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At least 19 records

Sequential-Impulse Generator Uses Fiber-Optics

Light pulse from a ruby or neodymium-glass laser enters miniature optics of repetitive-detonation apparatus. Traveling along a bundle of optical fibers, light strikes laser-sensitive microdetonator and charge explodes. Apparatus then advances next charge in train into position. Possible applications of sequential-impulse generator are in creating shock waves for aerodynamics research and in generating electrical power by magnetohydrodynamics.

Yang, L. C.↗

Impulsively generated fast coronal pulsations

Rapid oscillations in the corona are discussed from a theoretical standpoint, developing some previous work on ducted, fast magnetoacoustic waves in an inhomogeneous medium. In the theory, impulsively (e.g., flare) generated mhd (magnetohydrodynamic) waves are ducted by regions of low Alfven speed (high density) such as coronal loops. Wave propagation in such ducts is strongly dispersive and closely akin to the behavior of Love waves in seismology, Pekeris waves in oceanography and guided waves in fiber optics. Such flare-generated magnetoacoustic waves possess distinctive temporal signatures consisting of periodic, quasi-periodic and decay phases. The quasi-periodic phase possesses the strongest amplitudes and the shortest time scales. Time scales are typically of the order of a second for inhomogeneities (coronal loop width) of 1000 km and Alfven speeds of 1000/kms, and pulse duration times are of tens of seconds. Quasi-periodic signatures have been observed in radio wavelengths for over a decade and more recently by SMM. It is hoped that the theoretical ideas outlined may be successfully related to these observations and thus aid the interpretation of oscillatory signatures recorded by SMM. Such signatures may also provide a diagnostic of coronal conditions. New aspects of the ducted mhd waves, for example their behavior in smoothly varying as opposed to tube-like inhomogeneities, are currently under investigation. The theory is not restricted to loops but applied equally to open field regions.

Edwin, P. M.↗

Modeling Attitude Dynamics in Simulink: A Study of the Rotational and Translational Motion of a Spacecraft Given Torques and Impulses Generated by RMS Hand Controllers

In order to study and control the attitude of a spacecraft, it is necessary to understand the natural motion of a body in orbit. Assuming a spacecraft to be a rigid body, dynamics describes the complete motion of the vehicle by the translational and rotational motion of the body. The Simulink Attitude Analysis Model applies the equations of rigid body motion to the study of a spacecraft?s attitude in orbit. Using a TCP/IP connection, Matlab reads the values of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) hand controllers and passes them to Simulink as specified torque and impulse profiles. Simulink then uses the governing kinematic and dynamic equations of a rigid body in low earth orbit (LE0) to plot the attitude response of a spacecraft for five seconds given known applied torques and impulses, and constant principal moments of inertia.

Mauldin, Rebecca H.↗

Method for predicting impulsive noise generated by wind turbine rotors

Large wind turbines can generate both broad band and impulsive noises. These noises can be controlled by proper choice of rotor design parameters such as rotor location with respect to the supporting tower, tower geometry and tip speed. A method was developed to calculate the impulsive noise generated when the wind turbine blade experiences air forces that are periodic functions of the rotational frequency. This phenomenon can occur when the blades operate in the wake of the support tower and the nonuniform velocity field near the ground due to wind shear. Results from this method were compared with measured sound spectra taken at locations of one to two rotor diameters from the DOE/NASA Mod-1 wind turbine. The calculated spectra generally agreed with the measured data in both the amplitude of the predominant harmonics and the roll of rate with frequency. Measured sound pressure levels far from the Mod-1 (15 rotor diameters), however, were higher than predicted. Simultaneous measurements in the near and far field indicated that the propagation effects could enhance the sound levels by more than 10 dB above that expected by spherical dispersion. These propagation effects are believed to be due to terrain and atmospheric characteristics of the Mod-1 site.

Viterna, L. A.↗

Optimum Three Impulse Trajectory Generator with Patched Conic Trajectory Model

Optimal multi-impulse trajectories were investigated as a nominal about which asymptotic expansion was used to obtain approximations of optimal low thrust trajectories. The work consisted of the analysis and description of an optimal 3-impulse trajectory program. A patched-conic trajectory model was specifically designed for compatibility with the subsequent addition of the low thrust expansion approximation.

Payne, M. H.↗

Sedimentological effects of tsunamis, with particular reference to impact-generated and volcanogenic waves

Impulse-generated waves (tsunamis) may be produced, at varying scales and global recurrence intervals (RI), by several processes. Meteorite-water impacts will produce tsunamis, and asteroid-scale impacts with associated mega-tsunamis may occur. A bolide-water impact would undoubtedly produce a major tsunami, whose sedimentological effects should be recognizable. Even a bolide-land impact might trigger major submarine landslides and thus tsunamis. In all posulated scenarios for the K/T boundary event, then, tsunamis are expected, and where to look for them must be determined, and how to distinguish deposits from different tsunamis. Also, because tsunamis decrease in height as they move away from their source, the proximal effects will differ by perhaps orders of magnitude from distal effects. Data on the characteristics of tsunamis at their origin are scarce. Some observations exist for tsunamis generated by thermonuclear explosions and for seismogenic tsunamis, and experimental work was conducted on impact-generated tsunamis. All tsunamis of interest have wave-lengths of 0(100) km and thus behave as shallow-water waves in all ocean depths. Typical wave periods are 0(10 to 100) minutes. The effect of these tsunamis can be estimated in the marine and coastal realm by calculating boundary shear stresses (expressed as U*, the shear velocity). An event layer at the K/T boundary in Texas occurs in mid-shelf muds. Only a large, long-period wave with a wave height of 0(50) m, is deemed sufficient to have produced this layer. Such wave heights imply a nearby volcanic explosion on the scale of Krakatau or larger, or a nearby submarine landslide also of great size, or a bolide-water impact in the ocean.

Bourgeois, Joanne↗

Electron Density Measurements Using USPR (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

UC Davis has fabricated an ultrashort pulse reflectometer (USPR) diagnostic instrument for electron density profile measurements on compact, short duration, magnetically-confined fusion-energy concept devices such as spheromaks and FRCs. The USPR system transmits extremely short duration (~few nsec) chirped waveforms that together span 29 to 75 GHz. These chirped waveforms illuminate and reflect from the target plasma, with each frequency component reflecting from a different density layer (higher frequencies probe deeper into the plasma before reflecting). The reflected waveforms are split into roughly 42 different frequencies; time-of-flight (TOF) measurements made at each frequency with high resolution (~25 psec measurement resolution which corresponds to ~5 mm). These TOF data may then be inverted via software to generate electron density profiles with high time resolution (~10 μsec). At the heart of the system is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) based controller which collects and processes all of the USPR data in addition to generating all of the control signals required for maximum flexibility. The FPGA controller has the software flexibility to be easily reconfigured for different plasma devices, and the entire system sufficiently compact to be easily and quickly transported between devices. A high speed impulse generator was transformed into a set of three ultrashort pulse transmitter chirps using a combination of dispersive waveguide, frequency doublers and high-pass filters. A mm-wave controller was fabricated to sequentially switch between the three chirps, directing the chirps one-by-one to three different mm-wave assemblies spanning 29-75 GHz. Each mm-wave assembly consists of a high power active multiplier chain which converts the transmitter chirp to higher frequencies, and a broadband mixer which downconverts the reflected waveform to the 2-18 GHz range of the UPSR receiver. The 16-channel receiver (shared by all 3 mm-wave assemblies) was fabricated employing custom TOF modules capable of operating at a high 1 MHz sampling rate. Laboratory testing of the full system revealed the presence of unwanted harmonics from the multiplication process, with interference observed in the downconverted reflections at selected frequency channels that could not be completely filtered out. Additional interference effects arising from internal reflections within the mm-wave assemblies were minimized using a high-speed switch which served to “gate out” much of these reflections. The USPR diagnostic was transported and installed onto the HIT-SIU plasma device, becoming operational on 11/08/2022. Although designed to span 3 distinct mm-wave bands, the HIT-SIU plasmas at this time were sufficiently low density such that only the lowest of the three bands was likely to have strong plasma reflections. The system was then set to operate on only the lowest band (assembly #1), with data collected every 1 μsec rather than 3 μsec which would have been the case when cycling through all three bands. Connected to HIT-SIU, time-varying plasma reflections were observed on 9 of 16 possible frequency channels. Close examination of the data collected revealed issues previously unobserved in laboratory testing, associated with (a) reflections from the small aperture horns required for operation within the HIT-SIU device, and (b) a dependence of the recorded TOF with the threshold voltage of a given channel. Plans were made to address each of these issues before undertaking any future campaigns.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Auto-Gopher-2 - Wireline Deep Sampler Driven by Percussive Piezoelectric Actuator and Rotary EM Motors

Two of the key purposes of future NASA’s solar system exploration of planetary bodies are the search for potentially preserved bio-signatures and for habitable regions. To address these objectives, a biologically inspired wireline deep rotary-percussive drill, called Auto-Gopher, has been developed. This drill employs a piezoelectric-actuated percussive mechanism for generating impulsive stresses and breaking formations, and an electric motor to rotate the bit to break material and remove the cuttings. Initially, the drill was designed as percussive mechanism for sampling ice and was demonstrated in 2005 at Lake Vida, Antarctica, reaching about 2 meters depth. The lessons learned suggested there is a need to augment the percussive action with bit rotation in order to maximize the penetration rate. The first generation implementation of the rotary augmentation was focused on the demonstration of this capability. In 2012, during the 3-day field test, the drill reached a 3-meter deep in gypsum. A separate mechanism was used to break and remove the cores. The average drilling power consumption was in the range of 100-150 Watts, while the rate of penetration was approximately 2.4 meters per hour. Currently under development is the second-generation drill, called Auto-Gopher-2. The drill will be fully autonomous. In this paper, the capabilities that are being integrated into the Auto-Gopher-2 are described and discussed.

Auto-Gopher Drill↗

Slow Magnetosonic Waves and Fast Flows in Active Region Loops

Recent extreme ultraviolet spectroscopic observations indicate that slow magnetosonic waves are present in active region (AR) loops. Some of the spectral data were also interpreted as evidence of fast (approx 100-300 km/s) quasiperiodic flows. We have performed three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D MHD) modeling of a bipolar AR that contains impulsively generated waves and flows in coronal loops. The model AR is initiated with a dipole magnetic field and gravitationally stratified density, with an upflow-driven steadily or periodically in localized regions at the footpoints of magnetic loops. The resulting flows along the magnetic field lines of the AR produce higher density loops compared to the surrounding plasma by injection of material into the flux tubes and the establishment of siphon flow.We find that the impulsive onset of flows with subsonic speeds result in the excitation of damped slow magnetosonic waves that propagate along the loops and coupled nonlinearly driven fast-mode waves. The phase speed of the slow magnetosonic waves is close to the coronal sound speed. When the amplitude of the driving pulses is increased we find that slow shock-like wave trains are produced. When the upflows are driven periodically, undamped oscillations are produced with periods determined by the periodicity of the upflows. Based on the results of the 3D MHD model we suggest that the observed slow magnetosonic waves and persistent upflows may be produced by the same impulsive events at the bases of ARs.

Magnetohydrodynamics-Sun Activity↗

Shocks propagate in a 2D dusty plasma with less attenuation than due to gas friction alone

In a dusty plasma, an impulsively generated shock, i.e., blast wave, was observed to decay less than would be expected due to gas friction alone. In the experiment, a single layer of microparticles was levitated in a radio frequency glow-discharge plasma. In this layer, the microparticles were self-organized as a 2D solid-like strongly coupled plasma, which was perturbed by the piston-like mechanical movement of a wire. To excite a blast wave, the wire's motion was abruptly stopped, so that the input of mechanical energy ceased at a known time. It was seen that, as it propagated across the layer, the blast wave's amplitude persisted with little decay. This result extends similar findings, in previous experiments with 3D microparticle clouds, to the case of 2D clouds. In our cloud, out-of-plane displacements were observed, lending support to the possibility that an instability, driven by wakes in the ion flow, provides energy that sustains the blast wave's amplitude despite the presence of gas damping.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ultrafast Enhancement of Ferromagnetic Spin Exchange Induced by Ligand-to-Metal Charge Transfer

Here, we theoretically predict and experimentally demonstrate a nonthermal pathway to optically enhance superexchange interaction energies in a material based on exciting ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transitions, which introduces lower-order virtual hopping contributions that are absent in the ground state. We demonstrate this effect in the layered ferromagnetic insulator CrSiTe 3 by exciting Te-to-Cr charge-transfer transitions using ultrashort laser pulses and detecting coherent phonon oscillations that are impulsively generated by superexchange enhancement via magneto-elastic coupling. This mechanism kicks in below the temperature scale where short-range in-plane spin correlations begin to develop and disappears when the excitation energy is tuned away from the charge-transfer resonance, consistent with our predictions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

TMS XTRRA experiments on NIF

The study of x-ray induced rapid heating and the resulting material responses - (thermomechanical shock (TMS) and thermo-structural response (TSR)) - is important to our understanding of material behavior in extreme environments. A series of high conversion efficiency (XRCE) x-ray sources have been developed for the NIF laser facility ranging in fluence and spectral content. In conjunction with source development, we have developed a new XTRRA (X-ray Transport and Radiation Response Analysis) test cassette to hold a set of samples, each at equal distance from target chamber center (TCC) where the x-ray source is placed. Design and performance details of the x-ray sources is discussed elsewhere. Here, we describe the development and use of this TMS XTRRA test cassette. The XTRRA test cassette is a snout mounted on a NIF Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM) designed to position six samples equidistant from the x-ray source to assure uniform irradiation of all samples. Photon Displacement interferometry (PDI) is used to measure the displacement of the rear surface of each sample resulting from x-ray exposure on the front of the sample. This will help determine the x-ray generated impulse on the sample. The samples are retrieved from the snout after the shot for inspection and post-shot analysis including the measurement of sample ablated mass and engineering tests examining changes in the material structure. The data from experiments are compared to predictions from LLNL’s ASC codes and used to inform models implemented in these codes. Thus, XRCE x-ray sources with the XTRRA snout at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory [1,2] provide the ability to expose a broad range of material samples directly to high x-ray fluence, measure shock transits, and recover the sample for further analysis post-shot.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Thermo-Mechanical Shock, X-Ray Transport and Radiation Response Analysis Experiments on NIF

The study of x-ray induced rapid heating and the resulting material responses - (thermomechanical shock (TMS) and thermo-structural response (TSR)) - is important to our understanding of material behavior in extreme environments. A series of high conversion efficiency (XRCE) x-ray sources have been developed for the NIF laser facility ranging in fluence and spectral content. In conjunction with source development, we have developed a new XTRRA (X-ray Transport and Radiation Response Analysis) test cassette to hold a set of samples, each at equal distance from target chamber center (TCC) where the x-ray source is placed. Design and performance details of the x-ray sources is discussed elsewhere. Here, we describe the development and use of this TMS XTRRA test cassette. The XTRRA test cassette is a snout mounted on a NIF Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM) designed to position six samples equidistant from the x-ray source to assure uniform irradiation of all samples. Photon Displacement interferometry (PDI) is used to measure the displacement of the rear surface of each sample resulting from x-ray exposure on the front of the sample. This will help determine the x-ray generated impulse on the sample. The samples are retrieved from the snout after the shot for inspection and post-shot analysis including the measurement of sample ablated mass and engineering tests examining changes in the material structure. The data from experiments are compared to predictions from LLNL’s ASC codes and used to inform models implemented in these codes. Thus, XRCE x-ray sources with the XTRRA snout at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provide the ability to expose a broad range of material samples directly to high x-ray fluence, measure shock transits, and recover the sample for further analysis post-shot.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Gaussian and click noise in an FM/FM multiplex receiver.

An FM/FM system is one in which the signal information frequency modulates a subcarrier, which, in turn, frequency modulates a main carrier for transmission. The detection process then involves two frequency demodulators in sequence. Using Rice's click model for both FM demodulators, we obtain the average click rate and an approximate output spectrum that include the effect of the impulses generated by the carrier demodulator on the subcarrier demodulation at and below threshold. We then focus on the threshold behavior of these systems and the proportioning of their modulation parameters so as to provide certain desired characteristics. We find that due to the filtering action of the second demodulator, the number of output clicks from carrier generated spikes can be orders of magnitude smaller, yet their contribution to the output noise can be much greater than that produced by the first demodulation.

Stochel, N. H.↗