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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 OSTI2022

Electric field determination in transient plasmas: in situ & non-invasive methods

Abstract One of the primary basic plasma parameters within transient nonequilibrium plasmas is the reduced electric field strength, roughly understood as the ratio of the electrical energy given to the charged species between two collisions. While physical probes have historically been used for electric field measurements, recent advances in high intensity lasers and sensitive detection methods have allowed for non-invasive optical electric field determination in nearly any discharge configuration with time-resolution up to the sub-nanosecond range and sub-millimeter spatial resolution. This topical review serves to highlight several non-invasive methods for in situ electric field strength determination in transient plasmas ranging from high vacuum environments to atmospheric pressure and above. We will discuss the advantages and proper implementation of (i) laser induced fluorescence dip spectroscopy for measurements in low pressure RF discharges, (ii) optical emission spectroscopy based methods for nitrogen, helium or hydrogen containing discharges, (iii) electric field induced coherent Raman scattering, and (iv) electric field induced second harmonic generation. The physical mechanism for each method will be described as well as basic implementation and highlighting recent results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Optimization of nanosecond transient plasma ignition for clean combustion

Based on a previously developed, retrofittable nanosecond pulsed TPS ignition prototype, transient plasma ignition technology is evaluated for higher energy efficiency and lower emission by optimizing pulse power conditions using advanced diagnostic-based approaches. Combustion performances of a TPS ignition electrode powered by nanosecond voltage pulses of two different rising times (i.e. 4 ns and 8 ns) but the same full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) of 6 ns were compared for single-shot and high-repetition-rate ignitions. The use of faster risetime reduces the voltage amplitude criterion for combustion ignition under a single-shot, stoichiometric fuel-air condition, resulting in higher energy efficiency. In addition, it was demonstrated that high-frequency bursts of pulses positively affect the combustion process; four-consecutive pulsed plasma ignition at a pulse repletion rate (PRR) of 1 kHz needs only half of the voltage to achieve combustion, and increasing the PRR from 1 kHz to 10 kHz improves the energy efficiency by a factor of >1.3. A prototype of retrofittable nanosecond pulsed ignition system was developed and tested in a newly built testing/diagnostic platform, paving the way for ultimate optimization of the TPS prototype for low cost, highly efficient, and low emission combustion.

02 PETROLEUM↗
NASA NTRS2004

Observations of Plasma Transient on the Lobe Field Line During the Substorm. Interball Tail Observations on October 3, 1995

On October 3, 1995 Interball Tail spacecraft was located on tail lobe field lines. Solar wind conditions monitored by WIND and Getail spacecraft were quiet stable. During the time of operation of SCA-1 plasma spectrometer typical plasma mantle is observed. However, at approx. 15:07 UT strong plasma transient with duration of approx. 10 minutes was detected. We found that magnetic field profile of this plasma transient correlates well with ground based H component of magnetic field measured by Tixie Bay station. Ground base data indicates that this transient is observed during strong substorm. We argue that this transient is probably more dense mantle plasma which can be observed at the Interball Tail location provided that the current on the magnetopause is depressed. This depression probably reflects response of the tail magnetopause to changing of the global current system of the magnetosphere caused by the substorm.

Avanov, L. A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advances in 3D transient plasma dynamics and control through MHD and hybrid fluid-kinetic simulations with JOREK

Transient phenomena and their control are of high relevance in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas to guarantee a stable and safe plasma operation. Interpretative simulations can maximize the insights gained from experiments on present machines and predictive simulations can help in the preparation of design, mitigation techniques and operational scenarios for future devices. In this article, we provide an overview of recent advances and novel scientific results obtained with the 3D non-linear hybrid fluid-kinetic code JOREK, covering physics of plasma transients from the core to the scrape-off layer (SOL) both for tokamak and stellarator devices. Substantial progress was made in the physics understanding, model validation with experiments and experiment interpretation, thus, giving confidence for predictions to devices like DTT, ITER and DEMO. The topics addressed comprise a wide range: the edge physics of new operation scenarios and edge localized mode suppression; major disruptions with a focus on runaway electrons and vertical displacement events as well as disruption mitigation by shattered pellet injection; the physics mechanisms and operational limits of the flux pumping regime for sawtooth control; MHD limits of stellarators and work towards incorporating advanced edge/SOL/exhaust dynamics; continuing improvements of the code for more efficient hybrid simulations on conventional and accelerated high performance computing architectures.

disruptions↗
DOE OSTI2020

Transients using low-high pulsed power in inductively coupled plasmas

Pulsed inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs) are widely deployed in the fabrication of semi-conductor devices. Pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) of up to tens of kHz are commonly used during plasma etching for the high power densities they generate during the pulse-on period, and for their unique chemistries during the pulse-off period. The use of highly attaching halogen gases produces low electron densities during the pulse-off period, and these low density can result in instabilities, E-H transitions and ignition delays when applying power on the next pulse. To mitigate these possibilities, a low-level power environment could be maintained during “pulse-off” to moderate the minimum plasma density, therefore reducing ignition delays and enhancing plasma stability. In this work, ICPs sustained by 5 kHz pulsed power using Ar/Cl 2 mixtures at 20 mTorr were computationally investigated. For these conditions, the computed electron temperature (T e ) reaches a quasi-steady state during both the high- and low-power excitation. The model predicts that within the electromagnetic skin-depth, T e spikes to a high value during a low-to-high power modulation, and to a low value during a high-to-low power modulation. At the same time, a few cm above the substrate, there is little modulation in T e , as electron power convected from the skin depth disperses in traversing the reactor. Finally, the positive and negative spikes, and convection of transients across the reactors, are functions of power ramping time and gas mixtures.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Detailed measurements of the H beta line shape in a transient plasma using a fiber optics slit system

Through the use of fiber optics, a series of very narrow slits have been constructed and placed at the exit plane of a spectrograph. Plasma radiation which is dispersed by the spectrograph is incident on the slits and is transmitted to separate phototubes via the quartz fibers. With this technique, time resolved measurements of the spectral shape of the hydrogen H beta line have been made and used to determine the electron density of a transient plasma. Data obtained in a shock tube indicated that the thermodynamic conditions behind the reflected shock in a mixture of 20 percent H 80 percent He correspond to theoretically predicted conditions.

Stickford, G. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Detailed measurements of the H beta line shape in a transient plasma using a fiber optics slit system.

Through the use of fiber optics, a series of very narrow slits have been constructed and placed at the exit plane of a spectrograph. Plasma radiation which is dispersed by the spectrograph is incident on the slits and is transmitted to separate phototubes via the quartz fibers. With this technique, time resolved measurements of the spectral shape of the hydrogen H beta line have been made and used to determine the electron density of a transient plasma. Data obtained in a shock tube indicated that the thermodynamic conditions behind the reflected shock in a mixture of 20% H2-80% He, at incident shock speeds of 12 to 14 km/sec and pressures of 66.6 to 133.3 N/sq m (0.5 to 1.0 mm Hg), correspond to theoretically predicted conditions. Immediately behind the incident shock at speeds of 17 to 24 km/sec the data indicate that the plasma reached equilibrium then demonstrated a drop in intensity which has been attributed to radiative cooling.

Stickford, G. H., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Modeling non-equilibrium discharge and validating transient plasma characteristics at above-atmospheric pressure

Non-equilibrium plasma generated from positive-pulsed nanosecond electrical discharges into desiccated air is simulated in this paper using a multi-dimensional, multi-physics plasma solver. A pin-to-pin electrode configuration is used with a fixed 5.2 mm gap spacing. Peak pulse voltages range between 10.2 and 22.5 kV. Care is taken to match the exact electrode profile from the experiments, and adjust the electron collision frequency so that breakdown limits closely match those from corresponding experimental results. The optimized numerical simulations predict qualitative streamer structure that is in close agreement with experimental observations. Quantitative measurements of atomic oxygen at the anode tip and qualitative estimates of streamer gas heating are closely matched by simulations. The model results are used to provide insight into the spatial and temporal development of the transient plasma. Furthermore, the work performed in this paper delivers a numerical tool that can be extremely useful to link the post-discharge plasma properties to low-temperature plasma ignition mechanisms that are of great interest for the automotive industry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Scaling of atomic layer etching of SiO 2 in fluorocarbon plasmas: Transient etching and surface roughness

Fabricating sub-10 nm microelectronics places plasma processing precision at atomic dimensions. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a cyclic plasma process used in semiconductor fabrication that has the potential to remove a single layer of atoms during each cycle. In self-limiting ideal ALE, a single monolayer of a material is consistently removed in each cycle, typically expressed as EPC (etch per cycle). In plasma ALE of dielectrics, such as SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 , using fluorocarbon gas mixtures, etching proceeds through deposition of a thin polymer layer and the process is not strictly self-terminating. As a result, EPC is highly process dependent and particularly sensitive to the thickness of the polymer layer. In this paper, results are discussed from a computational investigation of the ALE of SiO 2 on flat surfaces and in short trenches using capacitively coupled plasmas consisting of a deposition step (fluorocarbon plasma) and an etch step (argon plasma). We found that ALE performance is a delicate balance between deposition of polymer during the first half cycle and etching (with polymer removal) during the second half cycle. In the absence of complete removal of the overlying polymer in each cycle, ALE may be transient as the polymer thickness grows with each cycle with a reduction in EPC until the thickness is too large to enable further etching. Small and statistical amounts of polymer left from a previous cycle can produce statistical variation in polymer thickness on the next cycle, which in turn can lead to a spatially dependent EPC and ALE roughness. Based on synergy between T i (sputtering time) and T p (passivation time), dielectric ALE can be described as having three modes: deposition, roughening surface (transitioning to etch-stop), and smooth surface with steady-state EPC.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2016

Transient plasma potential in pulsed dual frequency inductively coupled plasmas and effect of substrate biasing

An electron emitting probe in saturated floating potential mode has been used to investigate the temporal evolution of plasma potential and the effect of substrate RF biasing on it for pulsed dual frequency (2 MHz/13.56 MHz) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. The low frequency power (P{sub 2MHz}) has been pulsed at 1 KHz and a duty ratio of 50%, while high frequency power (P{sub 13.56MHz}) has been used in continuous mode. The substrate has been biased with a separate bias power at (P{sub 12.56MHz}) Argon has been used as a discharge gas. During the ICP power pulsing, three distinct regions in a typical plasma potential profile, have been identified as ‘initial overshoot’, pulse ‘on-phase’ and pulse ‘off-phase’. It has been found out that the RF biasing of the substrate significantly modulates the temporal evolution of the plasma potential. During the initial overshoot, plasma potential decreases with increasing RF biasing of the substrate, however it increases with increasing substrate biasing for pulse ‘on-phase’ and ‘off-phase’. An interesting structure in plasma potential profile has also been observed when the substrate bias is applied and its evolution depends upon the magnitude of bias power. The reason of the evolution of this structure may be the ambipolar diffusion of electron and its dependence on bias power.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Liquid lithium as divertor material to mitigate severe damage of nearby components during plasma transients

The successful operation of thermonuclear fusion reactors such as ITER, DEMO, and future commercial plants is mainly determined by the optimum choice of materials for various components. The objective of this work is to accurately and comprehensively simulate the entire device in 3D to predict pros and cons of various materials, e.g., liquid lithium in comparison to tungsten and carbon to predict future ITER-like and DEMO divertor performances. We used our comprehensive HEIGHTS simulation package to investigate ITER-like components response during transient events in exact 3D geometry. Starting from the lost hot core plasma particles through SOL, deposition on the divertor surface, and the generation of secondary plasma of divertor materials. Our simulations predicted significant reduction in the heat loading and damage to the divertor nearby and internal components in the case when lithium is used on the divertor plates. While if tungsten or carbon are used on the divertor plate, significant melting areas and vaporization spots can occur (less for carbon) on the reflector, dome, and stainless steel tubes, and even parts of the first walls can melt due to the high radiation power of the secondary divertor plasma. Lithium photon radiation deposition into the divertor and nearby surfaces was decreased by two orders of magnitude compared to tungsten and by one order of magnitude compared to carbon. This analysis showed that using liquid lithium for ITER-like surfaces and future DEMO can lead to significant enhancement in components lifetime.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗