Engineering topics

Gueroult, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Gueroult, R..

3 records

DOE OSTI2019

Radial current and rotation profile tailoring in highly ionized linear plasma devices

In a rotating magnetized plasma cylinder with shear, cross field current can arise from inertial mechanisms and from the cross field viscosity. Considering these mechanisms, it is possible to calculate the irreducible radial current draw in a cylindrical geometry as a function of the rotation frequency. Here, the resulting expressions raise novel possibilities for tailoring the electric field profile by controlling the density and temperature profiles of a plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Nonlinear ohmic dissipation in axisymmetric DC and RF driven rotating plasmas

An axisymmetric fully ionized plasma rotates around its axis when a charge separation between magnetic surfaces is produced from DC fields or RF waves. On each magnetic surface, both electrons and ions obey the isorotation law and perform an azimuthal E cross B rotation at the same angular velocity. When Coulomb collisions are taken into account, such a flow displays no Ohmic current short circuiting of the charge separation and thus no linear dissipation. A nonlinear Ohmic response appears when inertial effects are considered, providing a dissipative relaxation of the charge separation between the magnetic surfaces. This nonlinear conductivity results from an interplay between Coriolis, centrifugal, and electron-ion collisional friction forces. This phenomenon is identified, described, and analyzed. Finally, both the quality factor of angular momentum storage and the efficiency of wave driven angular momentum generation are calculated and shown to be independent of the details of the charge separation processes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2018

Plasma mass separation

Here, this tutorial describes mechanisms for separating ions in a plasma device with respect to their atomic or molecular mass for practical applications. The focus here is not on separating isotopes of a single atomic species but rather on systems with a much lower mass resolution and a higher throughput. These separation mechanisms include ion gyro-orbit separation, drift-orbit separation, vacuum arc centrifugation, steady-state rotating plasmas, and several other geometries. Generic physics issues are discussed such as the ion charge state, neutrals and molecules, collisions, radiation loss, and electric fields and fluctuations. Generic technology issues are also discussed such as plasma sources and ion heating, and suggestions are made for future research.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗