Pressure-driven sound turbulence in a high-. beta. plasma

Journal Article · Mon Dec 10 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physical Review Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.3001· OSTI ID:6138621

Stenzel, R L ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (USA)

In a large laboratory plasma (1 m diam{times}2 m, {ital n}{sub {ital e}}{le}10{sup 12} cm{sup {minus}3}, {beta}{sub 0}{approx equal}15 G, {beta}{sub {ital e}}={ital nkT}{sub {ital e}}/({beta}{sub 0}{sup 2}/2{mu}{sub 0}){approx equal}0.5), strong density fluctuations ({delta}{ital n}/{ital n}{approx equal}50%) near the lower hybrid frequency ({omega}{sub {ital c}{ital e}}{omega}{sub {ital c}{ital i}}){sup 1/2} are identified as cross-field sound waves ({ital k}{sub {perpendicular}}{much gt}{ital k}{sub {parallel}}, {omega}/{ital k}{sub {perpendicular}}{approx equal}{ital c}{sub {ital s}}) driven unstable by the electron diamagnetic drift {bold v}{sub {ital d}}={del}{ital p}{times}{bold B}/{ital ne}{beta}{sup 2}, {ital v}{sub {ital d}}{gt}{ital c}{sub {ital s}}. Wave steepening and refraction saturate the instability. Wave-enhanced transport but insignificant particle acceleration are observed.

• OSTI ID: 6138621
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (USA) Vol. 65:24; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700102* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Diagnostics
AFTERGLOW
COULOMB FIELD
DATA
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC PROBES
ELECTRON DRIFT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUCTUATIONS
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LANGMUIR PROBE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NUMERICAL DATA
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA PRESSURE
PROBES
PULSES
SATURATION
SOUND WAVES
TURBULENCE
VARIATIONS