Advances in Tandem Mirror fusion power reactors (open access)

Advances in Tandem Mirror fusion power reactors

The Tandem Mirror exhibits several distinctive features which make the reactor embodiment of the principle very attractive: Simple low-technology linear central cell; steady-state operation; high-..beta.. operation; no driven current or disruptions; divertorless operation; direction conversion of end-loss power; low-surface heat loads; and advanced fusion fuel capability. In this paper, we examine these features in connection with two tandem mirror reactor designs, MARS and MINIMARS, and several advanced reactor concepts including the wall-stabilized reactor and the field-reversed mirror. With a novel compact end plug scheme employing octopole stabilization, MINIMARS is expressly designed for short construction times, factory-built modules, and a small (600 MWe) but economic reactor size. We have also configured the design for low radioactive afterheat and inherent/passive safety under LOCA/LOFA conditions, thereby obviating the need for expensive engineered safety systems. In contrast to the complex and expensive double-quadrupole end-cell of the MARS reactor, the compact octopole end-cell of MINIMARS enables ignition to be achieved with much shorter central cell lengths and considerably improves the economy of scale for small (approx.250 to 600 MWe) tandem mirror reactors. Finally, we examine the prospects for realizing the ultimate potential of the tandem mirror with regard to both innovative configurations and novel neutron …
Date: May 20, 1986
Creator: Perkins, L. J. & Logan, B. G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
ALT-I Pump Limiter Experiments With ICRF Heating on TEXTOR (open access)

ALT-I Pump Limiter Experiments With ICRF Heating on TEXTOR

The ALT-I (Advanced Limiter Test-I) was installed on TEXTOR to benchmark the ability of a pump limiter as an efficient particle collector and to determine the physics of pump limiter operation. Experiments continue to show its capability of removing particles from the plasma edge under different operating conditions. In this paper we report first experimental results using ALT-I in conjunction with high power ICRF heating. The particle removal rate increases as the edge flux and density increase during the ICRF pulse. For a head geometry that collects flux from both electron and ion drift sides, the plasma temperature rise is asymmetric with electron temperature on the electron side increasing more than on the ion side during the ICRF pulse. When ALT-I is the major limiter, the particle fluxes on both sides increase by about the same factor and the particle flux on the ion side is always larger, by a factor of 1.5 to 2 than on the electron side during both ohmic and ICRF periods. The degradation of particle confinement inferred from Langmuir probe measurement is more than a factor of two at a maximum achieved power of 2 MW.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Leung, W. K.; Goebel, D. M.; Conn, R. W.; Dippel, K. H.; Finken, K. H. & Thomas, G. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
ALT-I Pump Limiter Experiments With ICRF Heating on TEXTOR. Revision. (open access)

ALT-I Pump Limiter Experiments With ICRF Heating on TEXTOR. Revision.

The ALT-I (Advanced Limiter Test-I) was installed on TEXTOR to benchmark the ability of a pump limiter as an efficient particle collector and to determine the physics of pump limiter operation. Experiments continue to show its capability of removing particles from the plasma edge under different operating conditions. In this paper we report first experimental results using ALT-I in conjunction with high power ICRF heating. The particle removal rate increases as the edge flux and density increase during the ICRF pulse. For a head geometry that collects flux from both electron and ion drift sides, the plasma temperature rise is asymmetric with electron temperature on the electron side increasing more than on the ion side during the ICRF pulse. When ALT-I is the major limiter, the particle fluxes on both sides increase by about the same factor and the particle flux on the ion side is always larger, by a factor of 1.5 to 2 than on the electron side during both ohmic and ICRF periods. The degradation of particle confinement inferred from Langmuir probe measurement is more than a factor of two at a maximum achieved power of 2 MW.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Leung, W. K.; Goebel, D. M.; Conn, R. W.; Dippel, K. H.; Finken, K. H. & Thomas, G. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
ANL High-Resolution Injector (open access)

ANL High-Resolution Injector

The ANL (Argonne National Laboratory) high-resolution injector has been installed to obtain higher mass resolution and higher preacceleration, and to utilize effectively the full mass range of ATLAS (Argonne tandem linac accelerator system). Preliminary results of the first beam test are reported briefly. The design and performance, in particular a high-mass-resolution magnet with aberration compensation, are discussed.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Minehara, E.; Kutschera, W.; Hartog, P. D.; Billquist, P. & Liu, Z.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Anti p-nucleus interaction (open access)

Anti p-nucleus interaction

Status and future prospects of antiproton-nucleus scattering experiments are presented. These scattering experiments were conducted at antiproton beam momentums of 300 and 600 MeV/c on target nuclei of /sup 6/Li, /sup 12/C, /sup 16/O, /sup 18/O, /sup 40/Ca, /sup 48/Ca, and /sup 208/Pb. Antiproton-proton reactions investigated antiproton-nucleus bound or resonant states in antiproton reactions with d, /sup 6/Li, /sup 12/C, /sup 63/Cu, and /sup 209/Bi. Inelastic scattering experiments investigated the spin-isospin dependence of the NN interactions. 19 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab. (DWL)
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Peng, J.C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Application of spherical gratings in synchrotron radiation spectroscopy (open access)

Application of spherical gratings in synchrotron radiation spectroscopy

The recent development in gracing incidence grating monochromator design is discussed and the performance limiting for such instruments are examined. Especially the aberrations of toroidal and spherical gratings are investigated using the optical path function concept. It is shown that large radius spherical gratings, which can be produced with better slope tolerances than aspherics, also yield smaller overall line curvature than toroids. Therefore, a new simple spherical grating monochromator design is proposed and its performance is analyzed.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Hogrefe, H.; Howells, M.R. & Hoyer, E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Approaching maximal performance of longitudinal beam compression in induction accelerator drivers (open access)

Approaching maximal performance of longitudinal beam compression in induction accelerator drivers

Longitudinal beam compression is an integral part of the US induction accelerator development effort for heavy ion fusion. Producing maximal performance for key accelerator components is an essential element of the effort to reduce driver costs. We outline here initial studies directed towards defining the limits of final beam compression including considerations such as: maximal available compression, effects of longitudinal dispersion and beam emittance, combining pulse-shaping with beam compression to reduce the total number of beam manipulations, etc. The use of higher ion charge state Z greater than or equal to 3 is likely to test the limits of the previously envisaged beam compression and final focus hardware. A more conservative approach is to use additional beamlets in final compression and focus. On the other end of the spectrum of choices, alternate approaches might consider new final focus with greater tolerances for systematic momentum and current variations. Development of such final focus concepts would also allow more compact (and hopefully cheaper) hardware packages where the previously separate processes of beam compression, pulse-shaping and final focus occur as partially combined and nearly concurrent beam manipulations.
Date: May 27, 1986
Creator: Mark, J. W. K.; Ho, D. D. M.; Brandon, S. T.; Chang, C. L.; Drobot, A. T.; Faltens, A. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Asymmetry in the angular distribution of inclusive A baryons from e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilations at. sqrt. s = 29 GeV (open access)

Asymmetry in the angular distribution of inclusive A baryons from e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilations at. sqrt. s = 29 GeV

The forward-backward asymmetry A expected from the ..gamma.. - Z/sup 0/ interference term in the process e/sup +/e/sup -/ ..-->.. q anti q is observed in the lab production angular distribution of high momentum A baryons. The data were collected with the High Resolution Spectrometer at PEP and an integrated luminosity of 256 pb/sup -1/ at ..sqrt..s = 29 GeV was used in the analysis. The asymmetry is seen to increase with the fractional energy z = 2E/..sqrt..s of the A due to the decreasing presence of nonleading particles. The value obtained for A baryons with z greater than or equal to 0.3 is A = -0.22 +- 0.08 +- 0.02.
Date: May 1986
Creator: Abachi, S.; Baringer, P.; Beltrami, I.; Bylsma, B. G.; DeBonte, R.; Koltick, D. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Beam-beam deflections as an interaction point diagnostic for the SLC (open access)

Beam-beam deflections as an interaction point diagnostic for the SLC

A technique is described for non-destructive measurement and monitoring of the steering offset of the electron and positron beams at the interaction point of the SLC, based on using stripline beam-position monitors to measure the centroid of one beam as it is deflected by the opposing beam. This technique is also expected to provide diagnostic information related to the spot size of the micron-size beams.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Bambade, P. & Erickson, R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Beam dynamics, efficiency and power of the SLAC lasertron: simulation results (open access)

Beam dynamics, efficiency and power of the SLAC lasertron: simulation results

Results are described for the computer simulation of the SLAC proof of principle lasertron device with a conventional single gap output cavity, using the 2D relativistic field and particle code called MASK. The rf to beam power efficiency is calculated for different power levels, dc voltages and optical pulse lengths. The calculated efficiency at the initial operating point of 50 MW beam power, 400 kV, and with 60 picosecond optical pulse duration, is 66%. The maximum rf power at 400 kV is about 50 MW. At 600 kV the maximum power increases to about 110 MW, but the efficiency at low power is not much changed from what it was at 400 kV. The simulation calculation does not take into account loss of rf power due to backscattered electrons nor the full effects of the impedance of the accelerating gap. A calculation of the efficiency of the lasertron with a double output cavity has been carried out, and generally yields efficiencies about 10 percentage points higher than the single cavity simulation.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Welch, J.J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Beamstrahlung monitor for SLC final focus using gamma ray energies (open access)

Beamstrahlung monitor for SLC final focus using gamma ray energies

Features of the beamstrahlung flux from the SLC interaction point are discussed, and intensity estimates given. A Cherenkov detector intended to monitor the flux is described.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Bonvicini, G.; Field, C. & Minten, A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Beamstrahlung monitor for SLC final focus using visible wavelengths (open access)

Beamstrahlung monitor for SLC final focus using visible wavelengths

A device is designed to detect bremsstrahlung at wide angles and wavelengths near the visible. A schematic diagram of the monitor is shown. An analysis of the performance of the monitor is given in terms of photomultiplier output and luminosity. 3 refs., 1 fig. (DWL)
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Bonvicini, G.; Ferrie, J.; Field, C. & Minten, A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Canopy hot-spot as crop identifier (open access)

Canopy hot-spot as crop identifier

Illuminating any reflective rough or structured surface by a directional light source results in an angular reflectance distribution that shows a narrow peak in the direction of retro-reflection. This is called the Heiligenschein or hot-spot of vegetation canopies and is caused by mutual shading of leaves. The angular intensity distribution of the hot-spot, its brightness and slope, are therefore indicators of the plant's geometry. We propose the use of hot-spot characteristics as crop identifiers in satellite remote sensing because the canopy hot-spot carries information about plant stand architecture that is more distinctive for different plant species than, for instance, their spectral reflectance characteristics. A simple three-dimensional Monte Carlo/ray tracing model and an analytic two-dimensional model are developed to estimate the angular distribution of the hot-spot as a function of the size of the plant leaves. The results show that the brightness-distribution and slope of the hot-spot change distinctively for different leaf sizes indicating a much more peaked maximum for the smaller leaves.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Gerstl, S. A. W.; Simmer, C. & Powers, B. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cascade ICF power reactor (open access)

Cascade ICF power reactor

The double-cone-shaped Cascade reaction chamber rotates at 50 rpm to keep a blanket of ceramic granules in place against the wall as they slide from the poles to the exit slots at the equator. The 1 m-thick blanket consists of layers of carbon, beryllium oxide, and lithium aluminate granules about 1 mm in diameter. The x rays and debris are stopped in the carbon granules; the neutrons are multiplied and moderated in the BeO and breed tritium in the LiAlO/sub 2/. The chamber wall is made up of SiO tiles held in compression by a network of composite SiC/Al tendons. Cascade operates at a 5 Hz pulse rate with 300 MJ in each pulse. The temperature in the blanket reaches 1600 K on the inner surface and 1350 K at the outer edge. The granules are automatically thrown into three separate vacuum heat exchangers where they give up their energy to high pressure helium. The helium is used in a Brayton cycle to obtain a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency of 55%. Studies have been done on neutron activation, debris recovery, vaporization and recondensation of blanket material, tritium control and recovery, fire safety, and cost. These studies indicate that Cascade appears to …
Date: May 20, 1986
Creator: Hogan, W.J. & Pitts, J.H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Charge and current neutralization physics of a heavy ion beam during final transport (open access)

Charge and current neutralization physics of a heavy ion beam during final transport

Heavy ion fusion requires high power to be focussed onto a small pellet. If the reactor chamber pressure is below 10/sup -4/ to 10/sup -5/ Torr, beam compression will be limited by space charge unless neutralized by co-moving electrons. If higher chamber pressures are used, the heavy ion beam will create a significant number of background electrons during its propagation and will undergo stripping. The background electrons could provide the neutralization required for high beam intensities. In this paper we will focus on the physics associated with propagation through a fully ionized hydrogen plasma, so background electron generation is not included. One-dimensional electrostatic and two-dimensional fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations are presented. If a background plasma is present, we find that coinjected electrons whose purpose is to charge and current neutralize the ion beam become two-stream unstable and no longer provide the thermally cool neutralization required. Further, we find that the ion induced background electron temperature is very sensitive to the ion beam to background electron charge density ratio.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Magelssen, G.R. & Forslund, D.W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Computer networking at FERMILAB (open access)

Computer networking at FERMILAB

Management aspects of data communications facilities at Fermilab are described. Local area networks include Ferminet, a broadband CATV system which serves as a backbone-type carrier for high-speed data traffic between major network nodes; micom network, four Micom Micro-600/2A port selectors via private twisted pair cables, dedicated telephone circuits, or Micom 800/2 statistical multiplexors; and Decnet/Ethernet, several small local area networks which provide host-to-host communications for about 35 VAX computers systems. Wide area (off site) computer networking includes an off site Micom network which provides access to all of Fermilab's computer systems for 10 universities via leased lines or modem; Tymnet, used by many European and Japanese collaborations: Physnet, used for shared data processing task communications by large collaborations of universities; Bitnet, used for file transfer, electronic mail, and communications with CERN; and Mfenet, for access to supercomputers. Plans to participate in Hepnet are also addressed. 3 figs. (DWL)
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Chartrand, G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cost of induction linac driver for inertial fusion for various target yields (open access)

Cost of induction linac driver for inertial fusion for various target yields

The cost of induction linac accelerators for inertial fusion using mass 200 ions at a charge state of +3 for target yields of 300, 600, and 1200 MJ is presented. The ions are injected into the accelerator at 3 MV, and accelerated to the required voltage appropriate to the desired target yield. A cost comparison of the low voltage portion of the accelerator (3 to 50 MV) is made between a system with 64 and one with 16 superconducting quadrupoles. The design of the low voltage portion which yields the minimum-cost accelerator designs for several target yields and a fusion power of 3000 MW is presented.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Hovingh, J.; Brady, V. O.; Faltens, A.; Keefe, D. & Lee, E. P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Deflection by the image current and charges of a beam scraper (open access)

Deflection by the image current and charges of a beam scraper

Scrapers are often used in storage rings and accelerators to clean the transverse profile of the beam. When the beam is not exactly midway between the jaws of the scraper the transverse electric and magnetic fields produced by the image charges and currents are asymmetric. For a relativistic beam traveling through a longitudinally uniform tube with infinitely conducting walls the transverse force from the electric field is canceled by the transverse force from the magnetic field. When an off-center particle bunch passes by a longitudinal discontinuity in the beam tube the transverse force from the electric field are no longer cancelled by the transverse force from the magnetic field and particles in the bunch experience a transverse momentum kick which is independent of energy. It is shown that scrapers that pass close by high peak current beams can significantly degrade the beam emittance. A circular scraper was chosen for computer simulation. (LEW)
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Bane, K. L. F. & Morton, P. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Delta, iota and other meson spectroscopies (open access)

Delta, iota and other meson spectroscopies

This talk is given from the point of view of an experimentalist. Meson spectroscopy in the 1 to 3 GeV region is interesting because experiments exploring this region, in particular radiative psi decay, have found a rich structure of resonances too complicated to unravel with any one experiment, and not easily interpreted with any one theoretical model. None of the theoretical calculations predicting all kinds of interesting and exotic objects in this region is very convincing or reliable. Additional input from anti pp annihilation can be very useful in helping to find the answers to the following open questions: what exactly is this spectrum, what are the masses and quantum numbers of the resonances, as determined from analysis of data without theoretical prejudices; how is this spectrum described by QCD, is there evidence for new kinds of states like glue-balls, hybrids, axions, Higgses or multiquark exotics, and is there any evidence for new physics beyond QCD. 20 refs.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Lipkin, Harry J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Description of a high temperature downhole fluid sampler (open access)

Description of a high temperature downhole fluid sampler

Downhole fluid samplers have been used for years with limited success in high temperature geothermal wells. This paper discusses the development and operating principles of a high temperature downhole fluid sampler, reliable at obtaining samples at temperatures of up to 350/sup 0/C. The sampler was used successfully for recovering a brine sample from a depth of 10,200 ft in the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project well.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Solbau, R.; Weres, O.; Hansen, L. & Dudak, B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Design and operation of the quench protection system for the Fermilab Tevatron (open access)

Design and operation of the quench protection system for the Fermilab Tevatron

A method is required to protect the magnets of a superconducting accelerator from possible overheating or overvoltage conditions in the event that some magnets quench, that is, are elevated in temperature such that they are no longer superconducting. A brief discussion of the basic properties of superconductors and the phenomenon of quench propagation is given, followed by the configuration of a quench protection system for the Fermilab Tevatron. (LEW)
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Martin, P.S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dimension density: An intensive measure of chaos in spatially extended turbulent systems (open access)

Dimension density: An intensive measure of chaos in spatially extended turbulent systems

The determination of correlation dimensions by the Grassberger-Procaccia algorithm from an experimental time series has become a standard tool in the analysis of low dimensional chaotic systems. Here we want to carry over this method to spatially extended systems which have a decaying spatial correlation. In these cases the total number of degrees of freedom or overall ''dimension'' grows with the size of the system. Then in a finite size system the dimension of the overall dynamics can be recovered already from a single point measurement, if the resolution is greater than some size dependent threshold. Therefore we expect that the measured dimension values will increase when smaller and smaller spatial structures are resolved. This feature is also observed in turbulence experiments (U. Frisch). Thus the objective is to get an intensive (i.e. size independent) measure which locally characterizes turbulent systems. 5 refs., 2 figs.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Kurz, T. & Mayer-Kress, G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Distribution of indoor radon concentrations and elements of a strategy for control (open access)

Distribution of indoor radon concentrations and elements of a strategy for control

Indoor radon concentrations vary widely in the US housing stock, with normal concentrations estimated to cause a significant risk of lung cancer by comparison with environmental exposures normally considered, and high concentrations causing risks that exceed even those from cigarette smoking. The probability distribution, i.e., the number of houses at various concentrations, can be estimated from an analysis of the US indoor radon data accumulated to date. Such an analysis suggests that in about a million houses, occupants are receiving exposures greater than those experienced by uranium miners. The form of the frequency distribution, including not only the average concentration, but also the number of houses with high levels, has substantial influence on strategies for control of indoor radon. Such strategies require three major elements: formulation of control objectives in terms of guidelines for remedial action and for new houses; selection of means for identifying homes with high concentrations; and a framework for deciding what types of control measures are appropriate to particular circumstances and how rapidly they should be employed.
Date: May 1, 1986
Creator: Nero, A.V. Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Economic studies for heavy-ion-fusion electric power plants (open access)

Economic studies for heavy-ion-fusion electric power plants

We have conducted parametric economic studies for heavy-ion-fusion electric power plants. We examined the effects on the cost of electricity of several design parameters: cost and cost scaling for the reactor, driver, and target factory; maximum achievable chamber pulse rate; target gain; electric conversion efficiency; and net electric power. Using the most recent estimates for the heavy-ion-driver cost along with the Cascade reactor cost and efficiency, we found that a 1.5 to 3 GWe heavy-ion-fusion power plant, with a pulse rate of 5 to 10 Hz, can be competitive with nuclear and coal power plants.
Date: May 20, 1986
Creator: Meier, W. R.; Hogan, W. J. & Bangerter, R. O.
System: The UNT Digital Library