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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Heat flux modeling using ion drift effects in DIII-D H-mode plasmas with resonant magnetic perturbations

The heat flux patterns measured in low-collisionality DIII-D H-mode plasmas strongly deviate from simultaneously measured CII emission patterns, used as indicator of particle flux, during applied resonant magnetic perturbations. While the CII emission clearly shows typical striations, which are similar to magnetic footprint patterns obtained from vacuum field line tracing, the heat flux is usually dominated by one large peak at the strike point position. The vacuum approximation, which only considers applied magnetic fields and neglects plasma response and plasma effects, cannot explain the shape of the observed heat flux pattern. One possible explanation is the effect of particle drifts. This is included in the field line equations and the results are discussed with reference to the measurement. Electrons and ions show different drift motions at thermal energy levels in a guiding center approximation. While electrons hardly deviate from the field lines, ions can drift several centimetres away from field line flux surfaces. A model is presented in which an ion heat flux, based on the ion drift motion from various kinetic energies as they contribute to a thermal Maxwellian distribution, is calculated. The simulated heat flux is directly compared to measurements with a varying edge safety factor q{sub 95}. This analysis provides evidence for the dominate effect of high-energy ions in carrying heat from the plasma inside the separatrix to the target. High-energy ions are deposited close to the unperturbed strike line, while low-energy ions can travel into the striated magnetic topology.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Regulation of ion drifts and anisotropies by parametrically unstable finite-amplitude Alfvén-cyclotron waves in the fast solar wind

We study the preferential heating and differential acceleration of minor ions by dissipation of ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) generated by parametric instabilities of a finite-amplitude monochromatic Alfvén-cyclotron pump wave. We consider the associated kinetic effects of Landau damping and nonlinear pitch-angle scattering of protons and α particles in the tenuous plasma of coronal holes and the fast solar wind. Various data collected by Wind spacecraft show signatures for a local transverse heating of the minor ions, presumably by Alfvén-cyclotron wave dissipation, and an unexpected parallel heating by a so far unknown mechanism. Here, we present the results from a set of 1.5 dimensional hybrid simulations in search for a plausible explanation for the observed field-aligned kinetic features in the fast solar wind minor ions. We investigate the origin and regulation of ion relative drifts and temperature anisotropies in low plasma β, fast solar wind conditions. Depending on their initial drifts, both ion species can heat up not only transversely through cyclotron resonance and non-resonant wave-particle interactions, but also strongly in the parallel direction by Landau damping of the daughter IAWs. We discuss the dependence of the relative ion drifts and temperature anisotropies on the plasma β of the individual species and we describe the effect of the pump wave amplitude on the ion heating and acceleration.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The slow collisional E×B ion drift characterized as the major instability mechanism of a poorly magnetized plasma column with an inward-directed radial electric field

The low-frequency instability of a cylindrical poorly magnetized plasma with an inward-directed radial electric field is studied changing the gas pressure and the ion cyclotron frequency. The unstable frequency always decreases when the gas pressure is increased indicating collisional effects. At a fixed pressure, the unstable frequency increases with the magnetic field when the B-field is low and decreases at larger magnetic field strength. We find that the transition between these two regimes is obtained when the ion cyclotron frequency equals the ion-neutrals collision frequency. This is in agreement with the theory of the slow-ion drift instability induced by the collisional slowing of the electric ion drift [A. Simon, Phys. Fluids 6, 382 (1963)].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Negative Ion Drift Time Projection Chamber Development for High-Resolution Tracking

Gas Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) are used extensively in High Energy Physics. Modern micro-pattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs) have made it feasible to construct large-volume TPCs with high readout granularity, so that ionization can be imaged with spatial resolution of order 100 μm or better. A challenge with large TPCs is preserving the track geometry over large drift distances. The reduced diffusion offered by negative ion drift (NID) has long been considered a possible means to scaling up TPCs at reduced cost, but NID has up to now required toxic and often flammable multi-component gas mixtures. A number of recent breakthroughs in the field have, however, led to a resurgence of interest in NID gas TPCs: First, it was found that multiple charge carriers in NID can be utilized to measure the absolute position of primary ionization in the drift direction, yielding a powerful new handle on backgrounds, at zero additional cost. Second, work by one of the PIs has revealed SF6 gas to be a non-toxic, non-flammable, NID gas with suitable minority charge carriers present. Third, preliminary work by the PIs suggests that multiple MPGD technologies work well with SF6. This opens the door to a new generation of large, high-resolution, low-background, low-cost gas TPCs. In this work we will investigate MPGD charge multiplication and charge readout in NID TPCs with SF6 gas. The objectives are to quantify the improvement over electron drift TPCs, and to identify the optimal MPGD types, operational parameters, electronics, and vacuum technologies for future low-background experiments. We will measure low-level detector performance parameters such as gain, gain resolution, and spatial resolution, as well as the resulting higher-level performance parameters such nuclear recoil identification efficiency, gamma-ray background rejection, track angle resolution and recoil energy resolution. The proposed work also includes investigation of acrylic vacuum vessels and collaboration on dedicated charge readout chips, both required for next-generation NID MPGD TPCs. MGPD NID TPCs may prove transformative for applications which require both high readout granularity and large detector volumes, such as the reconstruction of nuclear recoils in the context of large-scale directional dark matter searches, measurements of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering, and directional neutron detection. While the proposed work is focused on nuclear recoils, the lessons learned will be widely applicable to gas TPCs in HEP, and hence have broad impact.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Negative Ion Drift TPC Development for High-Resolution Tracking --- Final Technical Report

We have measured the avalanche gain and gain resolution in prototype negative ion drift gas time projection chambers (NID TPCs). Measurements utilizing the fill gas SF6 and gain stages consisting of thick and thin gas electron multipliers (GEMs) were performed. Simulation studies comparing the sensitivity of different TPC charge readout strategies have also been performed. This work is part of the wider international CYGNUS proto-collaboration effort, where we investigate the feasibility of a large-scale nuclear recoil observatory with directional sensitivity to dark matter and neutrinos. Results to date suggest that it will be feasible to construct a cost-effective directional detector with recoil energy threshold and electron discrimination energy threshold below 10 keVee. Such a detector would be able to penetrate the so-called neutrino floor that will soon be limiting non-directional dark matter search experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Approximation of the characteristics of ion drift in parent gas

The drift velocities of noble-gas and mercury ions in a constant homogeneous electric field are calculated using Monte Carlo simulations. The ion mobility is analyzed as a function of the field strength and gas temperature. The fitting parameters for calculating the drift velocity by the Frost formula at gas temperatures of 4.2, 77, 300, 1000, and 2000 K are obtained. A general approximate formula for the drift velocity as a function of the reduced field and gas temperature is derived.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Positive charging of grains in an afterglow plasma is enhanced by ions drifting in an electric field

In a plasma, the polarity of a dust grain's charge is typically negative, but it can reverse and become positive in an afterglow, when the power sustaining the plasma is switched off. This positive charging, which occurs in the afterglow's first few milliseconds, is studied for grains much larger than a few nm. It is hypothesized that the positive charging is enhanced by the presence of a dc electric field, which causes ions to drift through the neutral gas. A larger value of the reduced electric field E/N leads to a larger ion kinetic energy and thus a greater collection of positive charge on a grain. The maximum possible positive charge is attained if the grain's surface potential rises to match the ion kinetic energy, at a time before ions have departed and the grain's charge becomes frozen. Thereafter, when vacuum conditions prevail, the grain will retain its positive residual charge. In an experiment, dust grains were electrically levitated in a capacitively coupled plasma until the power was abruptly turned off. In the afterglow, grains fell faster than expected due to gravity alone, indicating a downward electric force, in the presence of a remaining dc electric field. Acceleration measurements yielded repeatable results for the residual charge's value, which was of the order +10 4 e and increased with E/N, supporting the hypothesis.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Negative Ion Drift TPC Development for High-Resolution Tracking (Final Technical Report)

Together with our Japanese (Kobe) and US collaborators (Hawaii and Wellesley), we proposed work on negative-ion time projection chambers (NITPC) with the recently discovered NI gas, SF 6 . The 1-year proposal requested $\$$37,699 at UNM to extend our work on studying the properties of SF 6 and to perform R&D on a novel TPC readout scheme that employs timing alone to reconstruct short tracks in 2-dimensions. The proposal was approved but the budget reduced to $\$$8K, thereby reducing the scope of the project. We chose to focus our efforts on R&D of the novel TPC readout (the “tilted GEM” readout) and used our funds for materials and supplies and machine shop time at UNM. Support for manpower, such as an engineer, graduate student and the PI were not included. Here we provide a fuller motivation for this R&D (which was not possible in the very short proposal) and describe the accomplishments over the ~1.5 year of the grant (including a NCE).

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Drift paths of ions composing multiple-nose spectral structures near the inner edge of the plasma sheet

Here in this paper, we present a case study of the H + , He + , and O + multiple-nose structures observed by the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron instrument on board Van Allen Probe A over one complete orbit on 28 September 2013. Nose structures are observed near the inner edge of the plasma sheet and constitute the signatures of ion drift in the highly dynamic environment of the inner magnetosphere. We find that the multiple noses are intrinsically associated with variations in the solar wind. Backward ion drift path tracings show new details of the drift trajectories of these ions; i.e., multiple noses are formed by ions with a short drift time from the assumed source location to the inner region and whose trajectories (1) encircle the Earth different number of times or (2) encircle the Earth equal number of times but with different drift time, before reaching the observation site.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhancing Biological Analyses with Three Dimensional Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility, Low Field Drift Time Ion Mobility and Mass Spectrometry (µFAIMS/IMS-MS) Separations

We report the first evaluation of a platform coupling a high speed field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry microchip (µFAIMS) with drift tube ion mobility and mass spectrometry (IMS-MS). The µFAIMS/IMS-MS platform was used to analyze biological samples and simultaneously acquire multidimensional information of detected features from the measured FAIMS compensation fields and IMS drift times, while also obtaining accurate ion masses. These separations thereby increase the overall separation power, resulting increased information content, and provide more complete characterization of more complex samples. The separation conditions were optimized for sensitivity and resolving power by the selection of gas compositions and pressures in the FAIMS and IMS separation stages. The resulting performance provided three dimensional separations, benefitting both broad complex mixture studies and targeted analyses by e.g. improving isomeric separations and allowing detection of species obscured by “chemical noise” and other interfering peaks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

A structural examination and collision cross section database for over 500 metabolites and xenobiotics using drift tube ion mobility spectrometry

The confident identification of metabolites and xenobiotics in biological and environmental studies is an analytical challenge due to their immense dynamic range, vast chemical space and structural diversity. Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is widely used for small molecule analyses since it can separate isomeric species and be easily coupled with front end separations and mass spectrometry for multidimensional characterizations. However, to date IMS metabolomic and exposomic studies have been limited by an inadequate number of accurate collision cross section (CCS) values for small molecules, causing features to be detected but not confidently identified. In this work, we utilized drift tube IMS (DTIMS) to directly measure CCS values for over 450 small molecules including primary metabolites, secondary metabolites and xenobiotics. Since DTIMS measurements do not need calibrates, they avoid calibration errors which can cause CCS accuracy problems and difficulties identifying structurally similar molecules. Furthermore, all measurements were performed in triplicate in both positive and negative polarities with nitrogen gas and seven different electric fields, so that relative standard deviations (RSD) could be assessed for each molecule and structural differences studied. The primary metabolites selected for the database are from key metabolism pathways such as glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, while the secondary metabolites consist of classes such as terpenes and flavonoids, and the xenobiotics represent a range of molecules from antibiotics to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Different CCS trends were observed for several of the diverse small molecule classes, allowing insight in their separations and a possible why of classifying unknowns. This CCS database and structural information are freely available for download at http://panomics.pnnl.gov/metabolites/ with new molecules being added monthly.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Comparison of MHD stability properties between QH-mode and ELMy H-mode plasmas by considering plasma rotation and ion diamagnetic drift effects

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability at tokamak edge pedestal in a quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) and type-I ELMy H-mode plasmas in DIII-D experiment was analyzed by considering plasma rotation and ion diamagnetic drift effects. QH-mode plasma is marginally stable to kink/peeling mode (K/PM), but ELMy H-mode one is almost unstable to peeling-ballooning mode (PBM). It was identified that there are three physics features responsible for the difference in the MHD stability properties between QH-mode plasma and ELMy H-mode one. These are the distance of pedestal foot from the last closed flux surface (LCFS), the amount of the ion diamagnetic drift frequency at pedestal, and impact of coupled rotation and ion diamagnetic drift effects. These features were confirmed through the numerical experiments that the stability properties of the QH-mode plasma can be changed to that of the ELMy H-mode one by shifting the plasma profiles inward in the radial direction and halving the ion diamagnetic drift frequency. The reasons of the change in the stability properties are thought as that K/PM is stabilized due to the inward shift of the bootstrap current profile, and PBM is destabilized due to the reduction of the coupled rotation and ion diamagnetic drift stabilizing effect. Importance of these features was validated through numerical experiments with experimental data of other QH-mode plasmas in DIII-D. All the results show that MHD stability properties of QH-mode plasma can be obtained in case that pedestal foot is close to LCFS, ion diamagnetic drift frequency is large due to high ion temperature, and strong rotation shear exists near pedestal.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Coupled ion acoustic and drift waves in magnetized superthermal electron-positron-ion plasmas

Linear and nonlinear coupled drift-ion acoustic waves are investigated in a nonuniform magnetoplasma having kappa distributed electrons and positrons. In the linear regime, the role of kappa distribution and positron content on the dispersion relation has been highlighted; it is found that strong superthermality (low value of κ) and addition of positrons lowers the phase velocity via decreasing the fundamental scalelengths of the plasmas. In the nonlinear regime, first, coherent nonlinear structure in the form of dipoles and monopoles are obtained and the boundary conditions (boundedness) in the context of superthermality and positron concentrations are discussed. Second, in case of scalar nonlinearity, a Korteweg–de Vries-type equation is obtained, which admit solitary wave solution. It is found that both compressive and rarefactive solitons are formed in the present model. The present work may be useful to understand the low frequency electrostatic modes in inhomogeneous electron positron ion plasmas, which exist in astrophysical plasma situations such as those found in the pulsar magnetosphere.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Can we observe the ion-neutral drift velocity in prestellar cores?

Given the low-ionization fraction of molecular clouds, ambipolar diffusion is thought to be an integral process in star formation. However, chemical and radiative-transfer effects, observational challenges, and the fact that the ion-neutral drift velocity is inherently very small render a definite detection of ambipolar diffusion extremely non-trivial. Here, we study the ion-neutral drift velocity in a suite of chemodynamical, non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), two-dimensional axisymmetric simulations of prestellar cores where we alter the temperature, cosmic-ray ionization rate, visual extinction, mass-to-flux ratio, and chemical evolution. Subsequently, we perform a number of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative-transfer calculations considering various idealized and non-idealized scenarios in order to assess which factor (chemistry, radiative transfer, and/or observational difficulties) is the most challenging to overcome in our efforts to detect the ion-neutral drift velocity. We find that temperature has a significant effect in the amplitude of the drift velocity with the coldest modelled cores (T = 6 K) exhibiting drift velocities comparable to the sound speed. Against expectations, we find that in idealized scenarios (where two species are perfectly chemically co-evolving) the drift velocity ‘survives’ radiative-transfer effects and can in principle be observed. However, we find that observational challenges and chemical effects can significantly hinder our view of the ion-neutral drift velocity. Finally, we propose that HCN and HCNH + ⁠, being chemically co-evolving, could be used in future observational studies aiming to measure the ion-neutral drift velocity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Heating and acceleration of solar wind ions by turbulent wave spectrum in inhomogeneous expanding plasma

Near the Sun (< 10R{sub s}) the acceleration, heating, and propagation of the solar wind are likely affected by the background inhomogeneities of the magnetized plasma. The heating and the acceleration of the solar wind ions by turbulent wave spectrum in inhomogeneous plasma is studied using a 2.5D hybrid model. The hybrid model describes the kinetics of the ions, while the electrons are modeled as massless neutralizing fluid in an expanding box approach. Turbulent magnetic fluctuations dominated by power-law frequency spectra, which are evident from in-situ as well as remote sensing measurements, are used in our models. The effects of background density inhomogeneity across the magnetic field on the resonant ion heating are studied. The effect of super-Alfvénic ion drift on the ion heating is investigated. It is found that the turbulent wave spectrum of initially parallel propagating waves cascades to oblique modes, and leads to enhanced resonant ion heating due to the inhomogeneity. The acceleration of the solar wind ions is achieved by the parametric instability of large amplitude waves in the spectrum, and is also affected by the inhomogeneity. The results of the study provide the ion temperature anisotropy and drift velocity temporal evolution due to relaxation of the instability. The non-Maxwellian velocity distribution functions (VDFs) of the ions are modeled in the inhomogeneous solar wind plasma in the acceleration region close to the Sun.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Properties of convective cells generated in magnetized toroidal plasmas

Convective cells for turbulence control, generated by means of biased electrodes, are investigated in the simple magnetized toroidal plasmas of TORPEX. A two-dimensional array of 24 electrodes is installed on a metal limiter to test different biasing schemes. This allows influencing significantly both radial and vertical blob velocities. It is shown that these changes agree quantitatively with the flows deduced from the time averaged potential perturbations induced by the biasing. Detailed measurements along and across the magnetic field provide a rather clear picture of the effect of biasing on time averaged profiles. The biased electrodes produce perturbations of the plasma potential and density profiles that are fairly uniform along the magnetic field. Background flows influence the location where potential variations are induced. The magnitude of the achievable potential variations in the plasma is strongly limited by cross-field currents and saturates at large bias voltages once the electrodes draw electron saturation current. A quantitative discussion on the origin of cross-field currents is presented, considering contributions related with diamagnetic drifts, ion inertia, collisions with neutrals, and viscosity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetohydrodynamic slow mode with drifting He{sup ++}: Implications for coronal seismology and the solar wind

The MHD slow mode wave has application to coronal seismology, MHD turbulence, and the solar wind where it can be produced by parametric instabilities. We consider analytically how a drifting ion species (e.g. He{sup ++}) affects the linear slow mode wave in a mainly electron-proton plasma, with potential consequences for the aforementioned applications. Our main conclusions are as follows. 1. For wavevectors highly oblique to the magnetic field, we find solutions that are characterized by very small perturbations of total pressure. Thus, our results may help to distinguish the MHD slow mode from kinetic Alfvén waves and non-propagating pressure-balanced structures, which can also have very small total pressure perturbations. 2. For small ion concentrations, there are solutions that are similar to the usual slow mode in an electron-proton plasma, and solutions that are dominated by the drifting ions, but for small drifts the wave modes cannot be simply characterized. 3. Even with zero ion drift, the standard dispersion relation for the highly oblique slow mode cannot be used with the Alfvén speed computed using the summed proton and ion densities, and with the sound speed computed from the summed pressures and densities of all species. 4. The ions can drive a non-resonant instability under certain circumstances. For low plasma beta, the threshold drift can be less than that required to destabilize electromagnetic modes, but damping from the Landau resonance can eliminate this instability altogether, unless T{sub e} /T{sub p} >> 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗