Plasma theory and simulation. Quarterly progress report Nos. 3-4, 1 July-31 December 1987

Technical Report · Thu Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6594051

Birdsall, C K

A magnetized plasma next to an absorbing wall is simulated, showing positive wall charging causing a large E-field near the wall, then a large ExB drift, then a Kevlin-Helmholtz instability, vortices, and coalescence. Particle transport to the walls is Bohm-like for Omega sub pl > Omega sub ci. A kinetic theory, allowing finite ion Larmor radii, general magnetic-field geometries and plasma equilibria, was developed for hydromagnetic Alfven waves excited within the Earth's magnetosphere by the storm-time energetic ring-current particles. Multi-time and space scaling for bounded plasmas is being developed using an implicit method. It is found that, using large time steps, (Omega sub ce) (Delta t > 1) provides reliable guiding-center motions for single particles. Electron-neutral elastic scattering is added to ES1 readily. Runs with initial beam verify predictions. RF heating (ECRH) is shown to work well with PIC simulations, providing results very similar to a Monte Carlo RF heating code.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Electronics Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6594051
• Report Number(s): AD-A-199454/0/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ALFVEN WAVES
MAGNETIC STORMS
PLASMA WAVES
SIMULATION
RING CURRENTS
COALESCENCE
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
GEOMETRY
HEATING
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
INTERACTIONS
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MOTION
PARTICLES
PROGRESS REPORT
TRANSPORT
VORTICES
WALLS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CURRENTS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
LEPTONS
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SCATTERING
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena