Our results provide insights into the Casimir torque and how it can be exploited to achieve efficient noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale, and therefore have important implications for the control and manipulation of nanomechanical devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Nanofilm thickness measurement by resonant frequencies

We report a theoretical investigation of monochromatic laser light – thin metal film interaction. The dependences of transmission, reflection and absorption coefficients of an electromagnetic wave on the incidence angle, layer thickness and effective electron collision frequency are obtained. The above coefficients are analysed in the region of resonant frequencies. The resulting formula for the transmission, reflection and absorption coefficients are found to be valid for any angles of incidence. The case of mirror boundary conditions is considered. A formula is derived for contactless measurement of the film thickness by the observed resonant frequencies. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of laser radiation on the gamma activity of aqueous salt solutions containing {sup 152}Eu

We report an experimental study of the effect of laser irradiation of aqueous salt solutions containing the {sup 152}Eu isotope in the presence of nickel nanoparticles on the gamma activity of the isotope. Nickel nanoparticles are generated using laser ablation of the target in water and added to the radionuclide solution before irradiation. Two types of Nd : YAG lasers with a pulse duration of 10 ns and different repetition rates are used to irradiate the solutions. It is found that the {sup 152}Eu activity as a result of repeated irradiation of solutions by a series of pulses decreases with each irradiation cycle. The obtained results are compared with data on the effect of maser radiation with a wavelength of 8 mm on the activity of the same isotope. Possible mechanisms of the effect of electromagnetic radiation on the {sup 152}Eu gamma activity are discussed. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

ELECTRON HEAT FLUX IN THE SOLAR WIND: ARE WE OBSERVING THE COLLISIONAL LIMIT IN THE 1 AU DATA?

Using statistically significant data at 1 AU, it has recently been shown (Bale et al.) that in the solar wind, when the Knudsen number K {sub T} (the ratio between the electron mean free path and the electron temperature scale height) drops below about 0.3, the electron heat flux q intensity rapidly approaches the classical collisional Spitzer-Härm limit. Using a fully kinetic model including the effect of Coulomb collisions and the expansion of the solar wind with heliocentric distance, we observe that the heat flux strength does indeed approach the collisional value for Knudsen numbers smaller than about 0.3 in very good agreement with the observations. However, closer inspection of the heat flux properties, such as its variation with the heliocentric distance and its dependence on the plasma parameters, shows that for Knudsen numbers between 0.02 and 0.3 the heat flux is not conveniently described by the Spitzer-Härm formula. We conclude that even though observations at 1 AU seem to indicate that the electron heat flux intensity approaches the collisional limit when the Knudsen drops below ∼0.3, the collisional limit is not a generally valid closure for a Knudsen larger than 0.01. Moreover, the good agreement between the heat flux from our model and the heat flux from solar wind measurements in the high-Knudsen number regime seems to indicate that the heat flux at 1 AU is not constrained by electromagnetic instabilities as both wave-particle and wave-wave interactions are neglected in our calculations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Terahertz lightwave control of non-equilibrium phases and collective modes in multi-band superconductors

A gauge-invariant density matrix approach is presented to describe the non-equilibrium dynamics of multiband superconductors after photo-excitation. The derived gauge-invariant Bloch equations extend the Anderson pseudo-spin precession model by fully incorporating the center-of-mass motion of Cooper pairs. We also describe lightwave propagation effects inside a superconducting film by including the self-consistent interaction of the photo-excited superconducting system with the propagating electromagnetic field inside the superconductor using Maxwell's equations.

Mootz, Martin↗

Giant terahertz polarization rotation in ultrathin films of aligned carbon nanotubes

For easy manipulation of polarization states of light for applications in communications, imaging, and information processing, an efficient mechanism is desired for rotating light polarization with a minimum interaction length. Here, we report giant polarization rotations for terahertz (THz) electromagnetic waves in ultrathin ( ∼ <#comment/> 45 n m ), high-density films of aligned carbon nanotubes. We observed polarization rotations of up to ∼ <#comment/> 20 ∘ <#comment/> and ∼ <#comment/> 110 ∘ <#comment/> for transmitted and reflected THz pulses, respectively. The amount of polarization rotation was a sensitive function of the angle between the incident THz polarization and the nanotube alignment direction, exhibiting a “magic” angle at which the total rotation through transmission and reflection becomes exactly 90°. Our model quantitatively explains these giant rotations as a result of extremely anisotropic optical constants, demonstrating that aligned carbon nanotubes promise ultrathin, broadband, and tunable THz polarization devices.

Baydin, Andrey (ORCID:0000000225673506)↗