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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 109 records · Page 6

Ultrafast quantum dynamics driven by the strong space-charge field of a relativistic electron beam

Here, we illustrate how the Coulomb field of a highly relativistic electron beam can be shaped into a broadband pulse suitable for driving ultrafast and strong-field physics. In contrast to a solid-state laser, the Coulomb field creates a pulse which can be intrinsically synchronized with an x-ray free electron laser (XFEL), can have a cutoff frequency which is broadly tunable from THz to EUV, and which acts on target systems as a “half-cycle” impulse. Explicit examples are presented to emphasize how the unique features of this excitation can be a tool for novel science at XFEL facilities like the LCLS.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Beam Losses and Emittance Growth Studies at the Record High Space-Charge in the Booster

Comprehensive studies of high intensity proton beams in the 0.4-8 GeV FNAL Booster synchrotron have revealed interesting nonlinear dynamics of the beam losses and emittance growth at the record high dQ_{SC}=0.6. We report the results of the studies and directions of further improvements to prepare the Booster to the era of even higher intensity operation with new 0.8 GeV PIP-II linac.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

IOTA experiment for proton pulse compression at extreme space-charge

A gammaT scheme may be required for the PIP-II era performance or ACE-MIRT era performance of the Booster. PIP-II era operations of the Fermilab proton complex will require the Fermilab Booster to increase beam intensity from 4.5e12 to 6.5e12 protons, while also increasing its ramp from 15 Hz to 20 Hz. These changes pose particular challenges for transition-crossing in the Booster, where longitudinal beam quality must be controlled in order to facilitate slip-stacking in the Recycler Ring later in the Main Injector cycle. Two novel gammaT jump schemes are proposed, termed “double gammaT jump” and “partial gammaT jump”, which optimize the magnitude of the gammaT jump within optics and power supply constraints.

Eldred, Jeffrey [Fermilab]↗

Beam Envelope Variation due to Space-Charge Neutralization

Our non-invasive, time-resolved diamagnetic loop measurements of beam size during the electron current-pulse flattop at the exit of our 20-MeV linear induction accelerator revealed that the beam size varied by about 13% during the current flattop. This was an unexpected result, since both current and energy were constant during the interval of radius variation. One possible cause, poor vacuum, was investigated using a time resolved envelope equation. It was found that sufficiently high residual-gas pressure in the downstream transport region could result in the observed variation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

ON LANDAU DAMPING RESTORATION WITH ELECTRON LENSES IN SPACE-CHARGE DOMINATED BEAMS

It is shown that the Lorentz forces of a low-energy, magnetically stabilized electron beam, or “electron lens”, can introduce transverse nonlinear focusing sufficient for Landau damping of transverse beam instabilities in accelerators. Unlike other nonlinear elements, the electron lens can provide the frequency spread mainly at the desirable range of particle amplitudes, thus permitting to avoid the beam lifetime degradation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Space Charge Effects for Transverse Collective Instabilities in Circular Machines

A brief historical review is presented of progressing understanding of transverse coherent instabilities of charged particles beams in circular machines when both Coulomb and wake fields are important. The paper relates to a talk given at ICFA Workshop on Mitigation of Coherent Beam Instabilities in Particle Accelerators, 23-27 September 2019 in Zermatt, Switzerland.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Space charge trap-assisted recombination suppressing layer for low-voltage diode operation

Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) generation and/or recombination in heterojunction devices is suppressed by unconventional doping at or near the heterointerface. The effect of this doping is to shift SRH generation and/or recombination preferentially into the wider band gap material of the heterojunction. This reduces total SRH generation and/or recombination in the device by decreasing the intrinsic carrier concentration ni at locations where most of the SRH generation and/or recombination occurs. The physical basis for this effect is that the SRH generation and/or recombination rate tends to decrease as ni around the depletion region decreases, so decreasing the effective ni in this manner is a way to decrease SRH recombination.

Santhanam, Parthiban↗

Probing charge density in materials with atomic resolution in real space

The charge distribution in materials at the nanoscale can often explain the origin of macroscopic properties such as localized conductivity or the plasmonic response and illuminate more fundamental changes in the microscopic structure such as changes in chemical bonding characteristics. Previously, direct visualization of the charge density with high spatial resolution was often a missing link in the formation of structure–property relationships, especially in heterogeneous materials systems. Furthermore, recent advancements in microscopy technology have enabled researchers to visualize the charge distribution in materials down to subatomic length scales. In this Technical Review, we discuss the developments in high-resolution real-space charge distribution imaging using diffraction techniques and electron microscopy, with a focus on the recent advancement of four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron holography, and applications to materials interfaces.

Electronic properties and materials↗

Variability and origins of grain boundary electric potential detected by electron holography and atom-probe tomography

A number of grain boundary phenomena in ionic materials, in particular, anomalous (either depressed or enhanced) charge transport, have been attributed to space charge effects. Developing effective strategies to manipulate transport behaviour requires deep knowledge of the origins of the interfacial charge, as well as its variability within a polycrystalline sample with millions of unique grain boundaries. Electron holography is a powerful technique uniquely suited for studying the electric potential profile at individual grain boundaries, whereas atom-probe tomography provides access to the chemical identify of essentially every atom at individual grain boundaries. Using these two techniques, we show in this paper that the space charge potential at grain boundaries in lightly doped, high-purity ceria can vary by almost an order of magnitude. We further find that trace impurities (<25 ppm), rather than inherent thermodynamic factors, may be the ultimate source of grain boundary charge. These insights suggest chemical tunability of grain boundary transport properties. A number of grain boundary phenomena in ionic materials, such as anomalous charge transport, have been attributed to space charge effects. Space charge potential at grain boundaries in lightly doped, high-purity ceria is now shown to vary by almost an order of magnitude.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transitions between electron emission and gas breakdown mechanisms across length and pressure scales

This Perspective outlines theoretical, simulation, and experimental studies linking electron emission and gas breakdown. Many studies have investigated field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown, including recent reviews [Garner et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 48, 808–824 (2020); Fu et al., Plasma Res. Express 2, 013001 (2020)]. This Perspective focuses on generalizing field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown to consider the contribution of other forms of electron emission, specifically thermionic and space-charge limited. Recent theoretical studies have unified thermionic, field, and space-charge limited emission with and without collisions to derive “nexuses” where the individual solutions match, indicating transitions in the mechanisms. Reducing device size to nanoscale at atmospheric pressure leads to a transition from field emission to space-charge limited emission for nitrogen at ~250 nm. This Perspective summarizes the derivation of these nexuses and future extensions. We next describe simulation and theoretical studies for field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown and highlight how the nexus theory may be integrated to account for temperature, space-charge, and pulse parameters. Finally, we summarize the development of optical techniques to assess microscale gas breakdown and recent nanoscale experiments at atmospheric pressure that suggest that space-charge may begin to contribute to field emission prior to gas breakdown. We highlight the combination of theory, simulation, and experiment to link electron emission and gas breakdown mechanisms across length, pressure, and temperature scales for applications that include vacuum electronics, pulsed power, and medicine.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗