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Title: Scaling laws for dynamical plasma phenomena

Abstract

A scaling and similarity technique is a useful tool for developing and testing reduced models of complex phenomena, including plasma phenomena. Similarity and scaling arguments will be applied to highly dynamical systems where the plasma is evolving from some initial to some final state, which may differ dramatically from each other in size and plasma parameters. A question then arises whether, in order to better understand the behavior of one such system, is it possible to create another system, possibly much smaller (or larger) than the original one, but whose evolution would accurately replicate that of the original one, from its initial to its final state. This would allow a researcher, by an experimental study of this second system, to make confident predictions about the behavior of the first one (which may be otherwise inaccessible, as is the case of some astrophysical objects, or too expensive and hard to diagnose, as in the case of fusion applications of pulsed plasma systems, or for other reasons). The scaling and similarity techniques for dynamical plasma systems will be presented as a set of case studies of problems from various domains of plasma physics, including collisional and collisionless plasmas. Finally, among the resultsmore » discussed are similar for MHD systems with an emphasis on high-energy-density laboratory astrophysics, interference between collisionless and collisional phenomena in the context of shock physics, and similarity for liner-imploded plasmas.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1482879
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1477915
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-751145
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; 936977
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; astrophysics; laboratory procedures; magnetohydrodynamics; plasma physics; plasma confinement; plasma instabilities

Citation Formats

Ryutov, D. D. Scaling laws for dynamical plasma phenomena. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5042254.
Ryutov, D. D. Scaling laws for dynamical plasma phenomena. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5042254
Ryutov, D. D. Wed . "Scaling laws for dynamical plasma phenomena". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5042254. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1482879.
@article{osti_1482879,
title = {Scaling laws for dynamical plasma phenomena},
author = {Ryutov, D. D.},
abstractNote = {A scaling and similarity technique is a useful tool for developing and testing reduced models of complex phenomena, including plasma phenomena. Similarity and scaling arguments will be applied to highly dynamical systems where the plasma is evolving from some initial to some final state, which may differ dramatically from each other in size and plasma parameters. A question then arises whether, in order to better understand the behavior of one such system, is it possible to create another system, possibly much smaller (or larger) than the original one, but whose evolution would accurately replicate that of the original one, from its initial to its final state. This would allow a researcher, by an experimental study of this second system, to make confident predictions about the behavior of the first one (which may be otherwise inaccessible, as is the case of some astrophysical objects, or too expensive and hard to diagnose, as in the case of fusion applications of pulsed plasma systems, or for other reasons). The scaling and similarity techniques for dynamical plasma systems will be presented as a set of case studies of problems from various domains of plasma physics, including collisional and collisionless plasmas. Finally, among the results discussed are similar for MHD systems with an emphasis on high-energy-density laboratory astrophysics, interference between collisionless and collisional phenomena in the context of shock physics, and similarity for liner-imploded plasmas.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5042254},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 10,
volume = 25,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 21 works
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Figures / Tables:

Table 1 Table 1: Polytropic indexes for various systems

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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  • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 1
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Turbulent mixing and transition criteria of flows induced by hydrodynamic instabilities
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Transition of low-temperature plasma similarity laws from low to high ionization degree regimes
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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.