Application of intense ion beams to planetary physics research at the Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research facility

This paper presents detailed 2D hydrodynamic simulations of implosion of a multi‐layered cylindrical target that is driven by an intense uranium beam. The target is comprised of a thick, high‐Z, high‐ρ cylindrical shell that encloses a sample material (Fe in the present case). Two options have been used for the focal spot geometry: an annular form and a circular form. The purpose of this work is to show that an intense heavy‐ion beam can induce the extreme physical conditions in the sample material similar to those that exist in the planetary cores. In this study, we use parameters of the beam that will be generated at the Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research (FAIR), Darmstadt, in a few years' time. Production of these high‐energy‐density (HED) samples will allow us to study planetary physics in the laboratory. It is to be noted that planetary physics research is an important part of the FAIR HED physics program. A dedicated experiment named LAboratory PLAnetary Sciences (LAPLAS) has been proposed for this purpose. These simulations show that in such experiments an Fe sample can be imploded to the Earth's core conditions and to those in more massive rocky planets called Super‐Earths. Similarly, implosion of hydrogen and water samples will generate the core conditions of solar and extrasolar hydrogen‐rich gas giants and water‐rich icy planets, respectively. The LAPLAS experiments will thus provide very valuable information on the equation of state and transport properties of matter under extreme physical conditions, which will help scientists understand the structure and evolution of the planets in our solar system as well as of the extrasolar planets.     

高能量密度氘、氦的第一原理研究进展

极端条件下氘、氦的研究对于凝聚态物理、等离子体物理、天体物理以及惯性约束聚变的研究具有重要意义.文章综述了近年来温稠密区、热稠密区以及低温高压区的最新研究进展,归纳了尚待解决的科学问题,从而为进一步的研究提供参考.     

温稠密铝等离子体物态方程及其电离平衡研究

温稠密物质的物性参数在惯性约束聚变能源、Z箍缩等高能量密度物理领域的实验结果分析和物理过程数值模拟等方面有着重要的应用价值.本文应用部分电离等离子体模型,在理想自由能的基础上考虑了库仑相互作用、排斥体积作用和极化作用等非理想特性,开展了温稠密等离子体物态方程和电离平衡的研究.计算了温稠密铝等离子体的压强等物态方程数据和在密度为1.0×10^-4-3.0 g/cm^3,温度为1.0×10^4-3.0×10^4 K范围内的粒子组分.计算结果显示,铝等离子体的平均电离度在临界密度区域内随着密度的增加而突然增大.根据非理想Saha方程中有效电离能这一关键参数,分析了铝等离子体平均电离度在临界密度区域内随密度迅速增大的现象.     

Ionization dynamics of dense matter generated by intense ultrashort X‐ray pulses

We investigate a pump‐probe X‐ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) experiment that might be carried out at a free electron laser facility to study warm‐to‐hot states of dense matter. Ultrashort and intense X‐ray pulses with different energies (1,560–1,830 eV) heat a 1 µm thick Al target isochorically and create homogeneous and uncompressed warm‐to‐hot states of dense matter. A second pulse with variable delay probes this heated state via XRTS. The X‐ray laser–target interaction is modelled within radiation‐hydrodynamic simulations applying the HELIOS‐CR code. The HELIOS‐CR results qualitatively agree with Monte‐Carlo simulations, where the laser pulse absorption is simulated based on a uniform random sequence of events. The electron feature in the simultaneously observed X‐ray scattering spectrum is a function of the degree of ionization and the target temperature. Therefore, the temporal evolution of the plasmon peak measures the ionization dynamics on ultra‐short time scales. The XRTS spectrum is calculated based on the Chihara formula utilizing the Born‐Mermin approximation for the free electron dynamic structure factor. The proposed experiment will reveal important details of the ionization dynamics on ultra‐short time scales as well as of the relaxation on ps time scales.     

Achievements in high‐pressure science at the high‐brilliance energy‐dispersive X‐ray absorption spectrometer of ESRF,ID24

Although the idea of an X‐ray absorption spectrometer in dispersive geometry was initially conceived for the study of transient phenomena, the instrument at the European Synchrotron Radiation facility has been increasingly exploited for studies at extreme conditions of pressure using diamond anvil cells. The main results of investigations at high pressure obtained at beamline ID24 are reviewed. These concern not only fundamental topics, such as the local and the electronic structure as well as the magnetic properties of matter, but also geological relevant questions such as the behaviour of Fe in the main components of the Earth's interior.     

Wave packet molecular dynamics–density functional theory method for non‐ideal plasma and warm dense matter simulations

A new wave packet molecular dynamics–density functional theory (WPMD‐DFT) method is proposed for atomistic simulations of non‐ideal plasma and warm dense matter. The method is based on the WPMD approach, where the electronic exchange and correlation effects are treated using an additional energy term taken from DFT. This term is calculated by integration over the mesh values of the wave packet density. The local density approximation is implemented so far. WPMD‐DFT is meant as a replacement for the anti‐symmetrized WPMD (AWPMD) method which is more time consuming and lacks electron correlation. In this paper, we compare the results obtained by WPMD‐DFT, WPMD, AWPMD, classical molecular dynamics, and path integral Monte Carlo methods for the internal energy of the hydrogen plasma in the temperature range 10–50 kK and electron number density from 10²⁰ to 10²⁴ cm^?3. We also demonstrate the ability to handle the simultaneous dynamics of electrons and ions by calculating the electron–ion temperature relaxation. The scalability of the WPMD‐DFT method with the number of electrons is shown for implementations in central processing unit and graphical processing unit.     

高功率离子束的应用研究

给出用“闪光二号”加速器高功率离子束轰击19F靶产生6~7MeV准单能脉冲γ射线的实验结果;提出采用离子束传输法分离和降低轫致辐射干扰的方法,利用闪烁体探测器和半导体探测器,测出质子传输不同距离后轰击C2F4靶产生的6~7MeV准单能脉冲γ射线信号以及相比轫致辐射的延迟时间;介绍了模拟材料的软X射线的热 力学效应等方面的高功率离子束的应用,给出一些实验和理论计算结果。     

Resonance Raman spectroscopic and density functional theory investigation of the excited state structural dynamics of 2‐mercapto‐1‐methylimidazole

The resonance Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with the density functional theory calculations were used to study the excited state structural dynamics of 2‐mercapto‐1‐methylimidazole (MMI). The experimental UV absorption bands were assigned according to the time‐dependent density functional calculations. The vibrational assignments were done for the A‐band resonance Raman spectra of MMI in water and acetonitrile on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and FT‐Raman measurements in solid, in water and in acetonitrile and the corresponding B3LYP/6‐311+G(d, p) computations. The dynamic structures of MMI were obtained by analysis of the resonance Raman intensity pattern and normal mode analysis. The differences in the dynamic structures of MMI and thiourea were revealed and explained. The structural dynamic of MMI was found to be similar to that of 2‐thiopyrimidone in terms of major reaction coordinates and thus favored the intra‐molecular proton transfer reaction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A furnace and environmental cell for the in situ investigation of molten salt electrolysis using high‐energy X‐ray diffraction

This paper describes the design, construction and implementation of a relatively large controlled‐atmosphere cell and furnace arrangement. The purpose of this equipment is to facilitate the in situ characterization of materials used in molten salt electrowinning cells, using high‐energy X‐ray scattering techniques such as synchrotron‐based energy‐dispersive X‐ray diffraction. The applicability of this equipment is demonstrated by quantitative measurements of the phase composition of a model inert anode material, which were taken during an in situ study of an operational Fray–Farthing–Chen Cambridge electrowinning cell, featuring molten CaCl₂ as the electrolyte. The feasibility of adapting the cell design to investigate materials in other high‐temperature environments is also discussed.     

p‐toluenesulfonic acid‐catalyzed synthesis of polysubstituted quinolines via Friedländer reaction under ball‐milling conditions at room temperature and theoretical study on the mechanism using a density functional theory method

The synthesis of polysubstituted quinolines was accomplished through Friedländer annulation between 2‐aminoaryl ketones and different active methylene compounds at room temperature using ball‐milling technique in the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid. The mechanism of the reaction investigated by density functional theory‐based modeling is also reported. This study aims at giving insight into the mechanism of the Friedländer reaction in the presence of acid catalysts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The emerging role of 4D synchrotron X‐ray micro‐tomography for climate and fossil energy studies: five experiments showing the present capabilities at beamline 8.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source

Continuous improvements at X‐ray imaging beamlines at synchrotron light sources have made dynamic synchrotron X‐ray micro‐computed tomography (SXR‐µCT) experiments more routinely available to users, with a rapid increase in demand given its tremendous potential in very diverse areas. In this work a survey of five different four‐dimensional SXR‐µCT experiments is presented, examining five different parameters linked to the evolution of the investigated system, and tackling problems in different areas in earth sciences. SXR‐µCT is used to monitor the microstructural evolution of the investigated sample with the following variables: (i) high temperature, observing in situ oil shale pyrolysis; (ii) low temperature, replicating the generation of permafrost; (iii) high pressure, to study the invasion of supercritical CO₂ in deep aquifers; (iv) uniaxial stress, to monitor the closure of a fracture filled with proppant, in shale; (v) reactive flow, to observe the evolution of the hydraulic properties in a porous rock subject to dissolution. For each of these examples, it is shown how dynamic SXR‐µCT was able to provide new answers to questions related to climate and energy studies, highlighting the significant opportunities opened recently by the technique.