Nonlinear saturation of the Weibel instability

Cagas, P.; Hakim, A.; Scales, W.; Srinivasan, B.

doi:10.1063/1.4994682

Nonlinear saturation of the Weibel instability

Journal Article · Tue Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4994682· OSTI ID:1420769

^[1]; Hakim, A. ^[2]; Scales, W. ^[1]; ^[1]

Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

The growth and saturation of magnetic fields due to the Weibel instability (WI) have important implications for laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, and this has drawn significant interest recently. Since the WI can generate a large magnetic field from no initial field, the maximum magnitudes achieved can have significant consequences for a number of applications. Hence, an understanding of the detailed dynamics driving the nonlinear saturation of the WI is important. This work considers the nonlinear saturation of the WI when counter-streaming populations of initially unmagnetized electrons are perturbed by a magnetic field oriented perpendicular to the direction of streaming. Previous works have found magnetic trapping to be important and connected electron skin depth spatial scales to the nonlinear saturation of the WI. The results presented in this work are consistent with these findings for a high-temperature case. However, using a high-order continuum kinetic simulation tool, this work demonstrates that when the electron populations are colder, a significant electrostatic potential develops that works with the magnetic field to create potential wells. The electrostatic field develops due to transverse flows induced by the WI and in some cases is strengthened by a secondary instability. This field plays a key role in saturation of the WI for colder populations. In conclusion, the role of the electrostatic potential in Weibel instability saturation has not been studied in detail previously.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 1420769

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1420637

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 24; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited By (4)

Erratum: “Nonlinear saturation of the Weibel instability” [Phys. Plasmas 24 , 112116 (2017)] Cagas, P.; Hakim, A.; Scales, W. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5097790	journal	April 2019
A survey of fluid and kinetic instabilities relevant to space and laboratory plasmas Srinivasan, Bhuvana; Cagas, Petr; Masti, Robert Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids, Vol. 174, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1080/10420150.2019.1577853	journal	February 2019
Distinguishing and diagnosing the spontaneous electric and magnetic fields of Weibel instability through proton radiography Du, Bao; Cai, Hong-Bo; Zhang, Wen-Shuai Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 62, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ab57ed	journal	December 2019
Temperature-dependent Saturation of Weibel-type Instabilities in Counter-streaming Plasmas Skoutnev, V.; Hakim, A.; Juno, J. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 872, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab0556	journal	February 2019

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