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Title: Linear and nonlinear evolution of the ion resonance instability in cylindrical traps: A numerical study

Abstract

Numerical experiments have been performed to investigate the linear and nonlinear dynamics, and energetics of the ion resonance instability in cylindrically confined nonneutral plasma. The instability is excited on a set of parametrically different unstable equilibria of a cylindrical nonneutral cloud, composed of electrons partially neutralized by a much heavier ion species of single ionization. A particle-in-cell code has been developed and employed to carry out these simulations. The results obtained from the initial exponential growth phase of the instability in these numerical experiments are in agreement with the linearised analytical model of the ion resonance instability. As the simulations delve much further in time beyond the exponential growth phase, very interesting nonlinear phenomena of the ion resonance instability are revealed, such as a process of simultaneous wave breaking of the excited poloidal mode on the ion cloud and pinching of the poloidal perturbations on the electron cloud. This simultaneous nonlinear dynamics of the two components is associated with an energy transfer process from the electrons to the ions. At later stages there is heating induced cross-field transport of the heavier ions and tearing across the pinches on the electron cloud followed by an inverse cascade of the torn sections.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22490000
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 7; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION; DISTURBANCES; ELECTRONS; ENERGY TRANSFER; HEATING; HEAVY IONS; INSTABILITY; IONIZATION; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; NUMERICAL ANALYSIS; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; RESONANCE; SIMULATION; TRAPS

Citation Formats

Sengupta, M., and Ganesh, R. Linear and nonlinear evolution of the ion resonance instability in cylindrical traps: A numerical study. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4927126.
Sengupta, M., & Ganesh, R. Linear and nonlinear evolution of the ion resonance instability in cylindrical traps: A numerical study. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4927126
Sengupta, M., and Ganesh, R. 2015. "Linear and nonlinear evolution of the ion resonance instability in cylindrical traps: A numerical study". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4927126.
@article{osti_22490000,
title = {Linear and nonlinear evolution of the ion resonance instability in cylindrical traps: A numerical study},
author = {Sengupta, M. and Ganesh, R.},
abstractNote = {Numerical experiments have been performed to investigate the linear and nonlinear dynamics, and energetics of the ion resonance instability in cylindrically confined nonneutral plasma. The instability is excited on a set of parametrically different unstable equilibria of a cylindrical nonneutral cloud, composed of electrons partially neutralized by a much heavier ion species of single ionization. A particle-in-cell code has been developed and employed to carry out these simulations. The results obtained from the initial exponential growth phase of the instability in these numerical experiments are in agreement with the linearised analytical model of the ion resonance instability. As the simulations delve much further in time beyond the exponential growth phase, very interesting nonlinear phenomena of the ion resonance instability are revealed, such as a process of simultaneous wave breaking of the excited poloidal mode on the ion cloud and pinching of the poloidal perturbations on the electron cloud. This simultaneous nonlinear dynamics of the two components is associated with an energy transfer process from the electrons to the ions. At later stages there is heating induced cross-field transport of the heavier ions and tearing across the pinches on the electron cloud followed by an inverse cascade of the torn sections.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4927126},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22490000}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 7,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}