A forward analytic model is required to rapidly simulate the neutron time-of-flight (nToF) signals that result from magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments at Sandia’s Z Pulsed Power Facility. Various experimental parameters, such as the burn-weighted fuel-ion temperature and liner areal density, determine the shape of the nToF signal and are important for characterizing any given MagLIF experiment. Extracting these parameters from measured nToF signals requires an appropriate analytic model that includes the primary deuterium-deuterium neutron peak, once-scattered neutrons in the beryllium liner of the MagLIF target, and direct beamline attenuation. Mathematical expressions for this model were derived from the general-geometry time- and energy-dependent neutron transport equation with anisotropic scattering. Assumptions consistent with the time-of-flight technique were used to simplify this linear Boltzmann transport equation into a more tractable form. Models of the uncollided and once-collided neutron scalar fluxes were developed for one of the five nToF detector locations at the Z-Machine. Numerical results from these models were produced for a representative MagLIF problem and found to be in good agreement with similar neutron transport simulations. Twenty experimental MagLIF data sets were analyzed using the forward models, which were determined to only be significantly sensitive to the ion temperature. The results of this work were also found to agree with values obtained separately using a zero scatter analytic model and a high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulation. Inherent difficulties in this and similar techniques are identified, and a new approach forward is suggested.
Fuel magnetization in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) experiments improves charged burn product confinement, reducing requirements on fuel areal density and pressure to achieve self-heating. By elongating the path length of 1.01 MeV tritons produced in a pure deuterium fusion plasma, magnetization enhances the probability for deuterium-tritium reactions producing 11.8−17.1 MeV neutrons. Nuclear diagnostics thus enable a sensitive probe of magnetization. Characterization of magnetization, including uncertainty quantification, is crucial for understanding the physics governing target performance in MIF platforms, such as magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments conducted at Sandia National Laboratories, Z-facility. We demonstrate a deep-learned surrogate of a physics-based model of nuclear measurements. A single model evaluation is reduced from CPU hours on a high-performance computing cluster down to ms on a laptop. This enables a Bayesian inference of magnetization, rigorously accounting for uncertainties from surrogate modeling and noisy nuclear measurements. The approach is validated by testing on synthetic data and comparing with a previous study. We analyze a series of MagLIF experiments systematically varying preheat, resulting in the first ever systematic experimental study of magnetic confinement properties of the fuel plasma as a function of fundamental inputs on any neutron-producing MIF platform. We demonstrate that magnetization decreases from B ∼0.5 to B MG cm as laser preheat energy deposited increases from preheat ∼460 J to E preheat ∼1.4 kJ. This trend is consistent with 2D LASNEX simulations showing Nernst advection of the magnetic field out of the hot fuel and diffusion into the target liner.
Er(D,T){sub 2-x} {sup 3}He{sub x}, erbium di-tritide, films of thicknesses 500 nm, 400 nm, 300 nm, 200 nm, and 100 nm were grown and analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Ion Beam Analysis to determine variations in film microstructure as a function of film thickness and age, due to the time-dependent build-up of {sup 3}He in the film from the radioactive decay of tritium. Several interesting features were observed: One, the amount of helium released as a function of film thickness is relatively constant. This suggests that the helium is being released only from the near surface region and that the helium is not diffusing to the surface from the bulk of the film. Two, lenticular helium bubbles are observed as a result of the radioactive decay of tritium into {sup 3}He. These bubbles grow along the [111] crystallographic direction. Three, a helium bubble free zone, or 'denuded zone' is observed near the surface. The size of this region is independent of film thickness. Four, an analysis of secondary diffraction spots in the Transmission Electron Microscopy study indicate that small erbium oxide precipitates, 5-10 nm in size, exist throughout the film. Further, all of the films had large erbium oxide inclusions, in many cases these inclusions span the depth of the film.
In this investigation, we conduct a literature study of the best experimental and theoretical data available for thin and thick atmospheres on THz radiation propagation from 0.1 to 10 THz. We determined that for thick atmospheres no data exists beyond 450 GHz. For thin atmospheres data exists from 0.35 to 1.2 THz. We were successful in using FASE code with the HITRAN database to simulate the THz transmission spectrum for Mauna Kea from 0.1 to 2 THz. Lastly, we successfully measured the THz transmission spectra of laboratory atmospheres at relative humidities of 18 and 27%. In general, we found that an increase in the water content of the atmosphere led to a decrease in the THz transmission. We identified two potential windows in an Albuquerque atmosphere for THz propagation which were the regions from 1.2 to 1.4 THz and 1.4 to 1.6 THz.
There is a general lack of compact electromagnetic radiation sources between 1 and 10 terahertz (THz). This a challenging spectral region lying between optical devices at high frequencies and electronic devices at low frequencies. While technologically very underdeveloped the THz region has the promise to be of significant technological importance, yet demonstrating its relevance has proven difficult due to the immaturity of the area. While the last decade has seen much experimental work in ultra-short pulsed terahertz sources, many applications will require continuous wave (cw) sources, which are just beginning to demonstrate adequate performance for application use. In this project, we proposed examination of two potential THz sources based on intersubband semiconductor transitions, which were as yet unproven. In particular we wished to explore quantum cascade lasers based sources and electronic based harmonic generators. Shortly after the beginning of the project, we shifted our emphasis to the quantum cascade lasers due to two events; the publication of the first THz quantum cascade laser by another group thereby proving feasibility, and the temporary shut down of the UC Santa Barbara free-electron lasers which were to be used as the pump source for the harmonic generation. The development efforts focused on two separate cascade laser thrusts. The ultimate goal of the first thrust was for a quantum cascade laser to simultaneously emit two mid-infrared frequencies differing by a few THz and to use these to pump a non-linear optical material to generate THz radiation via parametric interactions in a specifically engineered intersubband transition. While the final goal was not realized by the end of the project, many of the completed steps leading to the goal will be described in the report. The second thrust was to develop direct THz QC lasers operating at terahertz frequencies. This is simpler than a mixing approach, and has now been demonstrated by a few groups with wavelengths spanning 65-150 microns. We developed and refined the MBE growth for THz for both internally and externally designed QC lasers. Processing related issues continued to plague many of our demonstration efforts and will also be addressed in this report.