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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Agentic artificial intelligence for multistage physics experiments at a large-scale user facility particle accelerator

We present a language-model-driven agentic artificial intelligence (AI) system to autonomously execute multistage physics experiments on a production synchrotron light source. Implemented at the Advanced Light Source particle accelerator, the system translates natural language user prompts into structured execution plans that combine archive data retrieval, control-system channel resolution, automated script generation, controlled machine interaction, and analysis. In a representative machine physics task, we show that preparation time was reduced by 2 orders of magnitude relative to manual scripting even for a system expert, while operator-standard safety constraints were strictly upheld. Core architectural features, plan-first orchestration, bounded tool access, and dynamic capability selection, enable transparent, auditable execution with fully reproducible artifacts. These results establish a blueprint for the safe integration of agentic AI into accelerator experiments and demanding machine physics studies, as well as routine operations, with direct portability across accelerators worldwide and, more broadly, to other large-scale scientific infrastructures.

Accelerator/storage ring control systems↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microsecond-latency feedback at a particle accelerator by online reinforcement learning on hardware

The commissioning and operation of future large-scale scientific experiments will challenge current tuning and control methods. Reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms are a promising solution due to their ability to dynamically adapt to changing environments and consider delayed consequences. In many real-world applications, RL policies must produce actions in real time, often within microseconds to milliseconds, imposing significant constraints on system latency and computational overhead that conventional machine learning libraries are not designed to handle. To control phenomena in real time at these timescales, RL needs to be deployed on-the-edge, namely on dedicated hardware located near the system it controls, without relying on a host CPU or cloud-based inference. In this work we present the design and deployment of an experience accumulator system in a particle accelerator. In this system, deep-RL algorithms run using hardware acceleration and act within a few microseconds, enabling the use of RL for control of phenomena like beam instabilities. The training uses the collected data offline to reduce the number of operations carried out on the acceleration hardware. The proposed architecture was tested in real experimental conditions at the Karlsruhe research accelerator, a synchrotron light source, where the system was used to control artificially induced horizontal betatron oscillations in real-time, with a control loop period of just 2.7 μs. The results showed a performance comparable to the commercial feedback system available at the accelerator, demonstrating the viability and potential of this approach. Due to the self-learning and reconfiguration capability of this implementation, a seamless application to other control problems is possible. Applications range from particle accelerators to large-scale research and industrial facilities.

FPGA↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC): Description of instrumentation

SEPAC (Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators) flew on Spacelab 1 (SL 1) in November and December 1983. SEPAC is a joint U.S.-Japan investigation of the interaction of electron, plasma, and neutral beams with the ionosphere, atmosphere and magnetosphere. It is scheduled to fly again on Atlas 1 in August 1990. On SL 1, SEPAC used an electron accelerator, a plasma accelerator, and neutral gas source as active elements and an array of diagnostics to investigate the interactions. For Atlas 1, the plasma accelerator will be replaced by a plasma contactor and charge collection devices to improve vehicle charging meutralization. This paper describes the SEPAC instrumentation in detail for the SL 1 and Atlas 1 flights and includes a bibliography of SEPAC papers.

Taylor, W. W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

First-order Fermi particle acceleration by relativistic shocks

Monte Carlo calculations of test particle spectra and acceleration times are presented from first-order Fermi particle acceleration for parallel shocks with arbitrary flow velocities and compression ratios r up to seven, shock velocities u1 up to 0.98c, and injection energies ranging from thermal to highly superthermal. Far above the injection energy, the spectra are well-approximated by a power law and the spectra are always harder than for nonrelativistic shocks. Approximate analytic expression are given for the spectral slope as a function of u1 and r. The acceleration time as a function of particle energy is less than for nonrelativistic shocks by a factor that increases with u1 and is about three for u1 = 0.98c. It is confirmed that the spectrum for pitch-angle diffusion is considerably steeper than for large-angle scattering for the same shock parameters.

Ellison, Donald C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Particle acceleration in the heliosphere

This review presents an overview of the various populations of energetic particles accelerated in the heliosphere: energetic storm particles. corotating ion events, upstream ions at Earth's bow shock, the cosmic ray anomalous component, and interstellar and cometary pickup ions. In each case the review presents or describes original and/or key observations, the current understanding of its origin, and its particular impact on theoretical progress.

Lee, Martin A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

New observational facts about particle acceleration and transport during solar flares

Extensive hard X-ray (HXR)/gamma-ray (GR) observations of solar flares, performed during solar cycles 21 and 22 have led to important new discoveries. These data, combined with observations obtained in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum (soft X-ray, Hard X-ray, optical, and radio) largley contributed to get a better understanding and to develop new ideas on particle acceleration and transport during solar flares. This review presents new observational facts relevant to hard X-ray/gamma-ray producing flares. Among these are the frequent presence of sub-second time structure in the hard X-ray emission, the variability in hard X-ray and radio spatial distributions during a flare and from flare to flare, the evidence for strong gamma-ray line emission from the Corona and the existence of extended phases of the gamma-ray emission lasting for several hours after the flare onset. This ensemble of observations indicates that particle acceleration takes place at different sites in a complex and dynamic magnetic field environment.

Trottel, G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Solar particle acceleration and propagation

The research performed in the period 1983-1986 on solar-particle acceleration and propagation is discussed. Special attention is given to satellite-based observations of large solar energetic particles and (He-3)-rich events; measurements of solar gamma rays, neutrons, and low-energy (1-100-keV) electrons; and observations related to the interplanetary propagation of fast particles. Consideration is also given to theoretical acceleration models based on satellite measurements of accelerated ions.

Lin, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Perspectives of future observations on particle acceleration in the heliosphere

The development of the quantitative study of particle acceleration processes in the outer heliosphere into the foreseeable future is outlined. In the near future, the combination of spacecraft, new improved instrumentation, and powerful plasma simulations are expected to enhance the understanding of acceleration processes in the near-earth environment, on the sun, and in the outer heliosphere. The multispacecraft mission CLUSTER will allow the most detailed view of the bow shock, while spacecraft passing through various regions of the inner and outer heliosphere are to provide the large-scale view needed to understand the heliospheric boundary. Improvements in ionic charge resolution and collecting power are to elucidate fractionation processes.

Moebius, Eberhard↗
NASA NTRS1994

Participation in the definition, conduct, and analysis of particle accelerator experiments for the first Spacelab Mission

The Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators (SEPAC) is a joint endeavor between NASA and the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Sciences (ISAS) in Japan. Its objectives are to use energetic electron beams to investigate beam-atmosphere interactions and beam-plasma interactions in the earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere using the shuttle Spacelab. Two flights of SEPAC have occurred to date (Spacelab 1 on STS-9 in Nov.-Dec. 1983 and ATLAS 1 on STS-45 in Mar.-Apr. 1992). The SEPAC instrumentation is available for future missions, and the scientific results of the first two missions justify further investigations; however, at present there are no identifiable future flight opportunities. As specified in the contract, the primary purpose of this report is to review the scientific accomplishments of the ATLAS 1 SEPAC experiments, which have been documented in the published literature, with only a brief review of the earlier Spacelab 1 results. One of the main results of the Spacelab 1 SEPAC experiments was that the ejection of plasma from the magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) arcjet was effective in maintaining vehicle charge neutralization during electron beam firings, but only for a brief period of 10 ms or so. Therefore, a xenon plasma contactor, which can provide continuous vehicle charge neutralization, was developed for the ATLAS 1 SEPAC experiments. Because of the successful operation of the plasma contactor on ATLAS 1, it was possible to perform experiments on beam-plasma interactions and beam-atmosphere interactions at the highest beam power levels of SEPAC. In addition, the ability of the plasma contactor to eject neutral xenon led to a successful experiment on the critical ionization velocity (CIV) phenomena on ATLAS 1.

Burch, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Transverse particle acceleration and diffusion in a planetary magnetic field

A general model of particle acceleration by plasma waves coupled with adiabatic radial diffusion in a planetary magnetic field is developed. The model assumes that a spectrum of lower hybird waves is present to resonantly accelerate ions transverse to the magnetic field. The steady state Green's function for the combined radial diffusion and wave acceleration equation is found in terms of a series expansion. The results provide a rigorous demonstration of how a quasi-Maxwellian distribution function is formed in the absence of particle collisons and elucidate the nature of turbulent heating of magnetospheric plasmas. The solution is applied to the magnetosphere of Neptune for which a number of examples are given illustrating how the spectrum of pickup N(+) ions from Triton evolves.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Gamma-ray spectroscopic tests for the anisotropy of accelerated particles in solar flares

The profiles of 0.429 and 0.478 MeV gamma-ray lines from Be-7 and Li-7 (produced by interactions of flare-accelerated alpha particles with ambient He in the solar atmosphere) and of the 4.438 MeV line from C-12 (produced by inelastic scattering of C-12 by accelerated protons) depend on the angular distribution of the interacting accelerated particles. The line profiles resulting from various assumed accelerated-particle angular distributions are calculated and it is shown that it will be possible to distinguish among them using observations of gamma-ray spectra from solar flares obtained with high resolution detectors.

Murphy, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Particle acceleration near X-type magnetic neutral lines

The behavior of charged particles near X-type magnetic neutral lines is investigated. The magnetic field is taken to be hyperbolic and time stationary, with a uniform electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field. The general properties of the orbits of noninteracting particles in that field geometry are examined. Approximate analytic solutions to the orbit equations are derived by considering a magnetic-insulation picture where there is a hole in the magnetic insulation around the neutral line. Scaling laws for the dependence of the energy gain on strengths of the magnetic and electric fields are derived. The kinetic-energy distribution function for accelerated particles is derived for particles flowing past the neutral line. These analytic derivations are supported by computer simulations, in which the relativistic equations of motion for single test particles are numerically solved and the orbits and kinetic-energy gains of the particles are obtained. A number of simulations were performed and one parameter at a time was varied. Applications of the results to magnetic-neutral-line regions in space physics and astrophysics are possible.

Deeg, Hans-Jorg↗
DOE OSTI2026

Distributions of Particles Accelerated by Strong Alfvénic Turbulence

This work presents a model for generating nonthermal power-law tails of particles’ energy probability density functions in turbulent collisionless plasmas, applicable to both nonrelativistic and relativistic scenarios. We propose that strong Alfvénic turbulence energizes plasma particles through curvature acceleration, particularly for particles with Larmor radii comparable to the scales of turbulence. When the energy density of the energized particles increases, the efficiency of the energy exchange process diminishes. As a result, the acceleration process saturates, leading to power-law distributions of particle momentum and energy. In the nonrelativistic case, the momentum probability density function scales as f(p)dp ∝ p −3 dp, while in the ultrarelativistic case, the energy probability density function scales as f(γ)dγ ∝ γ −3 dγ, where γ is the Lorentz factor. This model provides a unified framework for understanding particle acceleration in both energy regimes, complementing existing analytical approaches. The predicted scalings are consistent with available observations of energetic ion distributions in the heliosphere and with the findings from numerical simulations of ultrarelativistic particle acceleration in magnetically dominated plasma turbulence.

Alfven waves↗
NASA NTRS1987

Energetic particle acceleration in spherically symmetric accretion flows and shocks

Steady state, spherically symmetric solutions of the cosmic-ray transport equation describing the acceleration of energetic particles in galactic accretion flows onto neutron stars, black holes, white dwarfs, and protostars are studied. The results indicate that astrophysical accretion flows can be partitioned into distinct classes depending upon whether the accretion rate lies above or below a critical value of a few times 10 to the -7th stellar masses/yr. When the particle transport is convection-dominated, both classes of accretion flows exhibit a spectral index appropriate for first-order Fermi acceleration at a plane shock in the absence of losses. As the particle transport becomes diffusion-dominated, both classes show a break and precipitous falloff in the particle spectrum due to the escape of these particles from the accretion flow. The precise nature of the spectrum depends on the relationship between the particle momentum and the spatial diffusion coefficient.

Webb, G. M.↗