Whistler instability in an electron-cyclotron-resonance-heated, mirror-confined plasma

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physics of Fluids B; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859234· OSTI ID:6931582

Garner, R C; Mauel, M E; Hokin, S A; Post, R S; Smatlak, D L ^[1]

---

1. Plasma Fusion Center, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (US)

The warm-electron-driven (2 keV) whistler electron microinstability (Phys. Rev. Lett. {bold 59}, 1821 (1987)) of the Constance {ital B} electron-cyclotron-resonance-heated (ECRH), quadrupole mirror-confined plasma experiment has been studied. Experiments show (i) that the instability comes in fairly regular bursts on axis and continuously in time off axis due to the minimum-{ital B} geometry, (ii) a frequency spectrum that is insensitive to changes in the plasma parameters, and (iii) instability-induced power losses which are not greater than 10% of the ECRH power input for the regimes studied. A linear perturbation analysis of the relativistic Vlasov equation together with Maxwell's equations has been made. Using the ECRH distribution function, a new distribution function well suited for describing ECRH, mirror-confined plasmas, the analysis shows the instability frequency spectrum to be insensitive to changes in cyclotron frequency, temperature, and density, in agreement with experimental results, and only sensitive to changes in ECRH frequency.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-78ET51013
• OSTI ID: 6931582
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (USA), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (USA) Vol. 2:2; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700102* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Diagnostics
BEAM ANALYZERS
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ECR HEATING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTROSTATIC ANALYZERS
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MULTIPOLES
NOISE
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
QUADRUPOLES
RADIATIONS
RADIO NOISE
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
RF SYSTEMS
SPECTRA
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
WHISTLERS
X-RAY EQUIPMENT