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K. Ivanov

Publications and source records attributed to K. Ivanov.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

An Integrated Framework for Uncertainty Quantification in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors using the HCP Time-dependent Multiphysics code and Dakota toolkit

The High Temperature Reactor Code Package provides sophisticated modeling and simulation capabilities for high temperature gas cooled reactors like the HTR-200 Modul. However, HCP currently lacks integrated methods for uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis. This work aims to couple HCP with the DAKOTA toolkit to enable UQ workflows for quantifying how different uncertainties impact HTGR system performance. DAKOTA offers state of the art sampling and analysis methods that will be linked to the HCP time-dependent multiphysics environment. Key input parameters related to manufacturing variability, boundary and initial conditions, and material properties will be defined as uncertain in this study. Both steady state and time-dependent multiphysics simulations will be analyzed to understand the relative importance of uncertainties across different physics phenomena. Output metrics of interest can include anything measured by the HCP code. Results show the HTR-200 Modul design's robustness to input uncertainties related to inlet gas temperature, U-235 enrichment, graphite density, inlet mass flow rate, and reactor power. A pressurized loss of forced cooling transient was simulated against uncertainty in the inlet gas temperature. Results show the maximum fuel temperature is within design limits with a relatively big safety margin even when considering uncertainty in the boundary conditions of the reactor. Future work will expand the analysis to more HCP physics modules and nuclear data uncertainties. By leveraging UQ and sensitivity analysis with the linked HCP/DAKOTA environment, this work will provide valuable new insights into the expected performance variability of HTR systems during normal and off-normal conditions. The framework developed here will aid uncertainty management activities by gas-cooled reactor developers, researchers, and regulators.

physics.ins-det

All-optical blast wave control of laser wakefield acceleration in near critical plasma

We propose a novel method for changing the length of laser wakefield electron acceleration in a gas jet by a cylindrical blast wave created by a perpendicularly focused nanosecond laser pulse. The shock front destroys the wake thus stopping interaction between the laser pulse and accelerated electron bunch allowing one to directly control the interaction length and avoid dephasing. It also improves the electron beam quality through the plasma lensing effect between the two shock fronts. We demonstrated both experimentally and numerically how this approach can be used to form quasi-monoenergetic electron bunch with controlled energy and improved divergence as well as to track changes in the bunch parameters during acceleration.

physics.plasm-ph

Laser-driven pointed acceleration of electrons with preformed plasma lens

The simultaneous laser-driven acceleration and angular manipulation of the fast electron beam is experimentally demonstrated. The bunch of multi-MeV energy charged particles is generated during the propagation of the femtosecond laser pulse through the near-critical plasma slab accompanied by plasma channeling. Plasma is formed by the controlled breakdown of a thin-tape target by a powerful nanosecond prepulse. The electron beam pointing approach is based on the refraction of a laser pulse in the presence of a strong radial density gradient in the breakdown of the tape with a small displacement of the femtosecond laser beam relative to the breakdown symmetry axis. A shift of several micrometers makes it possible to achieve beam deflection by an angle up to 10 degrees with acceptable beam charge and spectrum conservation. This opens up opportunities for in-situ applications for scanning objects with an electron beam and the multistage electron beam energy gain in consecutive laser accelerators without bulk magnetic optics for particles. Experimental findings are supported by numerical Particle-In-Cell calculations of laser-plasma acceleration and hydrodynamic simulations.

physics.plasm-ph

Phase space consideration of low energy electron injection for Direct Laser Acceleration

Feasibility of ionization injection for Direct Laser Acceleration (DLA) of electrons up to hundreds of MeV was studied analytically. Criteria for effective injection determining range of background and in-channel plasma parameters, laser intensity, etc. were found using phase portraits of the system deduced from the simplified analytical model. The found optimal trajectory in the phase space corresponds to the electron with low (few eV) initial energy experiencing $\sim$10$^9$ times energy gain. For this to occur, electron density should be a few percent of the critical density, while the in-channel electron density should be $\sim$3 times lower. The analytically obtained dependence of the energy gain on the initial electron longitudinal and transverse momenta corresponds well to the results of exact numerical simulations of an electron motion in the plasma channel. Developed approach can form the basis for further studies of electron injection in DLA varying plasma and laser parameters as well as initial electron energies.

physics.plasm-ph

Experimental quantum key distribution certified by Bell's theorem

Cryptographic key exchange protocols traditionally rely on computational conjectures such as the hardness of prime factorisation to provide security against eavesdropping attacks. Remarkably, quantum key distribution protocols like the one proposed by Bennett and Brassard provide information-theoretic security against such attacks, a much stronger form of security unreachable by classical means. However, quantum protocols realised so far are subject to a new class of attacks exploiting implementation defects in the physical devices involved, as demonstrated in numerous ingenious experiments. Following the pioneering work of Ekert proposing the use of entanglement to bound an adversary's information from Bell's theorem, we present here the experimental realisation of a complete quantum key distribution protocol immune to these vulnerabilities. We achieve this by combining theoretical developments on finite-statistics analysis, error correction, and privacy amplification, with an event-ready scheme enabling the rapid generation of high-fidelity entanglement between two trapped-ion qubits connected by an optical fibre link. The secrecy of our key is guaranteed device-independently: it is based on the validity of quantum theory, and certified by measurement statistics observed during the experiment. Our result shows that provably secure cryptography with real-world devices is possible, and paves the way for further quantum information applications based on the device-independence principle.

quant-ph

Discovery of a young low-mass brown dwarf transiting a fast-rotating F-type star by the Galactic Plane eXoplanet (GPX) survey

We announce the discovery of GPX-1 b, a transiting brown dwarf with a mass of $19.7\pm 1.6$ $M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ and a radius of $1.47\pm0.10$ $R_{\mathrm{Jup}}$, the first sub-stellar object discovered by the Galactic Plane eXoplanet (GPX) survey. The brown dwarf transits a moderately bright ($V$ = 12.3 mag) fast-rotating F-type star with a projected rotational velocity $v\sin{ i_*}=40\pm10$ km/s. We use the isochrone placement algorithm to characterize the host star, which has effective temperature $7000\pm200$ K, mass $1.68\pm0.10$ $M_{\mathrm{Sun}}$, radius $1.56\pm0.10$ $R_{\mathrm{Sun}}$ and approximate age $0.27_{-0.15}^{+0.09}$ Gyr. GPX-1 b has an orbital period of $\sim$1.75 d, and a transit depth of $0.90\pm0.03$ %. We describe the GPX transit detection observations, subsequent photometric and speckle-interferometric follow-up observations, and SOPHIE spectroscopic measurements, which allowed us to establish the presence of a sub-stellar object around the host star. GPX-1 was observed at 30-min integrations by TESS in Sector 18, but the data is affected by blending with a 3.4 mag brighter star 42 arcsec away. GPX-1 b is one of about two dozen transiting brown dwarfs known to date, with a mass close to the theoretical brown dwarf/gas giant planet mass transition boundary. Since GPX-1 is a moderately bright and fast-rotating star, it can be followed-up by the means of Doppler tomography.

astro-ph.SR

MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1/M31LRN 2015 Luminous Red Nova in M31: Discovery, Light Curve, Hydrodynamics, Evolution

We report the discovery and multicolor (VRIW) photometry of a rare explosive star MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1 - a luminous red nova - in the Andromeda galaxy M31N2015-01a. We use our original light curve acquired with identical MASTER Global Robotic Net telescopes in one photometric system: VRI during first 30 days and W (unfiltered) during 70 days. Also we added publishied multicolor photometry data to estimate the mass and energy of the ejected shell, and discuss the likely formation scenarios of outbursts of this type. We propose the interpretation of the explosion, that is consistent with the evolutionary scenario where star merger is a natural stage of the evolution of close-mass stars and may serve as an extra channel for the formation of nova outbursts.

astro-ph.HE

MASTER optical polarization variability detection in the Microquasar V404 Cyg/GS2023+33

On 2015 June 15 the Swift space observatory discovered that the Galactic black hole candidate V404 Cyg was undergoing another active X-ray phase, after 25 years of inactivity (Barthelmy et al. 2015). Twelve telescopes of the MASTER Global Robotic Net located at six sites across four continents were the first ground based observatories to start optical monitoring of the microquasar after its gamma-ray wakeup at 18h 34m 09s U.T. on 2015 June 15 (Lipunov et al. 2015). In this paper we report, for the first time, the discovery of variable optical linear polarization, changing by 4-6% over a timescale of approximately 1 h, on two different epochs. We can conclude that the additional variable polarization arisies from the relativistic jet generated by the black hole in V404Cyg. The polarization variability correlates with optical brightness changes, increasing when the flux decreases.

astro-ph.HE

Uranium oxides investigated by X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies

X-ray absorption and resonant X-ray emission measurements at the O 1s edge of the uranium oxides UO2, U3O8 and UO3 are presented. The spectral shapes of the O Kα X-ray emission spectra of UO3 exhibit significant excitation energy dependence, from an asymmetric to a symmetric form, which differs from those of UO2 and U3O8. This energy dependence is attributed to a significant difference in the oxygen-uranium hybridization between two different sites in the crystal structure of UO3. The spectral shapes of UO2 and U3O8 are also found to be different but without significant energy dependence. The experimental spectra of the valence and conduction bands of the uranium oxides are compared to the results of electronic structure calculations available in the literature.

cond-mat.str-el