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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Cross sections of charge exchange and ionization in O{sup 8+}+H collision in Debye plasmas

Charge exchange and ionization processes in O{sup 8+}+H collision system in a Debye plasma are studied using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method in the collision energy ranging from 1 keV/amu to 500 keV/amu. Total charge exchange and ionization cross sections have been determined in both screening and unscreening environments. In the unscreened case, partial cross sections for transfer into individual n shells of the projectile have also been determined. An interesting and remarkable feature of sudden increase in the ionization cross sections at lower velocities is discussed in terms of the CTMC framework. Results are analyzed in light of available theoretical and experimental results. The cross sections dependencies on Debye screening lengths have been investigated, and plasma screening effect on charge exchange and ionization cross sections has been found throughout the collision energies range, but is particularly pronounced at low projectile collision energies. The sudden rise in the ionization cross sections towards lower energies is explained qualitatively in terms of the multiple encounter model.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

(3 + 1)-dimensional cylindrical Korteweg-de Vries equation for nonextensive dust acoustic waves: Symbolic computation and exact solutions

By combining the effects of bounded cylindrical geometry, azimuthal and axial perturbations, the nonlinear dust acoustic waves (DAWs) in an unmagnetized plasma consisting of negatively charged dust grains, nonextensive ions, and nonextensive electrons are studied in this paper. Using the reductive perturbation method, a (3 + 1)-dimensional variable-coefficient cylindrical Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation describing the nonlinear propagation of DAWs is derived. Via the homogeneous balance principle, improved F-expansion technique and symbolic computation, the exact traveling and solitary wave solutions of the KdV equation are presented in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. Moreover, the effects of the plasma parameters on the solitary wave structures are discussed in detail. The obtained results could help in providing a good fit between theoretical analysis and real applications in space physics and future laboratory plasma experiments where long-range interactions are present.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Self-consistent numerical dispersion relation of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability of double ablation fronts in inertial confinement fusion

The linear stability analysis of accelerated double ablation fronts is carried out numerically with a self-consistent approach. Accurate hydrodynamic profiles are taken into account in the theoretical model by means of a fitting parameters method using 1D simulation results. Numerical dispersion relation is compared to an analytical sharp boundary model [Yanez et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 052701 (2011)] showing an excellent agreement for the radiation dominated regime of very steep ablation fronts, and the stabilization due to smooth profiles. 2D simulations are presented to validate the numerical self-consistent theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Arc-based smoothing of ion beam intensity on targets

Manipulating a set of ion beams upstream of a target, makes it possible to arrange a smoother deposition pattern, so as to achieve more uniform illumination of the target. A uniform energy deposition pattern is important for applications including ion-beam-driven high energy density physics and heavy-ion beam-driven inertial fusion energy (“heavy-ion fusion”). Here, we consider an approach to such smoothing that is based on rapidly “wobbling” each of the beams back and forth along a short arc-shaped path, via oscillating fields applied upstream of the final pulse compression. In this technique, uniformity is achieved in the time-averaged sense; this is sufficient provided the beam oscillation timescale is short relative to the hydrodynamic timescale of the target implosion. This work builds on two earlier concepts: elliptical beams applied to a distributed-radiator target [D. A. Callahan and M. Tabak, Phys. Plasmas 7, 2083 (2000)] and beams that are wobbled so as to trace a number of full rotations around a circular or elliptical path [R. C. Arnold et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods 199, 557 (1982)]. Here, we describe the arc-based smoothing approach and compare it to results obtainable using an elliptical-beam prescription. In particular, we assess the potential of these approaches for minimization of azimuthal asymmetry, for the case of a ring of beams arranged on a cone. We also found that, for small numbers of beams on the ring, the arc-based smoothing approach offers superior uniformity. In contrast with the full-rotation approach, arc-based smoothing remains usable when the geometry precludes wobbling the beams around a full circle, e.g., for the X-target [E. Henestroza, B. G. Logan, and L. J. Perkins, Phys. Plasmas 18, 032702 (2011)] and some classes of distributed-radiator targets.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Role of stable modes in zonal flow regulated turbulence

Zonal flows are shown to regulate ion temperature gradient turbulence by enabling efficient energy transfer from the instability to a damped eigenmode in the unstable wavenumber range. The damped mode also saturates turbulence when zonal flows are not active in saturation dynamics, for example, in electron temperature gradient turbulence, but the transfer from unstable to stable mode is less efficient and requires a larger amplitude to balance the instability drive. From numerical solutions of a fluid model with a single damped eigenmode, an eigenmode decomposition of the nonlinear evolution shows that the dominant energy transfer involves the triplet correlation of the unstable mode, the zonal flow, and the stable mode at three wavenumbers satisfying k=k Prime +k Double-Prime . In this triplet, nearly all of the energy from the instability goes to the damped mode. The very small fraction going to the zonal flow is balanced by small zonal flow damping. This combination of unstable mode, zonal flow, and stable mode minimizes the nonlinear frequency mismatch and avails itself of large coupling strengths associated with the zonal flow.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Superimposed coherent terahertz wave radiation from mono-energetically bunched multi-beam

Intense coherent radiation is obtained from multiple electron beams monochromatically bunched over the wide higher-order-mode (HOM) spectral band in the THz regime. The overmoded waveguide corrugated by dielectric-implanted staggered gratings superimposes evanescent waves emitted from the low energy electron beams. The dispersion and transmission simulations of the three-beam slow wave structure show that the first two fundamental modes ($TE_{10}$ and $TE_{20}$) are considerably suppressed ($\sim-50$ dB) below the multi-beam resonating mode ($TE_{30}$) at the THz regime (0.8–1.24 THz). The theoretical calculations and particle-in-cell simulations show that with significantly higher interaction impedance and power growth rate radiation of the $TE_{30}$ mode is $\sim$23 dBm and $\sim$50 dBm stronger than the $TE_{10}$ and $TE_{20}$ modes around 1 THz, respectively. As a result, this highly selective HOM multi-beam interaction has potential applications for power THz sources and high intensity accelerators.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Non-inductive current start-up assisted by energetic electrons in Q-shu University experiment with steady-state spherical tokamak

After intensive discharge cleaning of the chamber wall, non-inductive current start-up experiments have been successfully performed in QUEST in moderate vertical fields of about 1.0-1.5 mT with positive n-index. Simultaneously, with increasing plasma current, an asymmetric toroidal flow of energetic electrons was observed and direct measurements of current driven by this asymmetric flow were taken with a newly developed Langmuir probe technique. A numerical study of the energetic electron orbits indicates that the total current is enough to play a dominant role in the formation of a closed flux surface in QUEST.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ion stochastic heating by obliquely propagating magnetosonic waves

The ion motions in obliquely propagating Alfven waves with sufficiently large amplitudes have already been studied by Chen et al.[Phys. Plasmas 8, 4713 (2001)], and it was found that the ion motions are stochastic when the wave frequency is at a fraction of the ion gyro-frequency. In this paper, with test particle simulations, we investigate the ion motions in obliquely propagating magnetosonic waves and find that the ion motions also become stochastic when the amplitude of the magnetosonic waves is sufficiently large due to the resonance at sub-cyclotron frequencies. Similar to the Alfven wave, the increase of the propagating angle, wave frequency, and the number of the wave modes can lower the stochastic threshold of the ion motions. However, because the magnetosonic waves become more and more compressive with the increase of the propagating angle, the decrease of the stochastic threshold with the increase of the propagating angle is more obvious in the magnetosonic waves than that in the Alfven waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Electric field enhanced conductivity in strongly coupled dense metal plasma

Experimentation with dense metal plasma has shown that non-negligible increases in plasma conductivity are induced when a relatively low electric field ({approx}6 kV/cm) is applied. Existing conductivity models assume that atoms, electrons, and ions all exist in thermal equilibrium. This assumption is invalidated by the application of an appreciable electric field, where electrons are accelerated to energies comparable to the ionization potential of the surrounding atoms. Experimental data obtained from electrically exploded silver wire is compared with a finite difference hydrodynamic model that makes use of the SESAME equation-of-state database. Free electron generation through both thermal and electric field excitations, and their effect on plasma conductivity are applied and discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The q-profile effect on high-order harmonic q = 1 tearing mode generation during sawtooth crashes

The effect of q-profiles on the excitation of high-order harmonic q=1 tearing modes during sawtooth crashes is investigated by a collisionless fluid model with the electron inertia term in Ohm's law. It is found that for a flat q-profile in the core region, the high-order harmonics, such as m/n=2/2 and/or m/n=3/3 modes, comparable to or stronger than the m/n=1/1 component, can be excited during tokamak sawteeth. The stronger the magnetic shear on the q=1 surface is, the more unstable the higher-m modes are. For smoothly monotonously increased q-profiles, a lower q value on the plasma edge tends to easily excite higher-m harmonics at the same level as the m = 1 mode simultaneously. The spatial characteristics of the eigenmodes in the cases with the typical q-profiles are also discussed. In addition, the basic feature of the magnetic island structures in the nonlinear evolution is numerically obtained, which is consistent qualitatively with the experimentally reconstructed phenomenon.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ballooning theory of the second kind-two dimensional tokamak modes

The 2-D ballooning transform, devised to study local high toroidal number (n) fluctuations in axisymmetric toroidal system (like tokamaks), yields a well-defined partial differential equation for the linear eigenmodes. In this paper, such a ballooning equation of the second kind is set up for ion temperature gradient driven modes pertinent to a 2-D non-dissipative fluid plasma; the resulting partial differential equation is numerically solved, to calculate the global eigenvalues, and the 2-D mode structure is presented graphically along with analytical companions. The radial localization of the mode results from translational symmetry breaking for growing modes and is a vivid manifestation of spontaneous symmetry breaking in tokamak physics. The eigenmode, poloidally ballooned at {theta}={+-}{pi}/2, is radially shifted from associated rational surface. The global eigenvalue is found to be very close to the value obtained in 1-D parameterized ({lambda}={+-}{pi}/2) case. The 2-D eigenmode theory is applied to estimate the toroidal seed Reynolds stress [Y. Z. Zhang, Nucl. Fusion Plasma Phys. 30, 193 (2010)]. The solution obtained from the relatively simplified ballooning theory is compared to the solution of the basic equation in original coordinate system (evaluated via FFTs); the agreement is rather good.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Heavy-fermion instability in double-degenerate plasmas

In this work, we study the propagations of normal frequency modes for quantum hydrodynamic waves in the linear limit and introduce a new kind of instability in a double-degenerate plasma. Three different regimes, namely, low, intermediate, and high magnetic field strengths are considered which span the applicability of the work to a wide variety of environments. Distinct behavior is observed for different regimes, for instance, in the laboratory-scale field regime no frequency-mode instability occurs unlike those of intermediate and high magnetic-field strength regimes. It is also found that the instability of this kind is due to the heavy-fermions which appear below a critical effective-mass parameter ({mu}{sub cr}={radical}(3)) and that the responses of the two (lower and upper frequency) modes to fractional effective-mass change in different effective-mass parameter ranges (below and above the critical value) are quite opposite to each other. It is shown that the heavy-fermion instability due to extremely high magnetic field such as that encountered for a neutron-star crust can lead to confinement of stable propagations in both lower and upper frequency modes to the magnetic poles. Current study can have important implications for linear wave dynamics in both laboratory and astrophysical environments possessing high magnetic fields.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Nonlinear propagation of coherent electromagnetic waves in a dense magnetized plasma

We present an investigation of the nonlinear propagation of high-frequency coherent electromagnetic waves in a uniform quantum magnetoplasma. Specifically, we consider nonlinear couplings of right-hand circularly polarized electromagnetic-electron-cyclotron (CPEM-EC) waves with dispersive shear Alfven (DSA) and dispersive compressional Alfven (DCA) perturbations in plasmas composed of degenerate electron fluids and non-degenerate ion fluids. Such interactions lead to amplitude modulation of the CPEM-EC wave packets, the dynamics of which is governed by a three-dimensional nonlinear Schroedinger equation (NLSE) with the frequency shift arising from the relativistic electron mass increase in the CPEM-EC fields and density perturbations associated with the DSA and DCA perturbations. Accounting for the electromagnetic and quantum forces, we derive the evolution equation for the DSA and DCA waves in the presence of the magnetic field-aligned ponderomotive force of the CPEM-EC waves. The NLSE and the driven DSA and DCA equations are then used to investigate the modulational instability. The relevance of our investigation to laser-plasma interaction experiments and the cores of white dwarf stars is pointed out.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Probing spectroscopic like information using resonant scattering

Resonant x-ray scattering can combine layer sensitivity of reflectivity technique with short-range structural sensitivity of absorption technique due to element specificity and contrast variation mechanism of resonant effect. We demonstrated the idea through depth profile study of chemical composition of multi-element thin film system at soft x-ray spectral range near boron K-absorption edge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Plasma-accelerated flyer-plates for equation of state studies

We report on a new technique to accelerate flyer-plates to high velocities ({approx}5 km/s). In this work, a strong shock is created through direct laser ablation of a thin polyimide foil. Subsequent shock breakout of that foil results in the generation of a plasma characterized by a smoothly increasing density gradient and a strong forward momentum. Stagnation of this plasma onto an aluminum foil and the resultant momentum transfer accelerates a thin aluminum flyer-plate. The aluminum flyer-plate is then accelerated to a peak velocity of {approx}5 km/s before impact with a transparent lithium fluoride (LiF) window. Simulations of the stagnating plasma ramp compression and wave reverberations within the flyer-plate suggest that the temperature at the flyer-plate impact surface is elevated by less than 50 Degree-Sign C. Optical velocimetry is used to measure the flyer-plate velocity and impact conditions enabling the shocked refractive index of LiF to be determined. The results presented here are in agreement with conventional flyer-plate measurements validating the use of plasma-accelerated flyer-plates for equation of state and impact studies.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A numerical electromagnetic linear dispersion relation for Maxwellian ring-beam velocity distributions

A positive slope in a velocity distribution function perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field, such as due to a loss cone or ring velocity distribution, can become a free energy source for the excitation of various plasma waves. Since there exists no analytic expression for integrals of Maxwellian ring velocity distribution functions, their linear properties have previously been studied using several approximations or modeled distributions. In this paper, a numerical method for analyzing the linear dispersion relation for Maxwellian ring-beam velocity distributions is developed. The obtained linear properties are confirmed by direct comparison with full particle simulation results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Stabilization of tearing modes by oscillating the resonant surface

The effects of the plasma current modulation on the linear instability of the tearing mode are numerically investigated. It is found that the tearing mode can be stabilized if the frequency of the modulation is suitable and the oscillation amplitude of the resonant surface position is large enough. The power needed for the lower-hybrid-current-drive to stabilize the tearing mode by oscillating the position of the resonant surface is comparable to the power consumption of the conventional method of tearing mode stabilization by using the electron-cyclotron-current-drive.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗