Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Fluid physics'

The observation of gravitational waves from compact stars (neutron and quark stars) is a promising method of determining their internal composition. This research presents the details and results for calculations of some of the principal modes of compact star oscillations, by which they radiate gravitational waves. These are: the f-modes, p-modes, and g-modes. We find that for the same stellar mass, the f-modes for quark stars are higher in frequency than for neutron stars. The p-mode frequency of quark stars decrease with stellar mass, displaying an opposite trend to that of neutron stars. Two-component models were also considered. A core-ocean model was examined for a neutron star, using a polytropic equation of state (EOS), and a core-crust model for a quark star, using a bag model EOS. We find that g-mode oscillations in neutron star oceans depend on the dominant chemical species of the ocean as well as the mass of the underlying core. The addition of a solid crust onto a quark star increases the frequencies, attributable to shear stresses between the core and crust. These results pave the way to model and contrast the gravitational wave signals emitted by oscillating compact stars.

In this study we consider 2D seismic lithology/fluid inversion constrained by rock physics depth trends and a prior lithology/fluid Markov random field. A stochastic relation from porosity and lithology/fluid to seismic observations is established. The inversion is done in a Bayesian framework with an approximate posterior distribution. Block Gibbs samplers are used to estimate the approximate posterior distribution. Two different inversion algorithms are established, one with the support of well observations and one without. Both inversion algorithms are tested on a synthetic reservoir and the algorithm with well observations is also tested on a data set from the North Sea. The classification results with both algorithms are good. Without the support of well observations it is problematic to estimate the level of the porosity trends, however the classification results are approximately translation invariant with respect to porosity trends.

In this dissertation, Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are used to model the coupled turbulence-reactive tracer dynamics within the upper mixed layer of the ocean. Prior work has shown that LES works well over the spatial and time scales relevant to both turbulence and reactive biogeochemistry. Additionally, the code intended for use is able to carry an arbitrary number of tracer equations, allowing for easy expansion of the species reactions. Research in this dissertation includes a study of 15 idealized non-reactive tracers within an evolving large-scale temperature front in order determine and understand the fundamental dynamics underlying turbulence-tracer interaction in the absence of reactions. The focus of this study, in particular, was on understanding the evolution of biogeochemically-relevant, non-reactive tracers in the presence of both large (~5 km) submesoscale eddies and smallscale (~100 m) wave-driven Langmuir turbulence. The 15 tracers studied have different initial, boundary, and source conditions and significant differences are seen in their distributions depending on these conditions. Differences are also seen between regions where submesoscale eddies and small-scale Langmuir turbulence are both present, and in regions with only Langmuir turbulence. A second study focuses on the examination of Langmuir turbulence effects on upper ocean carbonate chemistry. Langmuir mixing time scales are similar to those of chemical reactions, resulting in potentially strong tracer-flow coupling effects. The strength of the Langmuir turbulence is varied, from no wave-driven turbulence (i.e., only shear-driven turbulence), to Langmuir turbulence that is much stronger than that found in typical upper ocean conditions. Three different carbonate chemistry models are also used in this study: time-dependent chemistry, equilibrium chemistry, and no-chemistry (i.e., non-reactive tracers). The third and final study described in this dissertation details the development of a reduced-order biogeochemical model with 17 state equations that can accurately reproduce the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) ecosystem behavior, but that can also be integrated within high-resolution LES.

This project numerically modeled a simplified version of a fault system complete with a shear zone, similar to that of the fault zones in the Sierra Nevada, purely in Python to compare to that of one using ABAQUS. Modeling fluid flow in this system can help explain or predict where water is coming to the surface in places like the Sierra Nevada. The model took into account fluid flow based on Darcy’s law, which explains how fluid flows through a porous media, and applied it to the background diffusivities and pressures that it was given. This gave fluid velocities off initial pressure gradients and perturbations. After testing several initial pressure fields in the model against the previous models, it was found that, with Test 3, it was possible to match the “black box” of ABAQUS using the freeware of Python. This result opens up opportunities to explore further this system by refining the model and adding new parameters that were just not possible to do with ABAQUS.

Using the unique properties of the interaction between intense, short-pulse lasers and nanometer scale van-der-Waals bonded aggregates (or 'clusters'), modulated waveguides in hydrogen, argon and nitrogen plasmas were produced and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light was generated in deeply ionized nitrogen plasmas. A jet of clusters behaves as an array of mass-limited, solid-density targets with the average density of a gas.

Two highly versatile experimental techniques are demonstrated for making preformed plasma waveguides with periodic structure within a laser-ionized cluster jet. The propagation of ultra-intense femtosecond laser pulses with intensities up to 2 x10¹⁷ W/cm² has been experimentally demonstrated in waveguides generated using both methods, limited by available laser energy. The first uses a 'ring grating' to impose radial intensity modulations on the channel-generating laser pulse, which leads to axial intensity modulations at the laser focus within the cluster jet target. This creates a waveguide with axial modulations in diameter with a period between 35 μm and 2 mm, determined by the choice of ring grating. The second method creates modulated waveguides by focusing a uniform laser pulse within a jet of clusters with ow that has been modulated by periodically spaced wire obstructions. These wires make sharp, stable voids as short as 50 μm with a period as small as 200 μm within waveguides of hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon plasma. The gaps persist as the plasma expands for the full lifetime of the waveguide. This technique is useful for quasi-phase matching applications where index-modulated guides are superior to diameter modulated guides. Simulations show that these 'slow wave' guiding structures could allow direct laser acceleration of electrons, achieving gradients of 80 MV/cm and 10 MV/cm for laser pulse powers of 1.9 TW and 30 GW, respectively.

Results are also presented from experiments in which a nitrogen cluster jet from a cryogenically cooled gas valve was irradiated with relativistically intense (up to 2 x 10¹⁸ W/cm²) femtosecond laser pulses. The original purpose of these experiments was to create a transient recombination-pumped nitrogen soft x-ray laser on the 2_p3/2 → 1_s1/2 (λ = 24.779 Å) and 2_p1/2 → 1 _s1/2 (λ = 24.785 Å) transitions in H-like nitrogen (N ⁶⁺). Although no amplification was observed, trends in EUV emission from H-like, He-like and Li-like nitrogen ions in the 15 –150 Åspectral range were measured as a function of laser intensity and cluster size. These results were compared with calculations run in a 1-D fluid laser-cluster interaction code to study the time-dependent ionization, recombination, and evolution of nitrogen cluster plasmas.

The Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX) is a spherical tokamak designed to study the lowrecycling regime through the use of lithium-coated shells conformal to the last closed flux surface (LCFS). A lowered recycling rate is expected to flatten core T_e profiles, raise edge T_e, strongly affect n _e profiles, and enhance confinement.

To study these unique plasmas, a Thomson scattering diagnostic uses a ≤ 20 J, 30 ns FWHM pulsed ruby laser to measure T_e and n_e at 11 radial points on the horizontal midplane, spaced from the magnetic axis to the outer edge at a single temporal point for each discharge. Scattered light is imaged through a spectrometer onto an intensified CCD. The diagnostic is absolutely calibrated using a precision light source and Raman scattering. Measurements of n _e are compared with line integrated density measurements from a microwave interferometer. Adequate signal to noise is obtained with ne ≥ 2 ×10 ¹⁸ m^–3.

Thomson profiles of plasmas following evaporation of lithium onto room-temperature plasmafacing components (PFCs) are used in conjunction with magnetic equilibria as input for TRANSP modeling runs. Neoclassical calculations are used to determine T_i profiles, which have levels that agree with passive charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) measurements. TRANSP results for confinement times and stored energies agree with diamagnetic loop measurements. Results of χ_e result in values as low as 7 m²/s near the core, which rise to around 100 m²/s near the edge. These are the first measurements of χe in LTX, or its predecessor, the Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade (CDX-U), with lithium PFCs.

Rare-earth-doped fiber lasers and amplifiers are relatively easy to efficiently produce a stable and high quality laser beam in a compact, robust, and alignment-free configuration. Recently, high power fiber laser systems have facilitated wide spread applications in academics, industries, and militaries in replacement of bulk solid-state laser systems. The master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) composed of a highly-controlled seed, high-gain preamplifiers, and high-efficiency power amplifiers are typically utilized to scale up the pulse energy, peak power, or average power. Furthermore, a direct-current-modulated nanosecond diode laser in single transverse mode can simply provide a compact and highly-controlled seed to result in the flexible output parameters, such as repetition rate, pulse duration, and even temporal pulse shape. However, when scaling up the peak power for high intensity applications, such a versatile diode-seeded nanosecond MOPA laser system using rare-earth-doped fibers is unable to completely save its own advantages compared to bulk laser systems. Without a strong seeding among the amplifiers, the guided amplified spontaneous amplification is easy to become dominant during the amplification, leading to the harmful self-lasing or pulsing effects, and the difficulty of the quantitative numerical comparison. In this dissertation, we study a high-efficiency and intense nanosecond ytterbium fiber MOPA system with good beam quality and stability for high intensity applications. The all-PM-fiber structure is achieved with the output extinction ratio of >12 dB by optimizing the interconnection of high power optical fibers.

The diode-seeded MOPA configuration without parasitic stimulated amplification (PAS) is implemented using the double-pass scheme to extract energy efficiently for scaling peak power. The broadband PAS was studied experimentally, which matches well with our numerical simulation. The 1064-nm nanosecond seed was a direct-current-modulated Fabry-Pérot diode laser associated with a weak and pulsed noise spanning from 1045 to 1063 nm. Even though the contribution of input noise pulse is only <5%, it becomes a significant transient spike during amplification. The blue-shifted pulsed noise may be caused by band filling effect for quantum-well seed laser driven by high peak current. The study helps the development of adaptive pulse shaping for scaling peak power or energy at high efficiency. On the other hand, the broadband spike with a 3-dB bandwidth of 8.8 nm can support pulses to seed the amplifier for sub-nanosecond giant pulse generation.

Because of the very weak seed laser, the design of high-gain preamplifier becomes critical. The utilization of single-mode core-pumped fiber preamplifier can not only improve the mode contrast without fiber coiling effect but also significantly suppress the fiber nonlinearity. The double-pass scheme was therefore studied both numerically and experimentally to improve energy extraction efficiency for the lack of attainable seed and core-pumped power. As a result, a record-high peak power of > 30 kW and energy of > 0.23 mJ was successfully achieved to the best of our knowledge from the output of clad-pumped power amplifier with a beam quality of M² ∼1.1 in a diode-seeded 15-µm-core fiber MOPA system. After the power amplifier, the MOPA conversion efficiency can be dramatically improved to >56% for an energy gain of >63 dB at a moderate repetition rate of 20 kHz with a beam quality of M ² <1.5. The output energy of >1.1 mJ with a pulse duration of ∼6.1 ns can result in a peak power up to >116 kW which is limited by fiber fuse in long-term operation. Such a condition able to generate the on-target laser intensity of > 60 GW/cm² for applications is qualified to preliminarily create a laser-plasma light source. Moreover, the related simulation results also reveal the double-passed power amplifier can further simplify MOPA.

Such an intense clad-pumped power amplifier can further become a nonlinear fiber amplifier in all-normal dispersion instead of a nonlinear passive fiber. The combination of laser amplification and nonlinear conversion together can therefore overcome the significant pump depletion during the propagation along the passive fiber for power scaling. As a result, an intense spectrum spanning from 980 to 1600 nm as a high-power nanosecond supercontinuum source can be successfully generated with a conversion efficiency of >65% and a record-high peak power of >116 kW to the best of our knowledge. Because of MOPA structure, the influence of input parameters of nonlinear fiber amplifier on supercontinuum parameters can also be studied. The onset and interplay of fiber nonlinearities can be revealed stage by stage. Such an unique and linearly-polarized light source composed of an intense pump and broad sideband seed is beneficial for efficiently driving the broadband tunable optical parametric amplification free from the bulkiness and timing jitter.

Keywords: High power fiber laser and amplifier, ytterbium fiber, master oscillator power amplification, parasitic stimulated amplification, multi-pass fiber amplification, peak power/pulse energy scaling, fiber nonlinear optics, supercontinuum generation.