Dynamics of runaway tails with time-dependent sub-Dreicer dc fields in magnetized plasmas

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866490· OSTI ID:5914030

Moghaddam-Taaheri, E; Vlahos, L

The evolution of runaway tails driven by sub-Dreicer time-dependent dc fields in a magnetized plasma are studied numerically using a quasilinear code based on the Ritz--Galerkin method and finite elements. It is found that the runaway tail maintained a negative slope during the dc field increase. Depending on the values of the dc electric field at t = 0 and the electron gyrofrequency to the plasma frequency ratio the runaway tail became unstable to the anomalous Doppler resonance or remained stable before the saturation of the dc field at some maximum value. The systems that remained stable during this stage became unstable to the anomalous Doppler or the C-hacekerenkov resonances when the dc field was kept at the saturation level or decreased. Once the instability is triggered, the runaway tail is isotropized.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
• OSTI ID: 5914030
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 30:10; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700103* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
DATA
DC SYSTEMS
DYNAMICS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FERMIONS
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
HOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
INFORMATION
LEPTONS
MAGNETIZATION
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
NUMERICAL DATA
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
POWER SYSTEMS
RUNAWAY ELECTRONS
TIME DEPENDENCE