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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Discovery and analysis of low-surface-brightness galaxies in the environment of NGC 1052

The environment of NGC 1052 has recently attracted much attention because of the presence of low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) with apparently “exotic” properties, making it a region of high interest for the detection of new objects. Here, we used public deep photometric data from the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey to carry out a comprehensive search for LSBGs over a wide region of 6 × 6 degrees, equivalent to 2 × 2 Mpc at the distance of NGC 1052. We detected 42 LSBGs with r eff > 5 arcsec and μ g (0) > 24 mag arcsec -2 , of which 20 are previously undetected objects. Among all the newly detected objects, RCP 32 stands out with extreme properties: r eff = 23.0 arcsec and $\langle$μ g $\rangle$ eff = 28.6 mag arcsec -2 . This makes RCP 32 one of the lowest surface brightness galaxies ever detected through integrated photometry, located at just 10 arcmin from the extensively studied NGC 1052-DF2. We explored the presence of globular clusters (GCs) in the LSBGs. We marginally detected a GC system in RCP 32, and argue that this LSBG is of great interest for follow-up observations given its extremely low baryon density. After analyzing the distribution of galaxies with available spectroscopy, we identified a large-scale structure of approximately 1 Mpc that is well isolated in redshift space and centered on NGC 1052. The spatial correlation analysis between the LSBGs and this large-scale structure suggests their association. However, when exploring the distribution of effective radius, we find an overpopulation of large LSBGs (r eff > 15 arcsec) located close to the line of sight of NGC 1052. We argue that this is suggestive of a substructure with similar radial velocity in sight projection, but at a closer distance, to which some of these apparently larger LSBGs could be associated. However, possible effects derived from tidal interactions are worthy of further study. Our work expands the catalog of LSBGs with new interesting objects and provides a detailed environmental context for the study of LSBGs in this region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Moment expansion of polarized dust SED: A new path towards capturing the CMB B -modes with LiteBIRD

Accurate characterization of the polarized dust emission from our Galaxy will be decisive in the quest for the cosmic microwave background (CMB) primordial B-modes. An incomplete modeling of its potentially complex spectral properties could lead to biases in the CMB polarization analyses and to a spurious measurement of the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. It is particularly crucial for future surveys like the LiteBIRD satellite, the goal of which is to constrain the faint primordial signal leftover by inflation with an accuracy on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r of the order of 10 –3 . Variations of the dust properties along and between lines of sight lead to unavoidable distortions of the spectral energy distribution (SED) that cannot be easily anticipated by standard component-separation methods. This issue can be tackled using a moment expansion of the dust SED, an innovative parametrization method imposing minimal assumptions on the sky complexity. In the present paper, we apply this formalism to the B-mode cross-angular power spectra computed from simulated LiteBIRD polarization data at frequencies between 100 and 402 GHz that contain CMB, dust, and instrumental noise. The spatial variation of the dust spectral parameters (spectral index β and temperature T) in our simulations lead to significant biases on r (~21 σ r ) if not properly taken into account. Performing the moment expansion in β, as in previous studies, reduces the bias but does not lead to sufficiently reliable estimates of r. We introduce, for the first time, the expansion of the cross-angular power spectra SED in both β and T, showing that, at the sensitivity of LiteBIRD, the SED complexity due to temperature variations needs to be taken into account in order to prevent analysis biases on r. Thanks to this expansion, and despite the existing correlations between some of the dust moments and the CMB signal responsible for a rise in the error on r, we can measure an unbiased value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio with a dispersion as low as σ r = 8.8 × 10 –4 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

TDCOSMO. IX. Systematic comparison between lens modelling software programs: time delay prediction for WGD 2038-4008

The importance of alternative methods for measuring the Hubble constant, such as time-delay cosmography, is highlighted by the recent Hubble tension. It is paramount to thoroughly investigate and rule out systematic biases in all measurement methods before we can accept new physics as the source of this tension. In this study, we perform a check for systematic biases in the lens modelling procedure of time-delay cosmography by comparing independent and blind time-delay predictions of the system WGD 2038-4008 from two teams using two different software programs: GLEE and LENSTRONOMY. The predicted time delays from the two teams incorporate the stellar kinematics of the deflector and the external convergence from line-of-sight structures. The un-blinded time-delay predictions from the two teams agree within 1.2σ, implying that once the time delay is measured the inferred Hubble constant will also be mutually consistent. However, there is a ~4σ discrepancy between the power-law model slope and external shear, which is a significant discrepancy at the level of lens models before the stellar kinematics and the external convergence are incorporated. We identify the difference in the reconstructed point spread function (PSF) to be the source of this discrepancy. When the same reconstructed PSF was used by both teams, we achieved excellent agreement, within ~0.6σ<, indicating that potential systematics stemming from source reconstruction algorithms and investigator choices are well under control. We recommend that future studies supersample the PSF as needed and marginalize over multiple algorithms or realizations for the PSF reconstruction to mitigate the systematics associated with the PSF. A future study will measure the time delays of the system WGD 2038-4008 and infer the Hubble constant based on our mass models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The dynamical state of RXCJ1230.7+3439: A multi-substructured merging galaxy cluster

We analyse the kinematical and dynamical state of the galaxy cluster RXCJ1230.7+3439 (RXCJ1230), at $z$ = 0.332 using 93 new spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies acquired at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and from SDSS DR16 public data. We study the density galaxy distribution retrieved from photometric SDSS multiband data and find that RXCJ1230 appears as a clearly isolated peak in the redshift space, with a global line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion of $σ$ v = 1004 -122 +147 km s -1 . Several tests applied to the spatial and velocity distributions reveal that RXCJ1230 is a complex system with the presence of three subclusters, located to the southwest, east, and south with respect to the main body of the cluster, containing several bright galaxies (BGs) in their respective cores. Our analyses confirm that the three substructures are in a pre-merger phase, where the main interaction takes place with the southwest subclump, almost in the plane of the sky. We compute a velocity dispersion of $σ$ v ~ 1000 and $σ$ v ~ 800 km s -1 for the main cluster and the southwest substructure, respectively. The central main body and southwest substructure differ by ~870 km s -1 in the LOS velocity. From these data, we estimate a dynamical mass of $M$ 200 = 9.0 ± 1.5 × 1014 $M$ ⊙ and 4.4 ± 3.3 × 1014 $M$ ⊙ for the RXCJ1230 main body and southwest clump, respectively, which reveals that the cluster will undergo a merger characterised by a 2:1 mass ratio impact. We solve a two-body problem for this interaction and find that the most likely solution suggests that the merging axis lies ~17° from the plane of the sky and the subcluster will fully interact in ~0.3 Gyr. However, a slight excess in the X-ray temperature observed in the southwest clump confirms a certain degree of interaction already. The comparison between the dynamical masses and those derived from X-ray data reveals good agreement within errors (differences ~15%), which suggests that the innermost regions (< r 500 ) of the galaxy clumps are almost in hydrostatical equilibrium. In summary, RXCJ1230 is a young but also massive cluster in a pre-merging phase accreting other galaxy systems from its environment.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optical/X-ray/radio view of Abell 1213: A galaxy cluster with anomalous diffuse radio emission

Context. Abell 1213, a low-richness galaxy system, is known to host an anomalous radio halo detected in data of the Very Large Array (VLA). It is an outlier with regard to the relation between the radio halo power and the X-ray luminosity of the parent clusters. Aims. Our aim is to analyze the cluster in the optical, X-ray, and radio bands to characterize the environment of its diffuse radio emission and to shed new light on its nature. Methods. We used optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to study the internal dynamics of the cluster. We also analyzed archival XMM-Newton X-ray data to unveil the properties of its hot intracluster medium. Finally, we used recent data from the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at 144 MHz, together with VLA data at 1.4 GHz, to study the spectral behavior of the diffuse radio source. Results. Both our optical and X-ray analysis reveal that this low-mass cluster exhibits disturbed dynamics. In fact, it is composed of several galaxy groups in the peripheral regions and, in particular, in the core, where we find evidence of substructures oriented in the NE–SW direction, with hints of a merger nearly along the line of sight. The analysis of the X-ray emission adds further evidence that the cluster is in an unrelaxed dynamical state. At radio wavelengths, the LOFAR data show that the diffuse emission is ~510 kpc in size. Moreover, there are hints of low-surface-brightness emission permeating the cluster center. Conclusions. The environment of the diffuse radio emission is not what we would expect for a classical halo. The spectral index map of the radio source is compatible with a relic interpretation, possibly due to a merger in the N–S or NE–SW directions, in agreement with the substructures detected through the optical analysis. The fragmented, diffuse radio emissions at the cluster center could be attributed to the surface brightness peaks of a faint central radio halo.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

TDCOSMO. XII. Improved Hubble constant measurement from lensing time delays using spatially resolved stellar kinematics of the lens galaxy

Strong-lensing time delays enable measurement of the Hubble constant ($H_{0}$) independently of other traditional methods. The main limitation to the precision of time-delay cosmography is mass-sheet degeneracy (MSD). Some of the previous TDCOSMO analyses broke the MSD by making standard assumptions about the mass density profile of the lens galaxy, reaching 2% precision from seven lenses. However, this approach could potentially bias the $H_0$ measurement or underestimate the errors. For this work, we broke the MSD for the first time using spatially resolved kinematics of the lens galaxy in RXJ1131$-$1231 obtained from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectroscopy, in combination with previously published time delay and lens models derived from Hubble Space Telescope imaging. This approach allowed us to robustly estimate $H_0$, effectively implementing a maximally flexible mass model. Following a blind analysis, we estimated the angular diameter distance to the lens galaxy $D_{\rm d} = 865_{-81}^{+85}$ Mpc and the time-delay distance $D_{\Delta t} = 2180_{-271}^{+472}$ Mpc, giving $H_0 = 77.1_{-7.1}^{+7.3}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ - for a flat $\Lambda$ cold dark matter cosmology. The error budget accounts for all uncertainties, including the MSD inherent to the lens mass profile and the line-of-sight effects, and those related to the mass-anisotropy degeneracy and projection effects. Our new measurement is in excellent agreement with those obtained in the past using standard simply parametrized mass profiles for this single system ($H_0 = 78.3^{+3.4}_{-3.3}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$) and for seven lenses ($H_0 = 74.2_{-1.6}^{+1.6}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$), or for seven lenses using single-aperture kinematics and the same maximally flexible models used by us ($H_0 = 73.3^{+5.8}_{-5.8}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$). This agreement corroborates the methodology of time-delay cosmography.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Early photometric and spectroscopic observations of the extraordinarily bright INTEGRAL-detected GRB 221009A

Context. GRB 221009A, initially detected as an X-ray transient by Swift, was later revealed to have triggered the Fermi satellite about an hour earlier, marking it as a post-peak observation of the event’s emission. This GRB distinguished itself as the brightest ever recorded, presenting an unparalleled opportunity to probe the complexities of GRB physics. The unprecedented brightness, however, challenged observation efforts, as it led to the saturation of several high-energy instruments.Aims. Our study seeks to investigate the nature of the INTEGRAL-detected GRB 221009A and elucidate the environmental conditions conducive to these exceptionally powerful bursts. Moreover, we aim to understand the fundamental physics illuminated by the detection of teraelectronvolt (TeV) photons emitted by GRB 221009A.Methods. We conducted detailed analyses of early photometric and spectroscopic observations that span from the Fermi trigger through to the initial days following the prompt emission phase in order to characterize GRB 221009A’s afterglow, and we complemented these analyses with a comparative study.Results. Our findings from analyzing INTEGRAL data confirm GRB 221009A as the most energetic event observed to date. Early optical observations during the prompt phase negate the presence of bright optical emissions with internal or external shock origins. Spectroscopic analyses enabled us to measure GRB 221009A’s distance and line-of-sight properties. The afterglow’s temporal and spectral analysis suggests prolonged activity of the central engine and a transition in the circumburst medium’s density. Finally, we discuss the implications for fundamental physics of detecting photons as energetic as 18 TeV from GRB 221009A.Conclusions. Early optical observations have proven invaluable for distinguishing between the potential origins of optical emissions in GRB 221009A, underscoring their utility in GRB physics studies. However, the rarity of such data underscores the need for dedicated telescopes capable of synchronous multiwavelength observations. Additionally, our analysis suggests that the host galaxies of TeV GRBs share commonalities with those of long and short GRBs. Expanding the sample of TeV GRBs could further solidify these findings.Key words: techniques: photometric / techniques: spectroscopic / gamma-ray burst: general / gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 221009A

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bounds on galaxy stochasticity from halo occupation distribution modeling

The joint probability distribution of matter overdensity and galaxy counts in cells is a powerful probe of cosmology, and the extent to which variance in galaxy counts at fixed matter density deviates from Poisson shot noise is not fully understood. The lack of informed bounds on this stochasticity is currently the limiting factor in constraining cosmology with the galaxy–matter probability distribution function (PDF). We investigate stochasticity in the conditional distribution of galaxy counts along lines of sight with fixed matter density, and we present a halo occupation distribution (HOD)-based approach for obtaining plausible ranges for stochasticity parameters. To probe the high-dimensional space of possible galaxy–matter connections, we derive a set of HODs that conserve the galaxies’ linear bias and number density to produce RED M A G I C-like galaxy catalogs within the A BACUS S UMMIT suite of N -body simulations. We study the impact of individual HOD parameters and cosmology on stochasticity and perform a Monte Carlo search in HOD parameter space subject to the constraints on bias and density. In mock catalogs generated by the selected HODs, shot noise in galaxy counts spans both sub-Poisson and super-Poisson values, ranging from 80% to 133% of Poisson variance for cells with mean matter density. Nearly all of the derived HODs show a positive relationship between local matter density and stochasticity. For galaxy catalogs with higher stochasticity, modeling galaxy bias to second order is required for an accurate description of the conditional PDF of galaxy counts at fixed matter density. The presence of galaxy assembly bias also substantially extends the range of stochasticity in the super-Poisson direction. This HOD-based approach leverages degrees of freedom in the galaxy–halo connection to obtain informed bounds on nuisance model parameters and can be adapted to study other parametrizations of shot noise in galaxy counts, in particular to motivate prior ranges on stochasticity for cosmological analyses.

Britt, Dylan (ORCID:000000019905601X)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Localizing the non-thermal X-ray emission of PSR J2229+6114 from its multi-wavelength pulse profiles

Context.Pulsars are detected over the whole electromagnetic spectrum, from radio wavelengths up to very high energies, in the GeV-TeV range. While the radio emission site for young pulsars is well constrained to occur at altitudes about several percent of the light-cylinder radius andγ-ray emission is believed to be produced in the striped wind, outside the light cylinder, the non-thermal X-ray production site remains unknown. Aims.The aim of this Letter is to localize the non-thermal X-ray emission region based on a multi-wavelength pulse profile fitting for PSR J2229+6114, which stands as a particularly good candidate given its high X-ray brightness. Methods.Based on the geometry deduced from the joint radio andγ-ray pulse profiles, we fixed the magnetic axis inclination angle and the line-of-sight (LoS) inclination angle. However, we left the region of X-ray emission unlocalized, setting it somewhere between the surface and the light cylinder. We localized this region and its extension by fitting the X-ray pulse profile as observed by the NICER,NuSTAR, and RXTE telescopes in the ranges of 2–7 keV, 3–10 keV, and 9.4–22.4 keV, respectively. Results.We constrained the non-thermal X-ray emission to arise from altitudes between 0.2 r L and 0.55 r L wherer L is the light-cylinder radius. The magnetic obliquity is approximatelyα ≈ 45° −50° and the LoS inclination angle isζ ≈ 32° −48°. Conclusions.This Letter is among the first works to offer a tight constraint on the location of non-thermal X-ray emission from pulsars. We plan to apply this procedure to several other promising candidates to confirm this new result.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

The aluminium-26 distribution in a cosmological simulation of a Milky Way-type Galaxy

Context . The 1.8 MeV γ -rays corresponding to the decay of the radioactive isotope 26 Al (with a half-life of 0.72 Myr ) have been observed by the SPI detector on the INTEGRAL spacecraft and extensively used as a tracer of star formation and current nucleosynthetic activity in the Milky Way Galaxy. Further information is encoded in the observation related to the higher 26 Al content found in regions of the Galaxy with the highest line-of-sight (LoS) velocity relative to an observer located in the Solar System. However, this feature remains unexplained. Aims . We ran a cosmological “zoom-in” chemodynamical simulation of a Milky Way-type galaxy, including the production and decays of radioactive nuclei in a fully self-consistent way. We then analyzed the results to follow the evolution of 26 Al throughout the lifetime of the simulated galaxy to provide a new method for interpreting the 26 Al observations. Methods . We included the massive star sources of 26 Al in the Galaxy and its radioactive decay into a state-of-the-art galactic chemical evolution model, coupled with cosmological growth and hydrodynamics. This approach allowed us to follow the spatial and temporal evolution of the 26 Al content in the simulated galaxy. Results . Our results are in agreement with the observations with respect to the fact that gas particles in the simulation with relatively higher 26 Al content also have the highest LoS velocities. On the other hand, gas particles with relatively lower 26 Al content (i.e., not bright enough to be observed) generally display the lowest LoS velocities. However, this result is not conclusive because the overall rotational velocity of our simulated galaxy is higher than that observed for cold CO gas in the Milky Way Galaxy. Furthermore, we found no significant correlation between gas temperature, rotational velocity, and 26 Al content at any given radius. We also found the presence of transient 26 Al-rich spots at low LoS velocities and we show that one such spot had been captured by the INTEGRAL/SPI data. Based on our model, we present a prediction for the detection of 1.8 MeV γ -rays by the future COSI mission. We find that according to our model, the new instrument will be able to observe similar 26 Al-emission patterns to those seen by INTEGRAL/SPI.

Wehmeyer, B. (ORCID:0009000254149292)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Selection function of clusters in Dark Energy Survey year 3 data from cross-matching with South Pole Telescope detections

Context. Galaxy clusters selected based on overdensities of galaxies in photometric surveys provide the largest cluster samples. However, modeling the selection function of such samples is complicated by noncluster members projected along the line of sight (projection effects) and the potential detection of unvirialized objects (contamination). Aims. We empirically constrained the magnitude of these effects by cross-matching galaxy clusters selected in the Dark Energy Survey data with the redMaPPer algorithm with significant detections in three South Pole Telescope surveys (SZ, pol-ECS, pol-500d). Methods. For matched clusters, we augmented the redMaPPer catalog with the SPT detection significance. For unmatched objects we used the SPT detection threshold as an upper limit on the SZe signature. Using a Bayesian population model applied to the collected multiwavelength data, we explored various physically motivated models to describe the relationship between observed richness and halo mass. Results. Our analysis reveals a clear preference for models with an additional skewed scatter component associated with projection effects over a purely log-normal scatter model. We rule out significant contamination by unvirialized objects at the high-richness end of the sample. While dedicated simulations offer a well-fitting calibration of projection effects, our findings suggest the presence of redshift-dependent trends that these simulations may not have captured. Our findings highlight that modeling the selection function of optically detected clusters remains a complicated challenge that requires a combination of simulation and data-driven approaches.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

TDCOSMO 2025: Cosmological constraints from strong lensing time delays

We present cosmological constraints from eight strongly lensed quasars (hereafter, the TDCOSMO-2025 sample). Building on previous work, our analysis incorporated new deflector stellar velocity dispersions measured from spectra obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Keck Telescopes, and the Very Large Telescope (VLT), utilizing improved methods. We used integrated JWST stellar kinematics for five lenses, VLT-MUSE for 2, and resolved kinematics from Keck and JWST for RX J1131−1231. We also considered two samples of non-time-delay lenses: 11 from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) sample with Keck-KCWI resolved kinematics; and four from the Strong Lenses in the Legacy Survey (SL2S) sample. We improved our analysis of line-of-sight effects, the surface brightness profile of the lens galaxies, and orbital anisotropy, and corrected for projection effects in the dynamics. Our uncertainties are maximally conservative by accounting for the mass-sheet degeneracy in the deflectors’ mass density profiles. The analysis was blinded to prevent experimenter bias. Our primary result is based on the TDCOSMO-2025 sample, in combination with Ωm constraints from the Pantheon+ Type Ia supernovae (SN) dataset. In the flat Λ cold dark matter (CDM), we find H0 = 71.6+3.9−3.3 km s−1 Mpc−1. The SLACS and SL2S samples are in excellent agreement with the TDCOSMO-2025 sample, improving the precision on H0 in flat ΛCDM to 4.6%. Using the Dark Energy Survey SN Year-5 dataset (DES-SN5YR) or DESI-DR2 baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) likelihoods instead of Pantheon+ yields very similar results. We also present constraints in the open ΛCDM, wCDM, w0waCDM, and wϕCDM cosmologies. The TDCOSMO H0 inference is robust and consistent across all presented cosmological models, and our cosmological constraints in them agree with those from the BAO and SN.Key words: cosmological parameters / cosmology: observations / dark energy / distance scale⋆⋆ Brinson Fellow.⋆⋆⋆ NHFP Einstein Fellow.

Birrer, Simon [SUNY, Stony Brook] (ORCID:000000033↗
DOE OSTI2020

Inferring thermal ion temperature and residual kinetic energy from nuclear measurements in inertial confinement fusion implosions

In inertial con finement fusion implosion experiments, the presence of residual anisotropic fluid motion within the stagnating hot spot leads to signifi cant variations in ion-temperature measurements using neutron time- of-flight detectors along different lines of sight. The minimum ion-temperature measurement is typically used as representative of the thermal temperature. In the presence of isotropic flows, however, even the minimum DT neutron-inferred ion temperature can be well above the plasma thermal temperature. Using both DD and DT neutron-inferred ion-temperature measurements, we show that it is possible to determine the contribution of isotropic flows and infer the DT burn-averaged thermal ion temperature. The contribution of large isotropic flows on driving the ratio of DD to DT neutron-inferred ion temperatures well below unity and approaching the lower bound of 0.8 is demonstrated in multimode simulations. The minimum DD neutron- inferred ion temperature is determined from the velocity variance analysis, accounting for the presence of isotropic flows. Being close to the DT burn-averaged thermal ion temperature, the inferred DD minimum ion temperatures demonstrate a strong correlation with the experimental yields in the OMEGA implosion database. An analytical expression is also derived to explain the effect of mode ℓ = 1 ion-temperature measurement asymmetry on yield degradations caused by the anisotropic flows.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

X-ray phase contrast and absorption imaging for the quantification of transient cavitation in high-speed nozzle flows

In this work, high-flux synchrotron radiation has been employed in a time-resolved manner to characterise the distinct topology features and dynamics of different cavitation regimes arising in a throttle orifice with an abrupt flow-entry contraction. Radiographs obtained though both X-ray phase- contrast and absorption imaging have been captured at 67,890 frames per second. The flow lied in the turbulent regime (Re=35,500), while moderate (CN=2.0) to well-established (CN=6.0) cavitation conditions were examined encompassing the cloud and vortical cavitation regimes with pertinent transient features, such as cloud-cavity shedding. X-ray Phase-Contrast Imaging (XPCI), exploiting the shift in the X-ray wave phase during interactions with matter, offers sharp-refractive index gradients in the interface region. Hence, it is suitable for capturing fine morphological fluctuations of transient cavitation structures. Nevertheless, the technique cannot provide information on the quantity of vapour within the orifice. Such data have been obtained utilising absorption imaging, where beam attenuation is not associated with scattering and refraction events, and hence can be explicitly correlated with the projected vapour thickness in line-of-sight measurements. A combination of the two methods is proposed, as it has been found is capable of quantifying the vapour content arising in the complex nozzle flow, while also faithfully illustrating the dynamics of the highly-transient cavitation features.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

The effect of areal density asymmetries on scattered neutron spectra in ICF implosions

Scattered neutron spectroscopy is a diagnostic technique commonly used to measure areal density in inertial confinement fusion experiments. Deleterious areal density asymmetries modify the shape of the scattered neutron spectrum. In this work, a novel analysis is developed, which can be used to fit the shape change. This will allow experimental scattered neutron spectroscopy to directly infer the amplitude and mode of the areal density asymmetries, with little sensitivity to confounding factors that affect other diagnostics for areal density. The model is tested on spectra produced by a neutron transport calculation with both isotropic and anisotropic primary fusion neutron sources. Multiple lines of sight are required to infer the areal density distribution over the whole sphere—we investigate the error propagation and optimal detector arrangement associated with the inference of mode 1 asymmetries.

Crilly, A. J. (ORCID:0000000204299332)↗
DOE OSTI2021

An x-ray penumbral imager for measurements of electron–temperature profiles in inertial confinement fusion implosions at OMEGA

Hot-spot shape and electron temperature (T e ) are key performance metrics used to assess the efficiency of converting shell kinetic energy into hot-spot thermal energy in inertial confinement fusion implosions. X-ray penumbral imaging offers a means to diagnose hot-spot shape and T e , where the latter can be used as a surrogate measure of the ion temperature (T i ) in sufficiently equilibrated hot spots. We have implemented a new x-ray penumbral imager on OMEGA. We demonstrate minimal line-of-sight variations in the inferred T e for a set of implosions. Furthermore, we demonstrate spatially resolved T e measurements with an average uncertainty of 10% with 6 μm spatial resolution.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mitigation of mode-one asymmetry in laser-direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions

Nonuniformities present in the laser illumination and target in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion experiments lead to an asymmetric compression of the target, resulting in an inefficient conversion of shell kinetic energy to thermal energy of the hot-spot plasma. In this paper, the effects of asymmetric compression of cryogenic deuterium tritium laser-direct-drive implosions are examined using a suite of nuclear and x-ray diagnostics on the OMEGA laser. The neutron-averaged hot-spot velocity (u → hs ) and apparent ion temperature (T i ) asymmetry are determined from neutron time-of-flight measurements of the primary deuterium tritium fusion neutron energy spectrum, while the areal density (ρR) of the compressed fuel surrounding the hot spot is inferred from measurements of the scattered neutron energy spectrum. Here, the low-mode perturbations of the hot-spot shape are characterized from x-ray self-emission images recorded along three quasi-orthogonal lines of sight. Implosions with significant mode-1 laser drive asymmetries show large hot-spot velocities (>100 km/s) in a direction consistent with the hot-spot elongation observed in x-ray images, measured T i asymmetry, and ρR asymmetry. Laser drive corrections have been applied through shifting the initial target location in order to mitigate the observed asymmetry. With the asymmetry corrected, a more-symmetric hot spot is observed with reduced u → hs , T i asymmetry, ρR asymmetry, and a 30% increase in the fusion yield.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Real-time nuclear activation detectors for measuring neutron angular distributions at the National Ignition Facility (invited)

The Real Time Nuclear Activation Detector (RTNAD) array at NIF measures the distribution of 14 MeV neutrons emitted by deuterium-tritium (DT) fueled inertial confinement fusion implosions. The uniformity of the neutron distribution is an important indication of implosion symmetry and DT shell integrity. The array consists of 48 LaBr 3 (Ce) crystal gamma-ray spectrometers mounted outside the NIF target chamber, which continuously monitor the slow decay of the 909 keV gamma-ray line from activated 89 Zr located in Zr cups surrounding each crystal. The measured decay rate dramatically increases during a DT implosion in proportion to the number of 14 MeV neutrons striking each Zr cup. The neutrons produce activated 89 Zr through an (n, 2n) reaction on 90 Zr, which is insensitive to low energy neutrons. The neutron flux along the detector line-of-sight at shot time is determined by extrapolating the fitted 909 keV decay curve back to shot time. Automatic analysis algorithms were developed to handle the non-stop data stream. The large number of detectors and the high statistical accuracy of the array enable the spherical harmonic modes of the neutron angular distribution to be measured up to L ≤ 4 to provide a better understanding of implosion dynamics. In addition, these data combined with measurements of the down-scattered neutrons can be used to derive fuel areal density distributions. This paper will describe the RTNAD hardware and analysis procedures.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗