Sustainment dynamo reexamined: nonlocal electrical conductivity of plasma in a stochastic magnetic field

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.52.2041· OSTI ID:5194216

Jacobson, A R; Moses, R W

The plasma dynamo is both an intriguing and a practical concept. The intrigue derives from attempting to explain naturally occurring and man-made plasmas whose strong field-aligned currents j/sub parallel/ apparently disobey the most naive Ohm's law j/sub parallel/ = sigma/sub parallel/E/sub parallel/. The practical importance derives from the dynamo's role both in formation and in sustainment of reversed-field pinch (RFP) and Spheromak fusion plasmas. We will examine certain features of the documented quasi-steady discharges on ZT-40M, and RFP in apparent need of a sustainment dynamo. We will show that the tail electrons (which carry j/sub parallel/) are probably wandering (along stochastic B Vector-field lines) over much of the minor radius in one mean-free-path.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5194216
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-84-524; CONF-840255-17; ON: DE84007485
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700105* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Plasma Kinetics-Theoretical-- (-1987)
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA
PLASMA DRIFT
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
SPHEROMAK DEVICES
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
ZT-40 DEVICES