Magnetic Reconnection During Flux Conversion in a Driven Spheromak

Hooper, E B; Kopriva, T A; Cohen, B I; Hill, D N; McLean, H S; Wood, R D; Woodruff, S; Sovinec, C R

doi:10.1063/1.2040207

Magnetic Reconnection During Flux Conversion in a Driven Spheromak

Journal Article · Tue Jun 07 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2040207· OSTI ID:881061

Hooper, E B; Kopriva, T A; Cohen, B I; Hill, D N; McLean, H S; Wood, R D; Woodruff, S; Sovinec, C R

During buildup of a spheromak by helicity injection, magnetic reconnection converts toroidal flux into poloidal flux. This physics is explored in the resistive magnetohydrodynamic code, NIMROD [C.R. Sovinec, A.H. Glasser, T.A. Gianakon, D.C. Barnes, R.A. Nebel, S.E. Kruger, D.D. Schnack, S.J. Plimpton, A. Tarditi, and M.S. Chu, J. Comp. Phys., 195, 355-386 (2004)], which reveals negative current sheets with {lambda} = {mu}{sub 0}j {center_dot} B/B{sup 2}reversed relative to the applied current. The simulated event duration is consistent with magnetic diffusion on the sheet thickness and is accompanied by cathode voltage spikes and poloidal field increases similar to those seen in the Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment, SSPX [E. B. Hooper, L. D. Pearlstein, and R. H. Bulmer, Nucl. Fusion 39, 863 (1999)]. All magnetic fieldlines are open during reconnection and their trajectories are very sensitive to their starting points, resulting in chaos. The current sheets are most intense inside the separatrix near the X-point of the mean-field spheromak, suggesting that the reconnection occurs near fieldlines which are closed in the azimuthal average.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-48

OSTI ID:: 881061

Report Number(s):: UCRL-JRNL-212785

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 12; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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