Orbit-averaged kinetic equations for an axisymmetric mirror machine

Technical Report · Tue Sep 19 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6561191· OSTI ID:6561191

Matsuda, Y; Rensink, M E

The orbit-averaged kinetic equation suitable for studying collisional transport in an axisymmetric mirror machine is derived and reduced to a three-dimensional equation in phase space in the case of ..nu../sub c/ << ..omega../sub b/ << ..cap omega.. where ..nu../sub c/ is the collision frequency, ..omega../sub b/ is the bounce frequency, and ..cap omega.. is the gyrofrequency. We found that the gyrophase dependence of the distribution function, ignored in previous Fokker-Planck calculations, is responsible for the diffusion of guiding centers and should be retained when the Larmor radius is comparable to the plasma scale length. The complete Fokker-Planck equation for a square-well magnetic mirror is given as a special case to clarify the approximations and assumptions involved in the radial Fokker-Planck code of Futch. The quasilinear transport code of Matsuda and Berk is also discussed relative to the orbit-averaged Fokker-Planck equation.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6561191
• Report Number(s): UCID-17923
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700105* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Plasma Kinetics-Theoretical-- (-1987)
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
EQUATIONS
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
KINETIC EQUATIONS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS