Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on February 25, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-218). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. S.)--Nuclear Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Abdel-Khalik, Said; Committee Co-Chair: Yoda, Minami; Committee Member: Ghiaasiaan, S. Mostafa. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-149). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Cette étude fait partie d'un projet plus large appelé SIPHORE (SIngle gap PHOtoneutralizer energy REcovery injector), visant à améliorer l'efficacité globale de l'un des mécanismes par lesquels le plasma est chauffe, dans un réacteur de fusion nucléaire, à savoir le système d'injection de neutres (IDN). Une composante importante d'un système IDN est le neutraliseur de faisceaux d'ions de haute énergie. SIPHORE propose de substituer le neutraliseur à cellule à gaz, utilisé dans les systèmes IDN actuels, par un photo-neutraliseur exploitant le processus de photo-détachement dans des cavités Fabry Perot. Ce mécanisme devrait permettre une efficacité globale η> 60% du système IDN, nettement plus élevée que celle actuellement possible (η <25% pour ITER). Le travail de thèse porte sur l'étude de faisabilité d'une cavité optique avec des propriétés adaptées aux systèmes IDN. Dans ce contexte, le problème de la détermination d'une conception de la cavité optique appropriée a été tout d'abord pris en considération et l'analyse théorique ainsi qu'expérimentale d'un résonateur optique ont été effectuées. Les problèmes lies aux niveaux élevés de puissance optique intracavité (~3 MW) nécessaire pour un taux de photo-neutralisation adéquat ont ensuite été prises en compte. A cet égard, nous avons traite a la fois le problème des effets thermiques sur les miroirs de la cavité en raison de leur absorption de la puissance optique intra-cavite (~1 W) et celui associe à la nécessité d'un faisceau laser d'entrée de puissance élevée (~1 kW) pour alimenter le résonateur optique. / This work is part of a larger project called SIPHORE (SIngle gap PHOtoneutralizer energy RE-covery injector), which aims to enhance the overall efficiency of one of the mechanisms through which the plasma is heated, in a nuclear fusion reactor, i.e. the Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) system. An important component of a NBI system is the neutralizer of high energetic ion beams. SIPHORE proposes to substitute the gas cell neutralizer, used in the current NBI systems, with a photo-neutralizer exploiting the photo-detachment process within Fabry Perot cavities. This mechanism should allow a relevant NBI global efficiency of η> 60%, significantly higher than the one currently possible (η<25% for ITER). The present work concerns the feasibility study of an optical cavity with suitable properties for applications in NBI systems. Within this context, the issue of the determination of an appropriated optical cavity design has been firstly considered and the theoretical and experimental analysis of a particular optical resonator has been carried on. The problems associated with the high levels of intracavity optical power (~3 MW) required for an adequate photo-neutralization rate have then been faced. In this respect, we addressed both the problem of the thermal effects on the cavity mirrors due to their absorption of intra-cavity optical power (~1W) and the one associated to the necessity of a high powerful input laser beam (~1 kW) to feed the optical resonator.

Includes bibliographical references. / The origin of the experimentally observed density dependence of the effective muon alpha sticking fraction will in muon catalyzed deuterium- tritium fusion has been comprehensively reanalyzed with the particular emphasis put on the density dependence of the stopping power in dense hydrogen. The main technical details and improvements in this work are: The (aμ)+ 2s and 2p states are treated independently and are assigned individual reaction rates. The essential muonic excitation rates have been recalculated taking into account finite nuclear mass effects. The stopping power for a charged projectile in liquid heavy hydrogen is modified to account for dynamic screening effects and a density dependent effective ionization potential. It is shown that the medium dependent stopping power for the (aμ)+ ion is the crucial entity controlling the density dependance of the effective sticking fraction. It is also pointed out that the muonic helium Ka X-ray yield and the sticking fraction at high density can not be simultaneously brought into agreement with the experimental results without invoking novel mechanisms suppressing Stark mixing in the (Heμ) L-shell.

Includes bibliographical references. / A Monte Carlo code MUGLU has been, written for the simulation of experiments to measure alpha-muon sticking in muon catalysed deuterium-tritium fusion. The experiments simulated are those which measure the ratio of αμ to α from fusion in a low density gas target by detecting collinear alpha-neutron coincidences and relying on the differing stopping powers of the α and αμ ions. The Monte Carlo simulations provide estimates of geometrical and detection efficiency factors required for the calculation of the sticking coefficient from the experimental measurements. Simulations have been made of alternative experimental geometries in order to investigate the α-neutron coincidence signature and other characteristics of existing and proposed systems. The characteristics of a neutron detector used in, one of the current sticking experiments (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) have been studied experimentally, as well as simulated, using the T(d,n)α reaction to emulate the fusion source. The results obtained show that the dependence of the neutron detection efficiency on the position and angle of neutron incidence on the detector is significant and should be taken into account when determining sticking coefficients from alpha-neutron coincidence measurements.

No description available.

The transport of heat that results from turbulence is a major factor limiting the temperature gradient, and thus the performance, of fusion devices. We use nonlinear simulations to show that a toroidal equilibrium scale sheared flow can completely suppress the turbulence across a wide range of flow gradient and temperature gradient values. We demonstrate the existence of a bifurcation across this range whereby the plasma may transition from a low flow gradient and temperature gradient state to a higher flow gradient and temperature gradient state. We show further that the maximum temperature gradient that can be reached by such a transition is limited by the existence, at high flow gradient, of subcritical turbulence driven by the parallel velocity gradient (PVG). We use linear simulations and analytic calculations to examine the properties of the transiently growing modes which give rise to this subcritical turbulence, and conclude that there may be a critical value of the ratio of the PVG to the suppressing perpendicular gradient of the velocity (in a tokamak this ratio is equal to q/ε where q is the magnetic safety factor and ε the inverse aspect ra- tio) below which the PVG is unable to drive subcritical turbulence. In light of this, we use nonlinear simulations to calculate, as a function of three parameters (the perpendicular flow shear, q/ε and the temperature gradient), the surface within that parameter space which divides the regions where turbulence can and cannot be sustained: the zero- turbulence manifold. We are unable to conclude that there is in fact a critical value of q/ε below which PVG-driven turbulence is eliminated. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that at low values of q/ε, the maximum critical temperature gradient that can be reached without generating turbulence (and thus, we infer, the maximum temperature gradient that could be reached in the transport bifurcation) is dramatically increased. Thus, we anticipate that a fusion device for which, across a significant portion of the minor radius, the magnetic shear is low, the ratio q/ε is low and the toroidal flow shear is strong, will achieve high levels of energy confinement and thus high performance.

Usando um modelo de um canal efetivo, o qual contem efeitos de acoplamento de canais através da presença de um potencial de polarização dependente da energia, nós estudamos, em energias abaixo da barreira, as reações de fusão dos sistemas A1 ANTPOT. Ni+ A2 ANTPOT. Ni e 16ANTPOT. O + A ANTPOT. Sm. Com o auxilio de uma relação de dispersão inversa, obtivemos a parte imaginária desse potencial em termos da parte principal da integral envolvendo a parte real do mesmo. A consistência deste método foi verificada através da comparação entre este potencial empírico e o potencial de polarização efetivo determinado a partir de um acoplamento específico de canais. Foram também calculados o primeiro e segundo momentos da distribuição de momentos angulares da seção de choque parcial de fusão. / Using an effective one channel model which contains channel coupling effects through the presence of an inclusive energy dependent polarization potential, we studied sub - barrier fusion of the systems A1Ni + A2Ni and 16O+ASm . With the aid of an inverse dispersion relation, we obtained the imaginary part of this potential. The consistency of this method is c hecked by comparing this empirical polarization potential with the one determined from the explicit consideration of a specific channel coupling. The first and the second moments of the angular momentum distribuition of the partial fusion cross-section were calculated also.