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Results for “field line confinement”

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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Observational studies of the clearing phase in proto-planetary disk systems

Progress in this study is summarized for its second year. An extensive program of high dispersion UV spectral studies using the IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) has resulted in acquisition of 40 Herbig Ae/Be star and related object spectra. We find that accreting, circumstellar gas is detected with velocities consistent with material in free-fall toward the stars in approximately 38% of the sample. With acquisition of optical measurements of the projected stellar rotational velocities, we find that the systems with accreting gas exhibit systematically higher projected rotational velocities than the systems showing signatures of outflowing material only. When combined with polarimetric and photometric data, the IUE spectra for these stars indicate that accretion in intermediate-mass pre-main sequence stars is confined to the plane of the circumstellar dust disk. This is in contrast to lower-mass PMS stars where accretion, persumably along magnetic field lines, is seen at polar latitudes. Our data also support significant clearing of the central regions of these circumstellar disks, as originally suggested. The model which most closely matches the observational data is accretion from a disk envelope, as developed by Calvet et al. (1994).

Grady, Carol A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal equilibrium of collisional non-neutral plasma in a magnetic dipole trap

This paper discusses thermal equilibrium states of single-species plasmas, such as pure electron plasmas and pure positron plasmas, that are confined in a dipole trap. Thermal equilibrium states for such plasmas are routinely realized in the homogeneous magnetic field of Penning–Malmberg traps. We generalize the theory of these states to include inhomogeneous magnetic dipole fields. The approach to thermal equilibrium takes place in two stages with well separated time scales. On the collision time scale, thermal equilibrium is established along each magnetic field line. On the much longer transport time scale, heat conduction and viscosity bring the plasmas on different flux contours into thermal equilibrium, we call this a state of global thermal equilibrium. We present numerical results for local and global thermal equilibria. These results agree with the analytic predictions for charge collections that are large compared with the Debye length. There is, in principle, no limit to the confinement time of a single-species plasma in a global thermal equilibrium state. Experiments with hot electron–ion plasmas performed in the LDX and RT1 devices give us confidence that, in contrast to a Penning–Malmberg trap, a magnetic dipole field can also confine cold quasi-neutral electron–positron pair plasmas on the time scale of the phenomena of interest. Such pair plasmas are assumed to form in the magnetosphere of neutron stars but have so far not been realized in a laboratory. The creation of an electron–positron pair plasma is the main goal of the APEX collaboration.

Steinbrunner, P. (ORCID:0000000317693686)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Poor confinement in stellarators at high energy

High-energy particle resonances can modify particle distributions and even cause significant particle loss. Resonances can be present in any toroidal confinement device and can easily be found numerically. Many stellarators have weak magnetic shear so that large islands and large chaotic regions can be produced by resonant perturbations with small amplitudes. Additionally, while the choice of the field line helicity profile in the plasma can limit the presence of resonances at low particle energy, the resonance location is energy-dependent, and they can move into the plasma at higher energy. If resonances match the toroidal variation of the equilibrium, they can produce wide islands in the phase space of orbits even in the absence of perturbations due to instabilities. These islands increase in size with particle energy and can seriously affect the confinement of high-energy ions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Oxide Two‐Dimensional Electron Gas with High Mobility at Room‐Temperature

Abstract The prospect of 2‐dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) possessing high mobility at room temperature in wide‐bandgap perovskite stannates is enticing for oxide electronics, particularly to realize transparent and high‐electron mobility transistors. Nonetheless only a small number of studies to date report 2DEGs in BaSnO 3 ‐based heterostructures. Here, 2DEG formation at the LaScO 3 /BaSnO 3 (LSO/BSO) interface with a room‐temperature mobility of 60 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at a carrier concentration of 1.7 × 10 13 cm –2 is reported. This is an order of magnitude higher mobility at room temperature than achieved in SrTiO 3 ‐based 2DEGs. This is achieved by combining a thick BSO buffer layer with an ex situ high‐temperature treatment, which not only reduces the dislocation density but also produces a SnO 2 ‐terminated atomically flat surface, followed by the growth of an overlying BSO/LSO interface. Using weak beam dark‐field transmission electron microscopy imaging and in‐line electron holography technique, a reduction of the threading dislocation density is revealed, and direct evidence for the spatial confinement of a 2DEG at the BSO/LSO interface is provided. This work opens a new pathway to explore the exciting physics of stannate‐based 2DEGs at application‐relevant temperatures for oxide nanoelectronics.

2-dimensional electron gas↗
NASA NTRS1990

Particle acceleration at shocks with surface ripples

The present treatment of superthermal-ion acceleration on the surface of a fast-mode hydromagnetic shock gives attention to (1) small-amplitude surface ripples characterized by width L and amplitude A that are large relative to the energetic-ion gyroradius, and (2) shocks which are on average quasi-perpendicular. An investigation is made of the effects of the confinement, evolving geometry, and finite shock curvature associated with the ripple, by integrating along the orbits of the proton test particles. As an upstream magnetic field line convects through the surface ripple, it intersects the shock at two points, thereby forming a temporary magnetic trap. Flux-line profiles and angular distributions in a given ripple differ substantially, depending on the path it takes through the ripple and its distance from the shock.

Decker, R. B.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Exact non-symmetric closed line vacuum magnetic fields in a topological torus

Non-symmetric vacuum magnetic fields with closed magnetic field lines are of interest in the construction of stellarator equilibria. Beyond the result of D. Lortz, Z. Angew Math. Phys. 21, 196 (1970), few results are available. This work presents a closed-form expression for a class of vacuum magnetic fields in a topological torus with closed field lines. We explicitly obtain the invariants of such a field. We finally show that a three-dimensional low beta magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium may be constructed in a topological torus, starting with these closed line vacuum magnetic fields.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2012

Variance of the Quantum Dwell Time for a Nonrelativistic Particle

Munoz, Seidel, and Muga [Phys. Rev. A 79, 012108 (2009)], following an earlier proposal by Pollak and Miller [Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 115 (1984)] in the context of a theory of a collinear chemical reaction, showed that suitable moments of a two-flux correlation function could be manipulated to yield expressions for the mean quantum dwell time and mean square quantum dwell time for a structureless particle scattering from a time-independent potential energy field between two parallel lines in a two-dimensional spacetime. The present work proposes a generalization to a charged, nonrelativistic particle scattering from a transient, spatially confined electromagnetic vector potential in four-dimensional spacetime. The geometry of the spacetime domain is that of the slab between a pair of parallel planes, in particular those defined by constant values of the third (z) spatial coordinate. The mean Nth power, N = 1, 2, 3, . . ., of the quantum dwell time in the slab is given by an expression involving an N-flux-correlation function. All these means are shown to be nonnegative. The N = 1 formula reduces to an S-matrix result published previously [G. E. Hahne, J. Phys. A 36, 7149 (2003)]; an explicit formula for N = 2, and of the variance of the dwell time in terms of the S-matrix, is worked out. A formula representing an incommensurability principle between variances of the output-minus-input flux of a pair of dynamical variables (such as the particle s time flux and others) is derived.

Hahne, Gerhard↗
DOE OSTI2024

Validation of SOLPS-ITER and EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations for H, D, and T JET ITER-like wall low-confinement mode plasmas

Both experiments and simulations with SOLPS-ITER and EDGE2D-EIRENE show that the onset of detachment for the low-field side (LFS) divertor – defined here as the line-averaged upstream density (〈n e 〉 edge ) at which the plasma flux to the LFS target (I LFS-plate ) starts to decrease with increasing 〈n e 〉 edge – is independent of the isotope mass. However, there are three major simulation-experiment discrepancies: (i) the absolute values of I LFS-plate and the electron density (n e ) in the LFS divertor at the onset of detachment are significantly lower in simulations, i.e., approximately a factor of 2 for I LFS-plate and a factor of 3-4 for n e ; (ii) the degree of detachment – defined here as the difference between I LFS-plate at the onset of detachment and at an 〈n e 〉 edge value close to the density limit – is smaller in simulations compared to experiments; and (iii) the experimentally observed larger degree of detachment for D and T plasmas compared to H plasmas cannot be clearly distinguished from the simulation results. There are strong indications that discrepancy (i) is to a large extent caused by neglecting Lyman-opacity effects in our simulations. The simulations predict a similar net volumetric recombination source for all isotopes due to the fact that molecule-activated recombination (MAR) compensates for the reduced electron–ion recombination (EIR) for H, whereas MAR is negligible for D and T. This similar net volumetric recombination source for all isotopes leads to an isotope-independent degree of detachment in simulations. An analysis of the Balmer-α and Balmer-$γ$ emission confirms the underestimate of MAR in simulations (especially for D and T) for the JET metallic wall, which was previously observed for devices with a carbon wall. The underestimate of MAR is an important cause for discrepancy (ii) and the fact that there is a stronger underestimate of MAR for D and T than for H explains discrepancy (iii). Extending the plasma grid to the vessel wall increases I LFS-plate and n e at the onset of detachment by 25%, and the EIR source increases by 80% in detached conditions. Hence, while the extended grid results are closer to the experimental observations, the previously described qualitative discrepancies still persist.

Balmer emission↗
NASA NTRS2010

Nanoflares, Spicules, and Other Small-Scale Dynamic Phenomena on the Sun

There is abundant evidence of highly dynamic phenomena occurring on very small scales in the solar atmosphere. For example, the observed pr operties of many coronal loops can only be explained if the loops are bundles of unresolved strands that are heated impulsively by nanoflares. Type II spicules recently discovered by Hinode are an example of small-scale impulsive events occurring in the chromosphere. The exist ence of these and other small-scale phenomena is not surprising given the highly structured nature of the magnetic field that is revealed by photospheric observations. Dynamic phenomena also occur on much lar ger scales, including coronal jets, flares, and CMEs. It is tempting to suggest that these different phenomena are all closely related and represent a continuous distribution of sizes and energies. However, this is a dangerous over simplification in my opinion. While it is tru e that the phenomena all involve "magnetic reconnection" (the changin g of field line connectivity) in some form, how this occurs depends s trongly on the magnetic geometry. A nanoflare resulting from the interaction of tangled magnetic strands within a confined coronal loop is much different from a major flare occurring at the current sheet form ed when a CME rips open an active region. I will review the evidence for ubiquitous small-scale dynamic phenomena on the Sun and discuss wh y different phenomena are not all fundamentally the same.

Klimchuk, James↗
NASA NTRS2000

Onset of the Magnetic Explosion in Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections

We present observations of the magnetic field configuration and its transformation in six solar eruptive events that show good agreement with the Hirayama-Shibata model for eruptive flares. The observations arc X-ray images from the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) and magnetograms from Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory, interpreted together with the 1-8 Angstrom X-ray flux observed by GOES. The observations show: 1. Each event is a magnetic explosion that occurs in an initially closed magnetic bipole in which the core field is sheared and twisted in the shape of a sigmoid, having an oppositely curved elbow on each end. The arms of the opposite elbows are sheared past each other so that they overlap and are crossed low above the neutral line in the middle of the bipole. 2. Although four of the explosions arc ejective (blow open the bipole) and two are confined (arc arrested within the closed bipole), all six begin the same way. In the SXT iniages, the explosion begins with brightening and expansion of the two elbows together with the appearance of short bright sheared loops low over the neutral line under the crossed arms and, rising up from the crossed arms, long strands connecting the far ends of the elbows. 3. All six events arc single-bipole events in that during the onset and early development of the explosion they show no evidence for reconnection between the exploding bipole and any surrounding magnetic fields. We conclude that in each of our events the magnetic explosion was unleashed by runaway tether-cutting via implosive/explosive rcconnection in the middle of the sigmoid, as in the Hirayama-Shibata model. The similarity of the onsets of the two confined explosions to the onsets of the four ejective explosions and their agreement with the model indicate that runaway reconnection inside a sheared core field can begin whether or not the overlying fields (the envelope field and contiguous fields that press down on the envelope) allow the explosion to be ejective. We consider the implications ofthis for the unleashing of magnetic explosions in field configurations composed of to or more impacted bipoles.

Moore, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A preliminary characterization of applied-field MPD thruster plumes

Electric probes, quantitative imaging, and emission spectroscopy were used to study the plume characteristics of applied field magnetohydrodynamic thrusters. The measurements showed that the applied magnetic field plays the dominant role in establishing the plume structure, followed in importance by the cathode geometry and propellant. The anode radius had no measurable impact on the plume characteristics. For all cases studied the plume was highly ionized, though spectral lines of neutral species were always present. Centerline electron densities and temperatures ranged from 2 times 10 (exp 18) to 8 times 10 (exp 18) m(exp -3) and from 7500 to 20,000 K, respectively. The plume was strongly confined by the magnetic field, with radial density gradients increasing monotonically with applied field strength. Plasma potential measurements show a strong effect of the magnetic field on the electrical conductivity and indicate the presence of radial current conduction in the plume.

Myers, Roger M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Core-edge integrated predictive studies of ST40 and NSTX plasmas with the scrape-off layer box model

The ability to model the interplay between the core and edge of tokamak plasmas is crucial to designing both the plasma operating scenario of a fusion pilot plant and the design of the tokamak itself. Scrape-off-layer (SOL) models that are tailored to integrated scenario modeling need to have fast turn-around time and minimal computational burden to enable wide parameter-space coverage for design scoping. The SOL 0-D Box model is a reduced SOL model based on global power and particle balance that captures the essential physics of SOL transport with little computational cost. The usage of the 0-D Box model in core-edge coupled simulations has been demonstrated in both interpretive and predictive modes on a variety of devices. This paper presents a sensitivity study of the 0-D Box model to the input SOL heat-flux width for an ST40 plasma. This study demonstrates that accurate prediction of this width is crucial to predicting global performance parameters of a plasma scenario, such as energy confinement time and flux consumption. We also present an extension of the Box model to 1-D to allow for parallel variation of plasma parameters along the magnetic field lines. The 1-D Box model is then compared with SOLPS-ITER simulations of an NSTX plasma. Advantages and limitations of the Box model are discussed, and future directions are outlined.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

T -matrix analysis of static Wilson line correlators from lattice QCD at finite temperature

Here, we utilize a previously constructed thermodynamic T -matrix approach to the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) to derive constaints on its input by using results on Wilson line correlators (WLCs) of a static quark-antiquark pair from 2 + 1-flavor lattice-QCD (lQCD) computations with realistic pion mass. The self-consistent T -matrix results, which include previous constraints from the lQCD equation of state in the light-parton sector, can describe the lQCD data for WLCs fairly well once refinements of its driving kernel are applied. In particular, the input potential requires less screening than what has been inferred from previous T-matrix analyses. Pertinent predictions for the spectral and transport properties of the QGP are discussed, including the spatial diffusion coefficient for heavy quarks; the latter turns out to have a rather weak temperature dependence, in approximate agreement with recent unquenched lQCD results.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Madison plasma dynamo experiment: A facility for studying laboratory plasma astrophysics

The Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX) is a novel, versatile, basic plasma research device designed to investigate flow driven magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and other high-β phenomena with astrophysically relevant parameters. A 3 m diameter vacuum vessel is lined with 36 rings of alternately oriented 4000 G samarium cobalt magnets, which create an axisymmetric multicusp that contains ∼14 m3of nearly magnetic field free plasma that is well confined and highly ionized (>50%). At present, 8 lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) cathodes and 10 molybdenum anodes are inserted into the vessel and biased up to 500 V, drawing 40 A each cathode, ionizing a low pressure Ar or He fill gas and heating it. Up to 100 kW of electron cyclotron heating power is planned for additional electron heating. The LaB6cathodes are positioned in the magnetized edge to drive toroidal rotation through J × B torques that propagate into the unmagnetized core plasma. Dynamo studies on MPDX require a high magnetic Reynolds number Rm > 1000, and an adjustable fluid Reynolds number 10 1). Initial results from MPDX are presented along with a 0-dimensional power and particle balance model to predict the viscosity and resistivity to achieve dynamo action.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1991

What are the gigahertz peaked-spectrum radio sources?

The astrophysical implications of recent radio and optical observations of the powerful compact gigahertz peaked-spectrum (GPS) radio sources are discussed. Some tentative conclusions are presented and a scenario based on the existing data is suggested. It is argued that the spectrum is due to synchrotron self-absorption, which is assumed as the basis for the present inferences from the radio spectral shape. The finding that some GPS sources have a very narrow spectral shape is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a narrow range of size scales which dominate the radio luminosity. The highly inverted LF radio spectrum is consistent with the hypothesis that the radio source is tightly confined. The conclusion that the radio polarization of these sources is systematically low is consistent either with a very tangled magnetic field or very large Faraday rotation measures. It is suggested that GPS radio sources are formed when the radio plasma is confined on the scale of the narrow-line region by an unusually dense and clumpy ISM. The existing optical spectroscopic results are also consistent with the existence of a dense and dusty nuclear ISM.

O'Dea, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Partial-Thickness Grooves In A VBL Memory Device

Bias magnetic fields tailored to match those needed elsewhere in device. Grooves through part of thickness of magnetic garnet storage layer of vertical-Bloch-line (VBL) memory device used to confine magnetic bubble and stripe domains in desired storage areas. VBL-memory concept described in "Vertical-Bloch-Line Memory" (NPO-18467).

Katti, Romney R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Ulysses observations of double ion beams associated with coronal mass ejections

Coronal mass ejections (CME's) are thought to result from the loss of stability within a magnetically confined coronal structure leading to its radial expansion into interplanetary space. As the CME expands into the corona current sheets will form between the expanding CME and surrounding field lines in the ambient wind. This configuration may lead to reconnection between the CME and adjacemt field lines. Such reconnection may produce double ion beams as has been observed in the terrrestrial magnetosphere. We examine all 24 distinct signatures of CME's observed by Ulysses during the in-ecliptic portion of the mission. In 5 of these 24 cases the ion spectra were not clear and thus the presence of double ion beams could not be determined. In 13 of the remaining 19 CME's double ion beams were found on the leading and/or trailing edge of the CME but not in the interior of the CME. In 3 of the CME's double ion beams were found throughout the CME while in the remaining 3 CME's double ion beams were not present near or just inside of the CME. In contrast in a control sample of 19 randomly chosen intervals, double ion beams were present at the leading and/or trailing edges of the random intervals in only 3 of the 19 cases. There appears to be no correlation between probability of occurrence of double ion beams and a magnetic cloud or non-cloud configuration of the CME and no correlation between the presence of the double ion beams at the edges of the CME and the CME being a fast or slow CME.

Hammond, C. M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Z 2 topological order and first-order quantum phase transitions in systems with combinatorial gauge symmetry

We study a generalization of the two-dimensional transverse-field Ising model, combining both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic two-body interactions, that hosts exact global and local Z 2 gauge symmetries. Using exact diagonalization and stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo methods, we confirm the existence of the topological phase in line with previous theoretical predictions. Our simulation results show that the transition between the confined topological phase and the deconfined paramagnetic phase is of first order, in contrast to the conventional Z 2 lattice gauge model in which the transition maps onto that of the standard Ising model and is continuous. We further generalize the model by replacing the transverse field on the gauge spins with a ferromagnetic X X interaction while keeping the local gauge symmetry intact. We find that the Z 2 topological phase remains stable, while the paramagnetic phase is replaced by a ferromagnetic phase. The topological-ferromagnetic quantum phase transition is also of first order. For both models, we discuss the low-energy spinon and vison excitations of the topological phase and their avoided level crossings associated with the first-order quantum phase transitions.

2-dimensional systems↗