PLASMA DIFFUSION IN STELLERATORS
Journal Article
·
· J. Nuclear Energy, Pt. C. Plasma Phys.-Accelerators-Thermonuclear Research
During ohmic heating of plasma confined in a Stellarator it is observed that the plasma moves across the magnetic confining field at a much higher average velocity than is predicted by classical considerations. An attempt is made to compare the observed velocity with drifts calculated from the randomly varying electric fields and density gradients in the plasma. It is found that the random quantities, as measured by double probes, are of sufficient intensity to give order-of-magnitude agreement between observed and calculated velocities. An hypothesis is put forward to explain the origin of these high-amplitude fluctuations, an hypothesis that might be applicable to gas discharges generally. It is assumed that the non-Maxwellian electron distribution resulting from the applied electric field excites large amplitude, coherent plasma oscillations near the plasma frequency. These large amplitude oscillations act as the"pump" in a non-linear parametric amplification process. Thermal fluctuations, normally present with small amplitudes in quiescent plasmas, are simplified over a wide band of frequencies, both above and below the pump frequency, by the resulting parametric amplifier action of the plasma. This results in high-amplitude noise which might produce enhanced diffusion and rapid thermalization effects. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Univ., N.J.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-017665
- OSTI ID:
- 4020367
- Journal Information:
- J. Nuclear Energy, Pt. C. Plasma Phys.-Accelerators-Thermonuclear Research, Journal Name: J. Nuclear Energy, Pt. C. Plasma Phys.-Accelerators-Thermonuclear Research Vol. Vol: 2
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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