Quasineutral hybrid simulation of field-reversed plasma configurations
A method for solving the quasineutral hybrid plasma equations in two dimensions is presented, using full ion dynamics and inertialess electrons. The method is extended to allow plasma-vacuum interfaces of arbitrary shape. A simulation code based on this method is applied to the study of instabilities in field-reversed plasma configurations. Kink instabilities in long ion layers immersed in a dense background plasma are studied. A numerical extension of the analytic model of Lovelace indicates that these instabilities will occur for values of the self-magnetic field index below those predicted previously. The quasineutral hybrid simulation code has been used to verify these lower thresholds. The simulations also show that the end of exponential growth occurs due to a nonlinear shift in the betatron frequency at large amplitude, producing an increase in layer thickness and a layer which has many non-axis-encircling ions. Rotational instabilities in rigidly rotating field-reversed theta pinch equilibria are examined with the hybrid code.
- OSTI ID:
- 6398875
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Kink instabilities in long ion layers
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Related Subjects
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
KINETIC EQUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
KINK INSTABILITY
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
THETA PINCH
EQUATIONS
INSTABILITY
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SIMULATION
700202* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Magnet Coils & Fields