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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Chaos as the cause of randomness in tearing mode onset times in DIII-D ITER baseline scenario plasmas

The first evidence of widespread chaotic plasma dynamics relevant to the onset of disruptive tearing modes is found in DIII-D tokamak discharges. This evidence is obtained by calculating positive maximal Lyapunov exponents from Mirnov signals using the Rosenstein algorithm, implying the chaotic growth and/or rotation of magnetohydrodynamic modes in DIII-D [Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] plasmas. Such chaotic dynamics offer an explanation for the random tearing mode onset times previously observed in ITER baseline scenario discharges. Further, the Lyapunov timescales associated with this chaos could inhibit reliable prediction of tearing mode onset beyond the angular momentum confinement timescale; this constraint should inform the design of plasma control systems on ITER.

Chaotic dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: coherent structures or 'nanoflares'?

We investigate the intermittency of energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence by identifying dissipative structures and measuring their characteristic scales. We find that the probability distribution of energy dissipation rates exhibits a power-law tail with an index very close to the critical value of –2.0, which indicates that structures of all intensities contribute equally to energy dissipation. We find that energy dissipation is uniformly spread among coherent structures with lengths and widths in the inertial range. At the same time, these structures have thicknesses deep within the dissipative regime. As the Reynolds number is increased, structures become thinner and more numerous, while the energy dissipation continues to occur mainly in large-scale coherent structures. This implies that in the limit of high Reynolds number, energy dissipation occurs in thin, tightly packed current sheets which nevertheless span a continuum of scales up to the system size, exhibiting features of both coherent structures and nanoflares previously conjectured as a coronal heating mechanism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

OPTICAL SPECTRAL OBSERVATIONS OF A FLICKERING WHITE-LIGHT KERNEL IN A C1 SOLAR FLARE

We analyze optical spectra of a two-ribbon, long-duration C1.1 flare that occurred on 2011 August 18 within AR 11271 (SOL2011-08-18T15:15). The impulsive phase of the flare was observed with a comprehensive set of space-borne and ground-based instruments, which provide a range of unique diagnostics of the lower flaring atmosphere. Here we report the detection of enhanced continuum emission, observed in low-resolution spectra from 3600 Å to 4550 Å acquired with the Horizontal Spectrograph at the Dunn Solar Telescope. A small, ≤0.''5 (10{sup 15} cm{sup 2}) penumbral/umbral kernel brightens repeatedly in the optical continuum and chromospheric emission lines, similar to the temporal characteristics of the hard X-ray variation as detected by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on the Fermi spacecraft. Radiative-hydrodynamic flare models that employ a nonthermal electron beam energy flux high enough to produce the optical contrast in our flare spectra would predict a large Balmer jump in emission, indicative of hydrogen recombination radiation from the upper flare chromosphere. However, we find no evidence of such a Balmer jump in the bluemost spectral region of the continuum excess. Just redward of the expected Balmer jump, we find evidence of a ''blue continuum bump'' in the excess emission which may be indicative of the merging of the higher order Balmer lines. The large number of observational constraints provides a springboard for modeling the blue/optical emission for this particular flare with radiative-hydrodynamic codes, which are necessary to understand the opacity effects for the continuum and emission line radiation at these wavelengths.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

RELATIVISTIC (E > 0.6, > 2.0, AND > 4.0 MeV) ELECTRON ACCELERATION AT GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT DURING HIGH-INTENSITY, LONG-DURATION, CONTINUOUS AE ACTIVITY (HILDCAA) EVENTS

Radiation-belt relativistic (E > 0.6, > 2.0, and > 4.0 MeV) electron acceleration is studied for solar cycle 23 (1995-2008). High-intensity, long-duration, continuous AE activity (HILDCAA) events are considered as the basis of the analyses. All of the 35 HILDCAA events under study were found to be characterized by flux enhancements of magnetospheric relativistic electrons of all three energies compared to the pre-event flux levels. For the E > 2.0 MeV electron fluxes, enhancement of >50% occurred during 100% of HILDCAAs. Cluster-4 passes were examined for electromagnetic chorus waves in the 5 < L < 10 and 0 < MLT < 12 region when wave data were available. Fully 100% of these HILDCAA cases were associated with enhanced whistler-mode chorus waves. The enhancements of E > 0.6, > 2.0, and > 4.0 MeV electrons occurred ∼1.0 day, ∼1.5 days, and ∼2.5 days after the statistical HILDCAA onset, respectively. The statistical acceleration rates for the three energy ranges were ∼1.8 × 10{sup 5}, 2.2 × 10{sup 3}, and 1.0 × 10{sup 1} cm{sup –2} s{sup –1} sr{sup –1} d{sup –1}, respectively. The relativistic electron-decay timescales were determined to be ∼7.7, 5.5, and 4.0 days for the three energy ranges, respectively. The HILDCAAs were divided into short-duration (D ≤ 3 days) and long-duration (D > 3 days) events to study the dependence of relativistic electron variation on HILDCAA duration. For long-duration events, the flux enhancements during HILDCAAs with respect to pre-event fluxes were ∼290%, 520%, and 82% for E > 0.6, > 2.0, and > 4.0 MeV electrons, respectively. The enhancements were ∼250%, 400%, and 27% respectively, for short-duration events. The results are discussed with respect to the current understanding of radiation-belt dynamics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The first taste of a hot channel in interplanetary space

A hot channel (HC) is a high temperature (∼10 MK) structure in the inner corona first revealed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Eruptions of HCs are often associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Results of previous studies have suggested that an HC is a good proxy for a magnetic flux rope (MFR) in the inner corona as well as another well known MFR candidate, the prominence-cavity structure, which has a normal coronal temperature (∼1–2 MK). In this paper, we report a high temperature structure (HTS, ∼1.5 MK) contained in an interplanetary CME induced by an HC eruption. According to the observations of bidirectional electrons, high temperature and density, strong magnetic field, and its association with the shock, sheath, and plasma pile-up region, we suggest that the HTS is the interplanetary counterpart of the HC. The scale of the measured HTS is around 14 R {sub ⊙}, and it maintained a much higher temperature than the background solar wind even at 1 AU. It is significantly different from the typical magnetic clouds, which usually have a much lower temperature. Our study suggests that the existence of a corotating interaction region ahead of the HC formed a magnetic container to inhibit expansion of the HC and cool it down to a low temperature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION: CASE STUDIES OF THE M1.1 FLARE ON 2014 SEPTEMBER 6 AND X1.6 FLARE ON 2014 SEPTEMBER 10

With observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, we track the complete evolution of ∼11 MK evaporation flows in an M1.1 flare on 2014 September 6 and an X1.6 flare on 2014 September 10. These hot flows, as indicated by the blueshifted Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line, evolve smoothly with a velocity decreasing exponentially from ∼200 km s{sup −1} to almost stationary within a few minutes. We find a good correlation between the flow velocity and energy deposition rate as represented by the hard X-ray flux observed with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, or time derivative of the soft X-ray flux observed with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and the HINODE X-ray Telescope, which is in general agreement with models of nonthermal electron heating. The maximum blueshift of Fe xxi appears approximately at the same time as or slightly after the impulsive enhancement of the ultraviolet continuum and the Mg ii 2798.8 Å line emission, demonstrating that the evaporation flow is closely related to heating of the lower chromosphere. Finally, while the hot Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line is entirely blueshifted with no obvious rest component, cool chromospheric and transition region lines like Si iv 1402.77 Å are often not entirely redshifted but just reveal an obvious red wing enhancement at the ribbons, suggesting that the speed of chromospheric condensation might be larger than previously thought.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

RECURRENT SOLAR JETS INDUCED BY A SATELLITE SPOT AND MOVING MAGNETIC FEATURES

Recurrent and homologous jets were observed to the west edge of active region NOAA 11513 at the boundary of a coronal hole. We find two kinds of cancellations between opposite polarity magnetic fluxes, inducing the generation of recurrent jets. First, a satellite spot continuously collides with a pre-existing opposite polarity magnetic field and causes recurrent solar jets. Second, moving magnetic features, which emerge near the sunspot penumbra, pass through the ambient plasma and eventually collide with the opposite polarity magnetic field. Among these recurrent jets, a blowout jet that occurred around 21:10 UT is investigated. The rotation of the pre-existing magnetic field and the shear motion of the satellite spot accumulate magnetic energy, which creates the possibility for the jet to experience blowout right from the standard.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

On the structure and statistical theory of turbulence of extended magnetohydrodynamics

Recent progress regarding the noncanonical Hamiltonian formulation of extended magnetohydrodynamics (XMHD), a model with Hall drift and electron inertia, is summarized. The advantages of the Hamiltonian approach are invoked to study some general properties of XMHD turbulence, and to compare them against their ideal MHD counterparts. For instance, the helicity flux transfer rates for XMHD are computed, and Liouville's theorem for this model is also verified. The latter is used, in conjunction with the absolute equilibrium states, to arrive at the spectra for the invariants, and to determine the direction of the cascades, e.g., generalizations of the well-known ideal MHD inverse cascade of magnetic helicity. After a similar analysis is conducted for XMHD by inspecting second order structure functions and absolute equilibrium states, a couple of interesting results emerge. When cross helicity is taken to be ignorable, the inverse cascade of injected magnetic helicity also occurs in the Hall MHD range-this is shown to be consistent with previous results in the literature. In contrast, in the inertial MHD range, viz at scales smaller than the electron skin depth, all spectral quantities are expected to undergo direct cascading. Finally, the consequences and relevance of our results in space and astrophysical plasmas are also briefly discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fast ion transport by sawtooth instability in the presence of ICRF-NBI synergy in JET plasmas

JET experiments have shown that the three-ion scenarios using waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) is an efficient way to build fast ion population through beam ion acceleration by radio frequency (RF) waves. Here, such a heating scheme is applied to plasmas with at least two thermal ion species. Analysis of mixed discharges with complex heating schemes requires a workflow that allows to model thermal and fast ion transport consistently. This paper is dedicated to modelling of a mixed plasma discharge with significant fraction of fast ions and contributes to development of fast ion transport models. For interpretive analysis with the TRANSP code a JET hydrogen-deuterium (HD) plasma discharge with neutral beam injection (NBI) and ICRF heating has been chosen. The task is complicated by NBI-ICRF synergy and plasma magnetohydrodynamic activity, like sawtooth crashes. D beam ions accelerated by RF waves form a high energy tail in fast ion distribution. Significant difference between the neutron rate computed by TRANSP and measured one is observed if the same diffusivity for electrons and ions is assumed. Sensitivity studies show that uncertainties in input plasma parameters and thermal ion transport models are crucial for modelling mixed plasma discharges and increased D transport is required to reach the plasma composition consistent with diagnostic measurements at the plasma edge. Fast ion redistribution by a sawtooth instability is characterised by non-resonant transport due to reconnection of magnetic field lines and resonant transport caused by resonance interaction between the instability and fast ions. With ORBIT simulations it has been shown that resonant interaction strongly affects fast ions of high energies, like beam ions accelerated by RF waves and fusion products. For the considered case, fast ion profiles simulated by ORBIT remain peaked after the sawtooth crashes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

MHD simulations of cold bubble formation from 2/1 tearing mode during massive gas injection in a tokamak

Massive gas injection (MGI) experiments have been carried out in many tokamaks to study disruption dynamics and mitigation schemes. Two events often observed in those experiments are the excitation of the m = 2, n = 1 magnetohydrodynamic mode, and the formation of cold bubble structure in the temperature distribution before the thermal quench (TQ). Here m is the poloidal mode number, n the toroidal mode number. The physics mechanisms underlying those phenomena, however, have not been entirely clear. In this work, our recent NIMROD simulations of the MGI process in a tokamak have reproduced the main features of both events, which has allowed us to examine and establish the causal relation between them. In these simulations, the 3/1 and 2/1 islands are found to form successively after the arrival of impurity ion cold front at the corresponding q = 3 and q = 2 rational surfaces. At the interface between impurity and plasma, a local thin current sheet forms due to an enhanced local pressure gradient and moves inward following the gas cold front, this may contribute to the formation of a dominant 2/1 mode. Following the growth of the 2/1 tearing mode, the impurity penetration into the core region inside the q = 2 surface gives rise to the formation of the cold bubble temperature structure and initiates the final TQ. Here, a subdominant 1/1 mode developed earlier near the q = 1 surface alone does not cause such a cold bubble formation, however, the exact manner of the preceding impurity penetration depends on the nature of the 1/1 mode: kink-tearing or quasi-interchange.

2/1 tearing mode↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spectrum of kinetic-Alfvén-wave turbulence: intermittency or tearing mediation?

We investigate the spectral properties of the electromagnetic fluctuations of sub-ion scale turbulence in weakly collisional, low-beta plasmas using a two-field isothermal gyrofluid model. The numerical results strongly support a description of the turbulence as a critically balanced Kolmogorov-like cascade of kinetic Alfvén wave fluctuations, as amended by previous studies to include intermittency effects. The measured universal index of the energy spectra from systems with different flux-unfreezing mechanisms excludes the role of tearing mediation in determining the spectra. The fluctuations remain isotropic in the plane perpendicular to the strong background magnetic fields as they cascade to smaller scales, which explains the absence of tearing mediation. The calculation of high-order, multipoint structure functions of magnetic fluctuations suggests that the intermittent structures have a quasi-2D, sheet-type morphology. In conclusion, these results are useful for explaining recent observations of the spectrum and structure of magnetic and density fluctuations in the solar wind at sub-proton scales, and are relevant for modelling the energy dissipation in a broad range of astrophysical systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of angular momentum alignment and strong magnetic fields on the formation of protostellar discs

Star-forming molecular clouds are observed to be both highly magnetized and turbulent. Consequently, the formation of protostellar discs is largely dependent on the complex interaction between gravity, magnetic fields, and turbulence. Studies of non-turbulent protostellar disc formation with realistic magnetic fields have shown that these fields are efficient in removing angular momentum from the forming discs, preventing their formation. However, once turbulence is included, discs can form in even highly magnetized clouds, although the precise mechanism remains uncertain. In this work, we introduce several high-resolution simulations of turbulent, realistically magnetized, high-mass molecular clouds with both aligned and random turbulence to study the role that turbulence, misalignment, and magnetic fields have on the formation of protostellar discs. We reveal that when the turbulence is artificially aligned so that the angular momentum is parallel to the initial uniform field, no rotationally supported discs are formed, regardless of the initial turbulent energy. We conclude that turbulence and the associated misalignment between the angular momentum and the magnetic field are crucial in the formation of protostellar discs in the presence of realistic magnetic fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dark photon superradiance: Electrodynamics and multimessenger signals

We study the electrodynamics of a kinetically mixed dark photon cloud that forms through superradiance around a spinning black hole, and design strategies to search for the resulting multimessenger signals. A dark photon superradiance cloud sources a rotating dark electromagnetic field which, through kinetic mixing, induces a rotating visible electromagnetic field. Standard model charged particles entering this field initiate a transient phase of particle production that populates a plasma inside the cloud and leads to a system which shares qualitative features with a pulsar magnetosphere. We study the electrodynamics of the dark photon cloud with resistive magnetohydrodynamics methods applicable to highly magnetized plasma, adapting techniques from simulations of pulsar magnetospheres. We identify turbulent magnetic field reconnection as the main source of dissipation and electromagnetic emission, and compute the peak luminosity from clouds around solar-mass black holes to be as large as 10 43 erg/s for observationally allowed dark photon parameter space. The emission is expected to have a significant x-ray component and to potentially be periodic, with period set by the dark photon mass. The luminosity is comparable to the brightest x-ray sources in the Universe, allowing for searches at distances of up to hundreds of Mpc with existing telescopes. Finally, we discuss observational strategies, including targeted electromagnetic follow-ups of solar-mass black hole mergers and targeted continuous gravitational wave searches of anomalous pulsars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Noninductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity Toroidal Beta

Access to and characterization of sustained, toroidally confined plasmas with a very high plasma-to-magnetic pressure ratio (β t ), low internal inductance, high elongation, and nonsolenoidal current drive is a central goal of present tokamak plasma research. Stable access to this desirable parameter space is demonstrated in plasmas with ultralow aspect ratio and high elongation. Local helicity injection provides nonsolenoidal sustainment, low internal inductance, and ion heating. Equilibrium analyses indicate β t up to ~100% with a minimum |B| well spanning up to ~50% of the plasma volume.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hysteresis Relation between Turbulence and Temperature Modulation during the Heat Pulse Propagation into a Magnetic Island in DIII-D

Here, the hysteresis relation between turbulence and temperature modulation during the heat pulse propagation into a magnetic island is studied for the first time in toroidal plasmas. Lissajous curves of the density fluctuation ($\sim\atop{n}$/n) and the electron temperature (T e ) modulation show that the ($\sim\atop{n}$/n) propagation is faster than the heat pulse propagation near the O-point of the magnetic island. This faster $\sim\atop{n}$/n propagation is an experimental evidence of the turbulence spreading from X-point to the O-point of the magnetic island.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental Observation of Magnetic Island Heteroclinic Bifurcation in Tokamaks

We report empirical observations of magnetic island heteroclinic bifurcation for the first time. This behavior is observed in interacting coupled 2/1 tearing modes in the core of a DIII-D tokamak plasma. Poincaré maps constrained by measured magnetic amplitudes and phasing show bifurcation from heteroclinic to homoclinic topology in the 2/1 island as the 4/2 relative amplitude (R 4/2 ) decreases. Initially, the local electron temperature peak in the 2/1 island splits, consistent with two O points. As R 4/2 decreases a single peak forms, consistent with one O point. Lastly, these call for developing tearing stability theory and control solutions for heteroclinic islands in tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗