Deuterium Line Research Articles

Resolving studies of Balmer alpha lines relevant to the LIBS analysis of hydrogen isotope retention

Utilizing Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for detecting deuterium and tritium retention in fusion devices poses a significant challenge due to the experimental limitations in resolving hydrogen isotope Balmer alpha lines (Hα, Dα, and Tα). This study utilizes the Rayleigh criterion to distinguish Tα and Dα lines by determining the maximum line widths and corresponding plasma parameters. Experimental validation was performed through LIBS analysis of heavy water-doped graphite/silica gel targets in both argon and helium atmospheres to assess the predicted plasma parameters and line profile shapes. The optimization of laser pulse energy, gas pressure, delay, and gate times aimed at achieving fully resolved lines based on the intensity, width, and the dip between deuterium and hydrogen Balmer alpha lines. By fine-tuning these experimental parameters, the study successfully achieved a dip of less than 10 % between the Hα and Dα lines with a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, demonstrating the feasibility of fully resolving the Tα and Dα lines. These findings underscore the potential of LIBS in enhancing the detection of deuterium and tritium retention in fusion devices.

Observation of D2 molecule line emission after massive D2 injection into runaway electron plateaus in DIII-D

Molecular deuterium line emission is observed in both the visible and ultraviolet (UV) wavelength ranges after massive (> 100 Torr-L) injection of D2 gas into post-disruption runaway electron (RE) dominated plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak. D2 UV line emission is found to be the dominant source of radiated power, surpassing D Lyα. Interpretive modeling with a collisional-radiative model (CRM) indicates that D2 radiation surpasses D radiation because Lyα is strongly trapped, while D2 UV lines are mostly untrapped. The CRM also indicates that the D2 line emission is completely dominated by RE impact (rather than thermal electron impact), so the D2 line emission can serve as a good diagnostic for the spatial localization of REs. Analysis of D2 visible lines indicates that the D2 molecules in the plasma are thermally equilibrated with the background plasma, with vibrational, rotational, and kinetic temperatures all near 0.3 eV. D2 spectroscopy therefore serves as a convenient diagnostic of background plasma temperature. Measurement of D2 radiated power also appears to serve as a useful diagnostic for constraining neutral transport modeling.

Probing the Przybylski star for deuterium

AbstractThe Przybylski star spectrum has been studied in order to search for deuterium lines. Since this star is extremely enriched in the s‐process elements, which are the product of interaction between free neutrons and seed nuclei, we might as well expect to detect deuterium in this star. However, no visible spectroscopic manifestation of deuterium has been detected. Perhaps, the reason of this result is the convective “destruction” of this isotope.

Modeling of deuterium and carbon radiation transport in MAST-U tokamak advanced divertors

Modest effects of deuterium and carbon radiation opacity in the Super-X and snowflake divertor plasmas are predicted for MAST Upgrade tokamak with core plasma input power 2.5–5 MW and plasma current 1 MA. The radiation transport modeling is based on the SOLPS-EIRENE and UEDGE code divertor plasma predictions. Two radiation transport models are used: one is based on a full radiation transport equation implemented in the radiation transport and collisional-radiative code CRETIN (without feedback on the background plasma), and another is an internal self-consistent UEDGE model with ionization, recombination, and heating rates corrected for Ly α line trapping based on the escape probability model implemented in CRETIN. In MAST-U, the Super-X and snowflake divertor plasmas are predicted to reach detached regimes at lower upstream densities than the standard divertor, and the conclusion still holds with radiation transport effects included. At neutral densities m−3, modest Ly α deuterium line trapping with optical depths 10–15 is predicted in the Super-X divertor. Divertor plasmas are optically thin to other Lyman and Balmer lines, as well as to strong C III and C IV lines that are responsible for most of divertor radiated power. Insignificant changes (within a few percent) to divertor deuterium ionization and recombination rates are found. Radiation fluxes on outer divertor target are modified within a factor of 2–3 when the radiation transport is accounted for, and a similar variation is found due to the line shape models that define the absorption and emission line profiles in the radiation transport modeling. The predicted Lyman and Balmer spectral intensities are significantly modified due to radiation trapping. A measurement of divertor radiation transport effects is discussed using the Ly β /Ba α line ratio. In the snowflake divertor configuration, divertor plasmas are found to be optically thin to Lyman series lines within a large range of parameter variations that include upstream density, divertor transport coefficients, and magnetic configurations. Modest radiation transport effects are only found in a few cases with strongest divertor transport and magnetic configurations closest to the ideal snowflake configuration, however, the plasma background models that were used are yet to be validated with an experiment.

In-situ LIBS and NRA deuterium retention study in porous W-O and compact W coatings loaded by Magnum-PSI

The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of in-situ laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for deuterium retention measurements in tungsten coatings with different morphology and oxygen content. These were exposed to a Gaussian beam of deuterium plasma in the Magnum-PSI linear plasma device. The deuterium line intensities determined by LIBS were compared with the deuterium content measured by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA).Both LIBS and NRA results showed that higher deuterium retention was achieved in the coating region corresponding to the periphery of the plasma beam. This decreasing deuterium retention in the central region can be attributed to higher surface temperature. At the same time, the deuterium retention in different coating types assessed by LIBS D intensity was markedly different from the retention determined by NRA. Porous W-O coating with high oxygen content had the highest deuterium retention according to NRA while D intensity obtained by LIBS was an order of magnitude smaller when compared with other coatings. The deuterium retention in compact W coating and thick W coating was almost the same and LIBS D intensities were also comparable for these coatings. The results demonstrate the LIBS applicability and its limits in different coating types.

LIBS study of ITER relevant tungsten–oxygen coatings exposed to deuterium plasma in Magnum-PSI

We discuss the applicability of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for deuterium retention analysis in compact and porous tungsten-oxide (W-O) coatings. Deuterium loading was performed by exposing the coatings to deuterium plasma in Magnum-PSI linear plasma device.The deuterium signals obtained by ex-situ LIBS had sufficiently good signal-to-noise ratio for reliable separation of essentially broadened hydrogen and deuterium lines as well as for comparison of the lateral and depth distributions of deuterium in the coatings. Strong deuterium signal was obtained for the first laser shot which corresponded to the surface layer of the W-O coatings whereas deeper in the coating the signal decreased to noise level. In addition, the deuterium signal was highest in the central region of compact W-O coating. For both coatings, depth profiles of elements obtained by LIBS match with those recorded by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) in the lateral direction along the sample surface. The results of LIBS and SIMS results were supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data which showed that the exposure to deuterium plasma resulted in remarkable changes in the surface morphology along the sample surface. The study demonstrates the LIBS potential in deuterium retention measurements in plasma facing components.

Active LANR Systems Emit a 327.37 MHz Maser Line

Active LANR systems, both aqueous and dry preloaded nanomaterials, emit very narrow bandwidth radio frequency (RF) hyperfine emission peaks (ca. 327.37 MHz) very close to the Deuterium Line (DL). In a Fabry–Perot structure, two electrically driven PdD– ZrO2 preloaded components produce a solid state DL maser when driven above a threshold voltage, and below their electrical avalanche breakdown voltage. When the systems are electrically driven at higher applied voltage, a superhyperfine structure of sidebands appears with significant local in situ information. The RF emission proves that D is the LANR fuel and demonstrates that the deuteron, in the excited pre-4He state, is a free radical emitting from an FCC vacancy.

Modeling of photon trapping effects in high-density divertor plasmas

In divertor plasmas at high density regimes, typically with Ne larger than 1014 cm−3, the photons emitted in the resonance line of the hydrogen isotopes have a mean free path that can be as short as one millimeter. They provide an additional source of excited atoms, which can be ionized more easily; a consequence of this is that the whole ionization-recombination balance of the divertor plasma can be altered. In this work, we investigate the influence of the spectral line profile on the photoexcitation rate. A kinetic Monte Carlo solver is applied to the transport of photons in slab geometry. The relative contribution of the Doppler and Zeeman effects on the line profile is examined. In the framework of ITER nuclear phase preparation, we also examine the influence of deuterium and tritium line shape overlapping and we address the transport of the helium resonance line radiation.

Striking isotope effect on the metallization phase lines of liquid hydrogen and deuterium

Liquid atomic metallic hydrogen is the simplest, lightest, and most abundant of all liquid metals. The role of nucleon motions or ion dynamics has been somewhat ignored in relation to the dissociative insulator-metal transition. Almost all previous experimental high-pressure studies have treated the fluid isotopes, hydrogen and deuterium, with no distinction. Studying both hydrogen and deuterium at the same density, most crucially at the phase transition line, can experimentally reveal the importance of ion dynamics. We use static compression to study the optical properties of dense deuterium in the pressure region of 1.2-1.7 Mbar and measured temperatures up to ~3000 K. We observe an abrupt increase in reflectance, consistent with dissociation-induced metallization, at the transition. Here we show that at the same pressure (density) for the two isotopes, the phase line of this transition reveals a prominent isotopic shift, ~700 K. This shift is lower than the isotopic difference in the free-molecule dissociation energies, but it is still large considering the high density of the liquid and the complex many-body effects. Our work reveals the importance of quantum nuclear effects in describing the metallization transition and conduction properties in dense hydrogen systems at conditions of giant planetary interiors, and provides an invaluable benchmark for ab-initio calculations.

Isotopic analysis of deuterated water via single- and double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Spatial segregation of species presents one of the main challenges in quantitative spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas, as it may lead to overestimation of the concentration of the heavier species. Analytical capabilities can also be affected by excessive Stark broadening at atmospheric pressure, hindering the ability to spectrally resolve closely spaced spectral lines, such as those belonging to isotopes of the same element. We present an experimental and modeling study of the segregation of species and spectral line broadening in D2O-H2O plasma produced by single- and double-pulse nanosecond laser ablation in air. The ability to resolve Balmer spectral lines of hydrogen and deuterium is investigated by considering the effects of plume segregation. Transient plasma properties which lead to improvements in spectral line separation are discussed. While the plume segregation is found to be negligible in air regardless of the ablation scheme used, we observe a significant improvement in the separation of isotopic spectral lines by employing the double-pulse excitation. This study may lead to increased reliability of optical emission spectroscopy in deuterium-rich plasma environments and suggests the potential for sensitive detection of tritium in air via laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Benzene‐d6 and toluene‐d8 as guest molecules in micropores of a layered zirconium phosphonate: 2H, 13C{1H}, and 31P{1H} solid‐state NMR, deuterium NMR relaxation, and molecular motions

For the first time, pore spaces in the Zr (IV) phosphonate (1) as a representative of layered metal (IV) phosphonate materials have been investigated by studying mobility of guest molecules, benzene-d6 , and toluene-d8 . Guest molecules located in micropores of 1 have been characterized by solid-state 13 C{1 H} and 2 H NMR spectra in static samples with varying temperatures. At moderately low temperatures, the benzene and toluene molecules experience fast isotropic reorientations and show the motionally averaged liquid-like carbon and deuterium line shapes in the NMR spectra. At lower temperatures, two anisotropic motional modes have been found for benzene molecules by analyzing the 2 H NMR line shapes: the well-known in-plane C6 rotation and composite motions. Interpretation of the variable-temperature 2 H T1 relaxation times identifies the composite motions as 120° flips around the C6 axis perpendicular to the molecular plane and the rotations around the molecular para-C-C axis. The data obtained resulted in the idealized (cylinder-shaped) model of micropores in compound 1 with the diameter of 20-30Å. Furthermore, the activation energy of 20.1kJ/mol determined for the benzene motions classifies the molecule-surface interactions as weak but enough for absorption.

Radio Environment Analysis at Balai Cerap KUSZA for Solar Burst Study

Solar radio burst study is one of the new researches done in radio astronomy field in Malaysia. Solar radio burst is associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). It occurs when magnetic storm collides with Earth’s magnetosphere. In this paper, we present the level of radio frequency interference (RFI) at selected sites in Malaysia; ESERI (ECE), Balai Cerap KUSZA (BCK), Sungai Chantek (SGC) and Hentian Serdang (HSRDG) focusing on wideband (30kHz-1000 MHz. The threshold for all selected sites is -76.3741 dBm (7.3887), -74.4022 dBm (9.8143), -73.736 dBm (9.4494) and -66.4082 dBm (13.4290) respectively. This study was done to survey the status of frequency allocation in Malaysia for radio astronomy study. In this frequency ranges, radio astronomical sources found are pulsar, deuterium line (DI) and solar radio burst. These radio astronomical sources can be studied best at BCK compared to other sites. This is important to radio astronomer in Malaysia especially in solar burst detection to identify the best site for observation. This study also may provide RFI database to radio astronomers to refer to before conducting an observation.

Optical emission spectroscopy of deuterium and helium plasma jets emitted from plasma focus discharges at the PF-1000U facility

Optical emission spectroscopy techniques were used to investigate the spectra of dense deuterium-plasma jets generated by high-current pulse discharges within the large PF-1000U facility and to estimate parameters of plasma inside the jets and their surroundings. Time-resolved optical spectra were recorded by means of a Mechelle®900 spectrometer. From an analysis of the deuterium line broadening, it was estimated that the electron concentration at a distance 57 cm from the electrode outlets amounted to (0.4–3.7) × 1017 cm−3 depending on the initial gas distribution and the time interval of the spectrum registration after the instant of the plasma jet generation. From the re-absorption dip in the Dβ profile, it was assessed that the electron concentration in the surrounding gas was equal to about 1.5 × 1015 cm−3. On the basis of the measured ratio of He II 468.6 nm and He I 587.6 nm line intensities, it was estimated that the electron temperature amounted to about 5.3 eV. Also estimated were some dimensionless parameters of the investigated plasma jets.

Determination of divertor stray light in high-resolution main chamber Hα spectroscopy in JET-ILW

The theoretical model suggested for ITER main chamber Hα spectroscopy is applied to the high-resolution spectroscopy (HRS) data of recent JET ITER-like wall (ILW) experiments. The model is aimed at reconstructing the neutral hydrogen isotope density in the SOL, as well as the isotope ratio, by solving a multi-parametric inverse problem with allowance for (i) the strong divertor stray light (DSL) on the main-chamber lines of sight (LoS), (ii) substantial deviation of the neutral atom velocity distribution function (VDF) from a Maxwellian in the SOL, and (iii) data for the direct observation of the divertor. The JET-ILW HRS data on resolving the power at the deuterium and hydrogen spectral lines of the Balmer-alpha series is analysed, with direct observation of the divertor from the top and with observation of the inner wall along the tangential and radial LoS from the equatorial ports. This data allows the spectrum of the DSL and the signal-to-background ratio for the Balmer-alpha light emitted from the far SOL and divertor in the JET-ILW to be evaluated. The results support the expectation of the strong impact of the DSL upon the ITER main chamber Hα (and visible light) spectroscopy diagnostics.

THE PRIMORDIAL DEUTERIUM ABUNDANCE OF THE MOST METAL-POOR DAMPED Lyα SYSTEM∗

ABSTRACT We report the discovery and analysis of the most metal-poor damped Lyα (DLA) system currently known, which also displays the Lyman series absorption lines of neutral deuterium. The average [O/H] abundance of this system is [O/H] = −2.804 ± 0.015, which includes an absorption component with [O/H] = −3.07 ± 0.03. Despite the unfortunate blending of many weak D i absorption lines, we report a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance of this system. Using the six highest-quality and self-consistently analyzed measures of D/H in DLAs, we report tentative evidence for a subtle decrease of D/H with increasing metallicity. This trend must be confirmed with future high-precision D/H measurements spanning a range of metallicity. A weighted mean of these six independent measures provides our best estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium, 105 (D/H)P = 2.547 ± 0.033 ( ). We perform a series of detailed Monte Carlo calculations of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) that incorporate the latest determinations of several key nuclear reaction cross-sections, and propagate their associated uncertainty. Combining our measurement of (D/H)P with these BBN calculations yields an estimate of the cosmic baryon density, 100 ΩB,0 h 2(BBN) = 2.156 ± 0.020, if we adopt the most recent theoretical determination of the reaction rate. This measure of ΩB,0 h 2 differs by ∼2.3σ from the Standard Model value estimated from the Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. Using instead a reaction rate that is based on the best available experimental cross-section data, we estimate 100 ΩB,0 h 2(BBN) = 2.260 ± 0.034, which is in somewhat better agreement with the Planck value. Forthcoming measurements of the crucial cross-section may shed further light on this discrepancy.

Research on interactions of plasma streams with CFC targets in the Rod Plasma Injector facility

Abstract This paper present results of optical spectroscopy studies of interactions of intense plasma streams with a solid target made of carbon fibre composite (CFC). The experiments were carried out within the Rod Plasma Injector (RPI) IBIS facility. The optical measurements were performed first for a freely propagating plasma stream in order to determine the optimal operational parameters of this facility. Optical emission spectra (OES) were recorded for different operational modes of the RPI IBIS device, and spectral lines were identified originating from the working gas (deuterium) as well as some lines from the electrode material (molybdenum). Subsequently, optical measurements of plasma interacting with the CFC target were performed. In the optical spectra recorded with the irradiated CFC samples, in addition to deuterium and molybdenum lines, many carbon lines, which enabled to estimate erosion of the investigated targets, were recorded. In order to study changes in the irradiated CFC samples, their surfaces were analysed (before and after several plasma discharges) by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The analysis of the obtained SEM images showed that the plasma irradiation induces noticeable changes in the surface morphology, for example vaporisation of some carbon fibres and formation of microcracks. The obtained EDS images showed that upon the irradiated target surface, some impurity ions are also deposited, particularly molybdenum ions from the applied electrodes.

MITRA 2.0

We give the rationale of building a new innovative radio telescope in Mauritius. The instrument will tackle important astrophysical areas, such as the detection and imaging of the Deuterium line and of recombination lines, as well as bridging a gap in the technological area. The telescope will be composed of low cost dipole antennas, arranged in planar stations with a bandwidth of ∼200MHz. The Front-End Electronics will have GaS-HEMT technology Low Noise Amplifiers to constrain the value of the system temperature to a minimum. The signals will be digitized and Fast Fourier Transformed. The post-processing used will be dependent on the science observed. It could be a case of either accumulation or FX correlation.

Effect of Microwave Power on Electron Temperature and Electron Density in Deuterium Plasma Generated by Electron Cyclotron Resonance

The desire for continuously gaining new knowledge in fusion reactor technology has pushed the frontier of engineering methods to deliver highly stable ion source for 14-MeV neutron generators. The diagnostic of the ion source of 14-MeV neutron generator is one of the prime concerns for future fusion reactor technology. An accelerator-based 14-MeV neutron generator is developed at Fusion Neutronics Laboratory of Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India. The ion source of this 14-MeV neutron generator is diagnosed via the optical emission spectroscopy technique. In order to achieve optimum electron temperature and electron density for stable operation of ion source, the controlling parameters, namely, deuterium ambient gas pressure, ambient gas flow rate, and microwave power coupled to the deuterium plasma, are varied systematically. An investigation on the effect of microwave power coupled with deuterium plasma on the overall electron temperature as well as electron density is investigated in this paper. Prominent Balmer emission lines of deuterium $\alpha $ , $\beta $ , and $\gamma $ ( $\text{D}_{\alpha }$ , $\text{D}_{\beta }$ , and $\text{D}_{\gamma })$ are observed in the deuterium plasma generated by electron cyclotron resonance. The overall electron temperature of deuterium plasma is measured by Boltzmann plot at various microwave power, 100–400 W, whereas the electron density is measured by Stark broadening.

The unusual internal motion of the villin headpiece subdomain.

The thermostable 36-residue subdomain of the villin headpiece (HP36) is the smallest known cooperatively folding protein. Although the folding and internal dynamics of HP36 and close variants have been extensively studied, there has not been a comprehensive investigation of side-chain motion in this protein. Here, the fast motion of methyl-bearing amino acid side chains is explored over a range of temperatures using site-resolved solution nuclear magnetic resonance deuterium relaxation. The squared generalized order parameters of methyl groups extensively spatially segregate according to motional classes. This has not been observed before in any protein studied using this methodology. The class segregation is preserved from 275 to 305 K. Motions detected in Helix 3 suggest a fast timescale of conformational heterogeneity that has not been previously observed but is consistent with a range of folding and dynamics studies. Finally, a comparison between the order parameters in solution with previous results based on solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance deuterium line shape analysis of HP36 in partially hydrated powders shows a clear disagreement for half of the sites. This result has significant implications for the interpretation of data derived from a variety of approaches that rely on partially hydrated protein samples.

Protein Dynamics in the Solid State from (2)H NMR Line Shape Analysis. II. MOMD Applied to C-D and C-CD3 Probes.

Deuterium line shape analysis from mobile C–D and C–CD3 groups has emerged as a particularly useful tool for studying dynamics in the solid state. The theoretical models devised so far consist typically of sets of independent dynamic modes. Each such mode is simple and usually case-specific. In this scenario, model improvement entails adding yet another mode (thereby changing the overall model), comparison of different cases is difficult, and ambiguity is unavoidable. We recently developed the microscopic order macroscopic disorder (MOMD) approach as a single-mode alternative. In MOMD, the local spatial restrictions are expressed by an anisotropic potential, the local motion by a diffusion tensor, and the local molecular geometry by relative (magnetic and model-related) tensor orientations, all of adjustable symmetry. This approach provides a consistent method of analysis, thus resolving the issues above. In this study, we apply MOMD to PS-adsorbed LKα14 peptide and dimethylammonium tetraphenylborate (C–CD3 and N–CD3 dynamics, respectively), as well as HhaI methyltransferase target DNA and phase III of benzene-6-hexanoate (C–D dynamics). The success with fitting these four disparate cases, as well as the two cases in the previous report, demonstrates the generality of this MOMD-based approach. In this study, C–D and C–CD3 are both found to execute axial diffusion (rates R⊥ and R∥) in the presence of a rhombic potential given by the L = 2 spherical harmonics (coefficients c02 and c22). R⊥ (R∥) is in the 102–103 (104–105) s–1 range, and c02 and c22 are on the order of 2–3 kBT. Specific parameter values are determined for each mobile site. The diffusion and quadrupolar tensors are tilted at either 120° (consistent with trans–gauche isomerization) or nearly 110.5° (consistent with methyl exchange). Future prospects include extension of the MOMD formalism to include MAS, and application to 15N and 13C nuclei.