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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

Striation pattern of target particle and heat fluxes in three dimensional simulations for DIII-D

The application of resonant magnetic perturbations results in a non-axisymmetric striation pattern of magnetic field lines from the plasma interior which intersect the divertor targets. The impact on related particle and heat fluxes is investigated by three dimensional computer simulations for two different recycling conditions (controlled via neutral gas pumping). It is demonstrated that a mismatch between the particle and heat flux striation pattern (splitting vs. no splitting), as is repeatedly observed in ITER similar shape H-mode plasmas at DIII-D, can be reproduced by the simulations for high recycling conditions at the onset of partial detachment. These results indicate that a detailed knowledge of the particle and energy balance is at least as important for realistic simulations as the consideration of a change in the magnetic field structure by plasma response effects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A self-consistent hybrid model of kinetic striations in low-current argon discharges

A self-consistent hybrid model of standing and moving striations was developed for low-current DC discharges in noble gases. We introduced the concept of surface diffusion in phase space ( r , u ) (where u denotes the electron kinetic energy) described by a tensor diffusion in the nonlocal Fokker–Planck kinetic equation for electrons in the collisional plasma. Electrons diffuse along surfaces of constant total energy ε = u - eφ ( r ) between energy jumps in inelastic collisions with atoms. Numerical solutions of the 1d1u kinetic equation for electrons were obtained by two methods and coupled to ion transport and Poisson solver. We studied the dynamics of striation formation in Townsend and glow discharges in argon gas at low discharge currents using a two-level excitation-ionization model and a ‘full-chemistry’ model, which includes stepwise and Penning ionization. Standing striations appeared in Townsend and glow discharges at low currents, and moving striations were obtained for the discharge currents exceeding a critical value. These waves originate at the anode and propagate towards the cathode. We have seen two types of moving striations with the two-level and full-chemistry models, which resemble the s and p striations previously observed in the experiments. Simulations indicate that processes in the anode region could control moving striations in the positive column plasma. The developed model helps clarify the nature of standing and moving striations in DC discharges of noble gases at low discharge currents and low gas pressures.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ionization instability induced striations in low frequency and pulsed He/H 2 O atmospheric pressure plasmas

In previous work [Kawamura et al., Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 25, 054009 (2016)] and [Kawamura et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50, 145204 (2017)], 1D kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of narrow gap (1 to 4 mm), high frequency (27 MHz) or dc-driven, He/2%H 2 O atmospheric pressure plasmas (APPs) showed an ionization instability resulting in standing striations (spatial oscillations) in the bulk plasma. We developed a steady-state striation theory which showed that the striations are due to non-local electron kinetics. In both the high frequency and dc-driven cases, the equilibrium electron density n 0 in the plasma bulk was stationary. In this work, we first conduct 1D PIC simulations of a 1 mm gap He/2%H 2 O APP, driven by a sinusoidal current at a low frequency of f = 50 kHz such that ω = 2 πf is well below the ionization frequency ν iz . In this case, n 0 varies with time, and we observe a time-varying instability which quasistatically depends on n 0 ( t ). At each phase of the rf cycle, the discharge resembles a dc discharge at the same n 0 . At higher frequencies (200 kHz–1 MHz), ω approaches ν iz , and quasistatic equilibrium at each phase breaks down. The discharge is also driven with a 200 kHz, 50% duty cycle square wave pulse with a short rise and fall time of 0.1 μs in an attempt to directly measure the striation growth rate s during the on-cycle before it saturated. However, the spike in current during the rise time leads to a spike in electron temperature T e and hence ν iz and s at the beginning of the rise which saturated during the beginning of the on-cycle. To predict the instability growth rate and saturation during and after the current spike, we extend our striation theory to include time-varying n 0 , T e , ν iz , as well as terms for the nonlinear saturation and noise floor of the striation amplitude. Furthermore, the time-varying global model predictions are compared to the PIC simulations, showing reasonable agreement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Striations in moderate pressure dc driven nitrogen glow discharge

Plasma stratification has been studied for more than a century. Despite the many experimental studies reported on this topic, theoretical analyses and numerical modeling of this phenomenon have been mostly limited to rare gases. In this work, a one-dimensional fluid model with detailed kinetics of electrons and vibrationally excited molecules is employed to simulate moderate-pressure (i.e. a few Torrs) dc discharge in nitrogen in a 15.5 cm long tube of radius 0.55 cm. The model also considers ambipolar diffusion to account for the radial loss of ions and electrons to the wall. The proposed model predicts self-excited standing striations in nitrogen for a range of discharge currents. The impact of electron transport parameters and reaction rates obtained from a solution of local two-term and a multi-term Boltzmann equation on the predictions are assessed. In-depth kinetic analysis indicates that the striations result from the undulations in electron temperature caused due to the interaction between ionization and vibrational reactions. Furthermore, the vibrationally excited molecules associated with the lower energy levels are found to influence nitrogen plasma stratification and the striation pattern strongly. A balance between ionization processes and electron energy transport allows the formation of the observed standing striations. Simulations were conducted for a range of discharge current densities from ~0.018 to 0.080 mA cm –2 , for an operating pressure of 0.7 Torr. Parametric studies show that the striation length decreases with increasing discharge current. Furthermore, the predictions from the model are compared against experimental measurements and are found to agree favorably.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Multi-mode ionization instability induced striations in RF driven He/H 2 O atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) discharges

Previously [E. Kawamura et al., Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 25, 054009 (2016) and E. Kawamura et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50, 145204 (2017)], one dimensional (1D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of 1 to 4mm gap, He/2%H 2 O atmospheric pressure plasma discharges showed an ionization instability resulting in bulk striations. Assuming that the ionization rate coefficient K iz is related to the root mean square electric field E by K iz &prop; E q , a striation theory showed that q<0 is a necessary condition for the instability. A local calculation yielded q>0, implying that nonlocal electron kinetics are required for the instability. Wider gaps can fit in a wider range of wavelengths, resulting in multi-mode striations. Previously, we assumed a single mean q value for each discharge, and did not calculate q for each mode separately. Here, we develop a wavelength resolved global striation model and apply it to 1D PIC simulations of 4mm gap discharges with input currents J rf = 0.04 to 0.30A/cm 2 . We first examine a base case at 0.23A/cm 2 and observe a mixture of unstable modes within a window of wavelengths λ. At shorter λ, the modes are suppressed by diffusion. At longer λ, we observe a transition to locality in which q becomes less negative with increasing λ, approaching its local positive value and stabilizing the modes. The window of unstable modes shifts to shorter λ with increasing J rf , causing the modes to be suppressed by diffusion at higher J rf . At lower J rf , the decrease in bulk plasma density with decreasing J rf suppresses the striations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

EXCITATION OF KINETIC ALFVEN WAVES BY DENSITY STRIATION IN MAGNETO-PLASMAS

Field-aligned density striation is one of the most common inhomogeneity phenomena in magneto-plasmas, such as in the solar coronal plasma and terrestrial auroral plasma. Kinetic Alfven waves (KAWs) can play an important role in the inhomogeneous heating of coronal magneto-plasmas as well as in the local acceleration of auroral energetic electrons. In this paper, we study the dispersion and instability of KAWs in a magneto-plasma with density striation structures. Results show that KAWs become unstable in the presence of the density striation and the corresponding instability has a maximal growth rate at the perpendicular wavelength close to the spatial scale of the density gradient. Related experimental phenomena in both laboratory and space plasmas are discussed. It is suggested that the excitation of KAWs by the density striation of magneto-plasmas can be of potential importance in understanding the physics of the formation of magneto-plasma filaments and their heating mechanisms, which are often present in the terrestrial auroral plasma, the solar coronal plasma, and other astrophysical plasmas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatiotemporal measurements of striations in a glow discharge’s positive column using laser-collisional induced fluorescence

Here we have observed the behavior of striations caused by ionization waves propagating in low-pressure helium DC discharges using the non-invasive laser-collision induced fluorescence (LCIF) diagnostic. To achieve this, we developed an analytic fit of collisional radiative model (CRM) predictions to interpret the LCIF data and recover quantitative two-dimensional spatial maps of the electron density, n e , and the ratios of LCIF emission states that can be correlated with T e with the use of accurate distribution functions at localized positions within striated helium discharges at 500 mTorr, 750 mTorr, and 1 Torr. To our knowledge, these are the first spatiotemporal, laser-based, experimental measurements of n e in DC striations. The n e and 447:588 ratio distributions align closely with striation theory. Constriction of the positive column appears to occur with decreased gas pressure, as shown by the radial n e distribution. We identify a transition from a slow ionization wave to a fast ionization wave between 750 mTorr and 1 Torr. These experiments validate our analytic fit of n e , allowing the implementation of an LCIF diagnostic in helium without the need to develop a CRM.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measurement of the electron energy distribution in moving striations at low gas pressures

The time-resolved Electron Energy Distribution Functions (EEDFs) have been measured at different phases of moving striations in a positive column of DC discharge in argon gas. A very low gas pressure of 10 mTorr, a high energy resolution (to resolve the low energy part of the EEDF), and the dynamic range up to 3–4 orders of magnitude (to resolve the EEDF tail) with a temporal resolution of 2.5 μs distinguish our work from previous publications. The measured EEDFs reveal drastic changes in time of their low energy parts with the formation of a low energy peak. The observed EEDF dynamics is explained in the framework of nonlocal electron kinetics as electric field reversals and the trapping of low-energy electrons in potential wells propagating with striation along the discharge tube. Finally, the formation of the low energy peak in the EEDF is similar to that in rf capacitive and inductive discharges at low gas pressures where the low-energy electrons are trapped in the potential well created by the ambipolar electric field and cannot penetrate into the areas of electron heating by strong rf electric fields

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Periodic striations on beryllium and tungsten surfaces by indirect femtosecond laser irradiation

Femtosecond laser pulses with λ = 800 nm were focused in air at one atmosphere and in deuterium (D) at low pressure. Submicron periodic structures were observed on surfaces made of Be, W and a mixture of Be-W immersed in these gases and placed nearly parallel with the laser beam, at 300 μm from the focal spot. In air, no structures were observed on Be. For the Be-W mixture, the periodic structures were uniform and parallel when formed in D but irregular in air. In this last case the striations were organized into small patches of 1 to 2 μm in size.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

MHD-induced SOL filaments and divertor heat flux striations in NSTX

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity in NSTX has been found to induce striated heat flux patterns at the divertor. These striated heat fluxes were previously interpreted as strike-point splitting caused by stochastic magnetic lobes near the X-point. Recent analysis indicates that MHD can directly generate filaments in the scrape-off layer (SOL), and the MHD-related filaments are consistent with the rotation and the frequency of the MHD. Magnetic field line tracing from the mid-plane of the MHD-related filaments to the divertor is consistent with the location of striated heat fluxes on the divertor. Additionally, gas puff imaging (GPI) diagnostic data shows the generation of regular blobs following each edge harmonic oscillation (EHO) toroidal mode number n = 1 perturbation, which indicates that the MHD perturbation directly drives the blobs. These blobs are responsible for the divertor heat flux striations. Here, this finding provides a new framework for understanding MHD-induced edge transport and has important implications for heat-load control in NSTX-U and future spherical tokamaks.

MHD↗
DOE OSTI2016

Helical plasma striations in liners in the presence of an external axial magnetic field

Awe et al. found on the 20 MA Z machine [Acta Phys. Pol. A 115, 956 (2009)] that applying an externally generated axial magnetic field to an imploding liner leads to a helical pattern in the liner when viewed with soft x-ray radiography ([Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 235005 (2013)] and [Phys. Plasmas 21, 056303 (2014)]). We show that this phenomenon is also observed in extreme ultraviolet self-emission images of 10 mm long cylindrical metal liners having varying diameters and varying wall thicknesses on a 1 MA, 100–200 ns pulsed power generator. The magnetic field in these experiments is created using either twisted return current wires positioned close to the liner, generating a time-varying B z , or a Helmholtz coil, generating a steady-state B z .

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Virtual Tool Mark Generation for Efficient Striation Analysis

This study introduces a tool mark analysis approach based upon 3D scans of screwdriver tip and marked plate surfaces at the micrometer scale from an optical microscope. An open-source 3D graphics software package is utilized to simulate the marking process as the projection of the tip's geometry in the direction of tool travel. The edge of this projection becomes a virtual tool mark that is compared to cross-sections of the marked plate geometry using the statistical likelihood algorithm introduced by Chumbley et al. In a study with both sides of six screwdriver tips and 34 corresponding marks, the method distinguished known matches from known nonmatches with zero false-positive matches and two false-negative matches. For matches, it could predict the correct marking angle within ±5–10°. Individual comparisons could be made in seconds on a desktop computer, suggesting that the method could save time for examiners.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Virtual tool mark generation for efficient striation analysis in forensic science

In 2009, a National Academy of Sciences report called for investigation into the scienti c basis behind tool mark comparisons (National Academy of Sciences, 2009). Answering this call, Chumbley et al. (2010) attempted to prove or disprove the hypothesis that tool marks are unique to a single tool. They developed a statistical algorithm that could, in most cases, discern matching and non-matching tool marks made at di erent angles by sequentially numbered screwdriver tips. Moreover, in the cases where the algorithm misinterpreted a pair of marks, an experienced forensics examiner could discern the correct outcome. While this research served to con rm the basic assumptions behind tool mark analysis, it also suggested that statistical analysis software could help to reduce the examiner&#x27;s workload. This led to a new tool mark analysis approach, introduced in this thesis, that relies on 3D scans of screwdriver tip and marked plate surfaces at the micrometer scale from an optical microscope. These scans are carefully cleaned to remove noise from the data acquisition process and assigned a coordinate system that mathematically de nes angles and twists in a natural way. The marking process is then simulated by using a 3D graphics software package to impart rotations to the tip and take the projection of the tip&#x27;s geometry in the direction of tool travel. The edge of this projection, retrieved from the 3D graphics software, becomes a virtual tool mark. Using this method, virtual marks are made at increments of 5 and compared to a scan of the evidence mark. The previously developed statistical package from Chumbley et al. (2010) performs the comparison, comparing the similarity of the geometry of both marks to the similarity that would occur due to random chance. The resulting statistical measure of the likelihood of the match informs the examiner of the angle of the best matching virtual mark, allowing the examiner to focus his/her mark analysis on a smaller range of angles. Preliminary results are quite promising. In a study with both sides of 6 screwdriver tips and 34 corresponding marks, the method distinguished known matches from known non-matches with zero false positive matches and only two matches mistaken for non-matches. For matches, it could predict the correct marking angle within 5-10 . Moreover, on a standard desktop computer, the virtual marking software is capable of cleaning 3D tip and plate scans in minutes and producing a virtual mark and comparing it to a real mark in seconds. These results support several of the professional conclusions of the tool mark analysis com- munity, including the idea that marks produced by the same tool only match if they are made at similar angles. The method also displays the potential to automate part of the comparison process, freeing the examiner to focus on other tasks, which is important in busy, backlogged crime labs. Finally, the method o ers the unique chance to directly link an evidence mark to the tool that produced it while reducing potential damage to the evidence.

42 ENGINEERING↗