Turbulently heated high-voltage theta pinch

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:4093689

Oktay, E; Desilva, A W; Liewer, P C; Chen, Y G; Griem, H R; Hess, R; Krall, N A

The heating of a plasma in a fast theta pinch is described in experiment and numerical simulation. The initial plasma parameters are n$sub 0$ = 3 x 10$sup 12$ to 3 x 10$sup 13$ cm$sup -3$, T$sub 0$ less than 1 eV, and B$sub 0$ = +-175 G. A shock-like disturbance created by a fast current pulse heats and compresses the plasma. Heating is attributed principally to drift instabilities, namely the Buneman two-stream, the modified two-stream and the ion sound instabilities. Experimental evidence is presented for heating of electrons to approximately 10 keV and ions to temperatures from 3 to tens of keV, depending upon initial conditions. Strongest heating and compression is seen at the lowest densities with antiparallel orientation of bias and pulse magnetic fields. Evidence of turbulent fields is seen, as well as indication of rapid heat loss out the ends of the tube. A numerical model describes the implosion using a a two-fluid code with transport modified by local turbulent fields. These are in turn computed from linear and quasi-linear theory. Model and experiment show agreement in overall dynamical behavior but fail to agree in details of electron and ion heating and sheath thickness. (auth)

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park
• NSA Number: NSA-33-014404
• OSTI ID: 4093689
• Country of Publication: IAEA
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*LINEAR THETA PINCH DEVICES-- TURBULENT HEATING
*PLASMA HEATING-- TURBULENT HEATING
700101* --Fusion Energy--Plasma Research--Plasma Confinement & Heating
DRIFT INSTABILITY
N70100* --Physics--Controlled Thermonuclear Research-- Confinement & Heating
SHOCK WAVES
TWO-STREAM INSTABILITY