Simulation of High Power Targets for Future Accelerators

PI: Roman Samulyak (SBU / BNL)

Collaborators: K. McDonald (Princeton University), H. Kirk (BNL)

Source of support: DOE HEP (completed in FY15)

The targetry group of DOE's Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) is exploring the feasibility of high power liquid mercury targets for future particle accelerators. The numerical simulations aim to describe the hydrodynamic response of the target interacting with proton pulses in magnetic fields and provide input for the design of reliable targets. Simulations use FronTier, a multiphysics code with explicit resolution of material interfaces based on front tracking, a smooth particle hydrodynamics code, and a newly developed Largangian particle code that significantly improves accuracy of previous particle-based methods. We have performed simulations of liquid mercury jet targets interacting with high power proton beams in magnetic fields. MHD simulations which predicted strong distortion of the jet entering a 15 Tesla solenoid and the reduction of the target efficiency have led to a change of design parameters for the CERN MERIT experiment. Simulation also predicted strong instabilities and cavitation of the mercury jet interacting with proton pulses at zero magnetic field, and a stabilizing effect of the magnetic field. The main conclusion of the targetry program is that liquid mercury jet targets can reliably work in future accelerators and neutron sources up to 8 MW power limit. This research resulted in unique computational tools that will be able to serve as a design tool for future accelerator and neutron source targets.

Mercury jet target disintegration after interaction with 24 GeV, 12 teraproton bunch. Left: experiment, right: simulation.

Experimental images of mercury thimble experiments: mercury splash at t = 0.88, 0.125, 0.7 ms after impact of 12 teraproton beam (A. Fabich)

Particle-based simulation of mercury thimble experiments: mercury splash at t = 0.5 and 0.7 ms

Recent Publications:

1. T. Guo, S. Wang, R. Samulyak, Sharp interface algorithm for large density ratio incompressible multiphase magnetohydrodynamic, Procedia Comp. Science, 18 (2013), 511 - 520.

2. R. Samulyak, H.C. Chen, H. Kirk, K. McDonald, Simulation of high-power mercury jet targets for neutrino factory and muon collider, Proceedings of PAC2013, Pasadena, CA USA, paper TUPBA09.

3. R. J. Abrams et. al., International design study for the Neutrino Factory, interim design report, 2011. BNL-96453-2011; CERN-ATS 2011-216

4. R. Samulyak, W. Bo, X. Li, K. McDonald, H. Kirk, Computational algorithms for multiphase magnetohydrodynamics and applications, Condensed Matter Physics, 13 (2010), No 4, 43402: 1 - 12.

5. S. Wang, R. Samulyak, T. Guo, An embedded boundary method for parabolic problems

with interfaces and application to multi-material systems with phase transitions, Acta Mathematica Scientia, 30B (2010), No. 2, 499 - 521.

6. H.G. Kirk, R. Samulyak, N. Simos, T. Tsang, I. Efthymiopoulos, A. Fabich, H. Haseroth, F. Haug, J. Lettry, V.B. Graves, P.T. Spampinato, K.T. McDonald, J.R.J. Bennett and T.R. Edgecock, A proof-of-principal experiment for a high-power target system, BNL report BNL-82153-2009-CP, 2009.

7. J. Du, T. Lu, R. Samulyak, Algorithms for magnetohydrodynamics of ablated materials, Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 8 (2008), 3674 - 3685.

8. R. Samulyak, J. Du, J. Glimm, Z. Xu, A numerical algorithm for MHD of free surface ows at low magnetic Reynolds numbers, J. Comp. Phys., 226 (2007), 1532 - 1549.

9. T. Lu, R. Samulyak, J. Glimm, Direct numerical simulation of bubbly flows and its application, J. Fluid Eng., 129 (2007), 595 - 604.

10. R. Samulyak, T. Lu, Y. Prykarpatskyy, J. Glimm, Z. Xu, M.N. Kim, Comparison of heterogeneous and homogenized numerical models of cavitation, Int. J. Multiscale Comp. Eng., 4 (2006), No 3, 377 - 389.