Engineering topics

Tskhakaya, D. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Tskhakaya, D. D..

4 records

DOE OSTI2016

Stability of the Tonks–Langmuir discharge pre-sheath

The article formulates the stability problem of the plasma sheath in the Tonks–Langmuir discharge. Using the kinetic description of the ion gas, i.e., the stability of the potential shape in the quasi-neutral pre-sheath regarding the high and low frequency, the perturbations are investigated. The electrons are assumed to be Maxwell–Boltzmann distributed. Regarding high-frequency perturbations, the pre-sheath is shown to be stable. The stability problem regarding low-frequency perturbations can be reduced to an analysis of the “diffusion like” equation, which results in the instability of the potential distribution in the pre-sheath. By means of the Particle in Cell simulations, also the nonlinear stage of low frequency oscillations is investigated. Comparing the figure obtained with the figure for linear stage, one can find obvious similarity in the spatial-temporal behavior of the potential.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Unified Bohm criterion

Recent decades have seen research into the conditions necessary for the formation of the monotonic potential shape in the sheath, appearing at the plasma boundaries like walls, in fluid, and kinetic approximations separately. Although either of these approaches yields a formulation commonly known as the much-acclaimed Bohm criterion (BC), the respective results involve essentially different physical quantities that describe the ion gas behavior. In the fluid approach, such a quantity is clearly identified as the ion directional velocity. In the kinetic approach, the ion behavior is formulated via a quantity (the squared inverse velocity averaged by the ion distribution function) without any clear physical significance, which is, moreover, impractical. In the present paper, we try to explain this difference by deriving a condition called here the Unified Bohm Criterion, which combines an advanced fluid model with an upgraded explicit kinetic formula in a new form of the BC. By introducing a generalized polytropic coefficient function, the unified BC can be interpreted in a form that holds, irrespective of whether the ions are described kinetically or in the fluid approximation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

Comprehensive kinetic analysis of the plasma-wall transition layer in a strongly tilted magnetic field

The magnetized plasma-wall transition (MPWT) layer at the presence of the obliquity of the magnetic field to the wall consists of three sub-layers: the Debye sheath (DS), the magnetic pre-sheath (MPS), and the collisional pre-sheath (CPS) with characteristic lengths λ{sub D} (electron Debye length), ρ{sub i} (ion gyro-radius), and ℓ (the smallest relevant collision length), respectively. Tokamak plasmas are usually assumed to have the ordering λ{sub D}≪ρ{sub i}≪ℓ, when the above-mentioned sub-layers can be distinctly distinguished. In the limits of ε{sub Dm}(λ{sub D}/ρ{sub i})→0 and ε{sub mc}(ρ{sub i}/ℓ)→0 (“asymptotic three-scale (A3S) limits”), these sub-layers are precisely defined. Using the smallness of the tilting angle of the magnetic field to the wall, the ion distribution functions are found for three sub-regions in the analytic form. The equations and characteristic length-scales governing the transition (intermediate) regions between the neighboring sub-layers (CPS – MPS and MPS – DS) are derived, allowing to avoid the singularities arising from the ε{sub Dm}→0 and ε{sub mc}→0 approximations. The MPS entrance and the related kinetic form of the Bohm–Chodura condition are successfully defined for the first time. At the DS entrance, the Bohm condition maintains its usual form. The results encourage further study and understanding of physics of the MPWT layers in the modern plasma facilities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

A unified analysis of plasma-sheath transition in the Tonks–Langmuir model with warm ion source

The paper presents a comprehensive kinetic theory of the famous Tonks–Langmuir model of a plane symmetric discharge, taking into account the thermal motion of ion source particles. The ion kinetics is governed by the ionization of neutrals at electron impacts. The plasma consisting of Boltzmann distributed electrons and singly charged ions is in contact with the absorbing negative wall. The derivations are performed in the frame of the “asymptotic two-scale” approximation, when the ionization mean-free path L{sub i} is much larger than the electron Debye length λ{sub D}. In the limit (λ{sub D}/L{sub i})→0, the plasma-wall transition (PWT) layer can be split into two sublayers: a quasineutral presheath (PS) (with the scale-length L{sub i}) and the Debye sheath (DS) (with the scale λ{sub D}). Such a subdivision of the PWT layer allows to investigate these sublayers separately and simplify the analysis of the influence of the ion source thermal motion (this has been neglected in the major part of publications up to now). The uniform description of the PWT layer as a single unit is complicated by the singular presheath and sheath structure and by a coupling with the eigenvalue problem originating from the plasma balance in the bounded system. The issue is clarified both analytically and numerically by construction of a matched asymptotic expressions. The equation and the length-scale governing the transition between neighboring PS and DS sublayers are derived. The eigenvalue problem combining the wall potential, the wall location, and the ionization mean-free path is discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗