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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Anomalous resistivity and electron heating by lower hybrid drift waves inside reconnecting current sheets

Inside an electron diffusion region of laboratory reconnection experiments, the quasi-electrostatic lower hybrid drift wave (ES-LHDW) is observed when a significant guide field component is present. Through direct measurement of the anomalous drag term and quasilinear analysis, it is shown that ES-LHDW can account for approximately 20% of the mean reconnection electric field in a case with moderate guide field. This value exceeds the contribution from classical resistivity, which is around 10%. The effects of the Lorentz force term, often neglected for electrostatic waves, are crucial for the observed correlation between electric field and density fluctuations. Anomalous electron heating by the perturbed current and resistivity (2.6 MW/m 3 ) also surpasses the classical Ohmic heating, which is about 2.0 MW/m 3 . For the case with a high guide field, significantly higher local electron temperatures were observed during periods of strong ES-LHDW activity. A statistical analysis further supports electron heating by LHDW, showing a larger increase in electron temperature with a high guide field. Finally, data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission provide evidence of Landau damping of ES-LHDW, suggesting that ES-LHDW may contribute to the generation of nonthermal electrons along the direction parallel to the magnetic field.

Magnetic reconnection↗
NASA NTRS2020

Lower-Hybrid Drift Waves Driving Electron Nongyrotropic Heating and Vortical Flows in a Magnetic Reconnection Layer

We report measurements of lower-hybrid drift waves driving electron heating and vortical flows in an electron-scale reconnection layer under a guide field. Electrons accelerated by the electrostatic potential of the waves exhibit perpendicular and nongyrotropic heating. The vortical flows generate magnetic field perturbations comparable to the guide field magnitude. The measurements reveal a new regime of electron-wave interaction and how this interaction modifies the electron dynamics in the reconnection layer.

L.-J. Chen↗
DOE OSTI2012

Impact of resonant magnetic perturbations on nonlinearly driven modes in drift-wave turbulence

In this work, we study the effects of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on turbulence, flows, and confinement in the framework of resistive drift wave turbulence. We extend the Hasegawa-Wakatani model to include RMP fields. The effect of the RMPs is to induce a linear coupling between the zonal electric field and the zonal density gradient, which drives the system to a state of electron radial force balance for large ({delta}B{sub r}/B{sub 0}). Both the vorticity flux (Reynolds stress) and particle flux are modulated. We derive an extended predator prey model which couples zonal potential and density dynamics to the evolution of turbulence intensity. This model has both turbulence drive and RMP amplitude as control parameters and predicts a novel type of transport bifurcation in the presence of RMPs. We find states that are similar to the ZF-dominated state of the standard predator-prey model, but for which the power threshold is now a function of the RMP strength. For small RMP amplitude, the energy of zonal flows decreases and the turbulence energy increases with ({delta}B{sub r}/B{sub 0}), corresponding to a damping of zonal flows.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Simulating the Effects of Stellarator Geometry on Gyrokinetic Drift-Wave Turbulence

Nuclear fusion is a clean, safe form of energy with abundant fuel. In magnetic fusion energy (MFE) experiments, the plasma fuel is confined by magnetic fields at very high temperatures and densities. One fusion reactor design is the non-axisymmetric, torus-shaped stellarator. Its fully-3D fields have advantages over the simpler, better-understood axisymmetric tokamak, including the ability to optimize magnetic configurations for desired properties, such as lower transport (longer confinement time). Turbulence in the plasma can break MFE confinement. While turbulent transport is known to cause a significant amount of heat loss in tokamaks, it is a new area of research in stellarators. Gyrokinetics is a good mathematical model of the drift-wave instabilities that cause turbulence. Multiple gyrokinetic turbulence codes that had great success comparing to tokamak experiments are being converted for use with stellarator geometry. This thesis describes such adaptations of the gyrokinetic turbulence code, GS2. Herein a new computational grid generator and upgrades to GS2 itself are described, tested, and benchmarked against three other gyrokinetic codes. Using GS2, detailed linear studies using the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) geometry were conducted. The first compares stability in two equilibria with different beta=(plasma pressure)/(magnetic pressure). Overall, the higher beta case was more stable than the lower beta case. As high beta is important for MFE experiments, this is encouraging. The second compares NCSX linear stability to a tokamak case. NCSX was more stable with a 20% higher critical temperature gradient normalized by the minor radius, suggesting that the fusion power might be enhanced by about 50%. In addition, the first nonlinear, non-axisymmetric GS2 simulations are presented. Finally, linear stability of two locations in a W7-AS plasma were compared. The experimentally-measured parameters used were from a W7-AS shot in which measured heat fluxes match neoclassical theory predictions at inner radii, but are too large for neoclassical predictions at outer radii. Results from GS2 linear simulations show that the outer location has higher gyrokinetic instability growth rates than at the inner one. Mixing-length estimates of the heat flux are within a factor of 3 of the experimental measurements, indicating that gyrokinetic turbulence may be responsible for the higher transport measured by the experiment in the outer regions. Future nonlinear simulations can explore this question in more detail.

Gyrokinetics↗
DOE OSTI2014

Excitation of kinetic geodesic acoustic modes by drift waves in nonuniform plasmas

Effects of system nonuniformities and kinetic dispersiveness on the spontaneous excitation of Geodesic Acoustic Mode (GAM) by Drift Wave (DW) turbulence are investigated based on nonlinear gyrokinetic theory. The coupled nonlinear equations describing parametric decay of DW into GAM and DW lower sideband are derived and then solved both analytically and numerically to investigate the effects on the parametric decay process due to system nonuniformities, such as nonuniform diamagnetic frequency, finite radial envelope of DW pump, and kinetic dispersiveness. It is found that the parametric decay process is a convective instability for typical tokamak parameters when finite group velocities of DW and GAM associated with kinetic dispersiveness and finite radial envelope are taken into account. When, however, nonuniformity of diamagnetic frequency is taken into account, the parametric decay process becomes, time asymptotically, a quasi-exponentially growing absolute instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lower-Hybrid Drift Waves Driving Electron Nongyrotropic Heating and Vortical Flows in a Magnetic Reconnection Layer

Here, we report measurements of lower-hybrid drift waves driving electron heating and vortical flows in an electron-scale reconnection layer under a guide field. Electrons accelerated by the electrostatic potential of the waves exhibit perpendicular and nongyrotropic heating. The vortical flows generate magnetic field perturbations comparable to the guide field magnitude. The measurements reveal a new regime of electron-wave interaction and how this interaction modifies the electron dynamics in the reconnection layer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

Possible inverse cascade behavior for drift-wave turbulence

The turbulent spectral properties of the dynamical equation of Hasegawa and Mima (1978) governing the evolution of the electrostatic potential in drift-wave turbulence is investigated for two formulations of the problem: (1) as a nondissipative initial value problem, with the potential represented by a truncated Fourier series with large number of terms, and (2) as a dissipative problem with a small viscous dissipation at very short spatial scales, and a long wavelength forcing term at longer wavelengths. It is found that Hasegawa and Mima's prediction for the nondissipative, truncated initial value modal problem is accurate, but substantial differences exist for the forced dissipative case between computer results and analytical predictions based on a wave kinetic equation of Kadomtsev. Much better agreement is found with a simple dual-cascade model based on Kraichnan's generalization of Kolmogorov's cascade arguments.

Fyfe, D.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tracing the Pathway from Drift-Wave Turbulence with Broken Symmetry to the Production of Sheared Axial Mean Flow

This study traces the emergence of sheared axial flow from collisional drift-wave turbulence with broken symmetry in a linear plasma device—the controlled shear decorrelation experiment. As the density profile steepens, the axial Reynolds stress develops and drives a radially sheared axial flow that is parallel to the magnetic field. Results show that the nondiffusive piece of the Reynolds stress is driven by the density gradient, results from spectral asymmetry of the turbulence, and, thus, is dynamical in origin. Taken together, these findings constitute the first simultaneous demonstration of the causal link between the density gradient, turbulence, and stress with broken spectral symmetry and the mean axial flow.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Unstable-magnetic-drift waves in a plasma with temperature anisotropy

It is pointed out that under certain conditions, such as a weak electron temperature anisotropy, the magnetic-drift wave instability can become rather important, and the growth rate can be greater than the ion gyrofrequency when the scale length of the density gradient is comparable to, or shorter than, the thermal ion gyroradius. The instability is attributed to wave-electron interactions, and the growth rate is far greater than the case investigated by Krall and Rosenbluth (1963) who attributed the instability to wave-ion interactions. The anticipated vanishing of the instability is observed as epsilon sub n/epsilon sub B approaches zero. The presently observed instability may be used to explain the low-frequency fluctuations evidenced by the Active Particle Tracer Explorer Ion Release Module magnetometer measurements, and may contribute to the acceleration of ions along the plasma cometary tail.

Wu, C. S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deuterium and tritium anomalous transport in the generalized Hasegawa–Wakatani resistive drift wave turbulence model with finite ion Larmor radius

Anomalous transport of mixed deuterium–tritium plasma in the edge of magnetic fusion reactors is investigated using numerical solutions of resistive drift wave turbulence model equations, including finite Larmor radius effects, that are derived within the generalized Hasegawa–Wakatani framework. The anomalous cross field diffusivities of deuterium and tritium are compared in turbulence regimes with different values of the electron adiabaticity parameter controlling the existence of zonal flow. The dependence of the tritium-to-deuterium diffusivity ratio on the deuterium and tritium densities and the logarithmic density gradients is analyzed, and a scaling relation is obtained.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dust gravitational drift wave in complex plasma under gravity

The dispersion relation of electrostatic waves in a complex plasma under gravity is presented. It is assumed that the waves propagate parallel to the external fields. The effects of weak electric field, neutral drag force, and ion drag force are also taken into account. The dispersion relation is numerically examined in an appropriate parameter space in which the gravity plays the dominant role in the dynamics of microparticles. The numerical results show that, in the low pressure complex plasma under gravity, a low frequency drift wave can be developed in the long wavelength limit. The stability state of this wave is switched at a certain critical wavenumber in such a way that the damped mode is transformed into a growing one. Furthermore, the influence of the external fields on the dispersion properties is analyzed. It is shown that the wave instability is essentially due to the electrostatic streaming of plasma particles. It is also found that by increasing the electric field strength, the stability switching occurs at smaller wavenumbers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Observation of Anomalous Ion Heating by Broadband Drift-Wave Turbulence

Using laser induced fluorescence and passive spectroscopy on a magnetically confined low-temperature plasma, anomalous ion heating is observed which exceeds collisional heating from the electrons by a factor of up to five. Direct wave heating due to the 2.45 GHz microwave as well as stochastic heating by large-amplitude fluctuations could be ruled out as explanations. Good quantitative agreement is found when comparing the missing power in the ion species with heating power due to the dissipation of drift-wave turbulence. This turbulent energy transfer into the ion channel could have important consequences for the interpretation of transport in fusion plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

The effect of curvature induced broken potential vorticity conservation on drift wave turbulences

Abstract The correlation theory of turbulence suppression (Zhang and Mahajan 1993 Phys. Fluids B5 2000) by velocity shear was constructed by invoking the ansatz of potential vorticity conservation (PVC) that holds for relatively simple (slab) models of drift wave turbulence. It is, therefore, surprising that a detailed modern simulation of the H mode pedestal, using the gyrokinetic code GENE (Hatch et al 2018 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 60 084003), found ‘striking agreement’ with the predictions of the analytic model. To understand the reasons for this remarkable agreement, an extended theory that contains finite (magnetic) curvature, and which does not conserve potential vorticity, is developed and ‘solved’ by calculating an inhomogeneous Green function reflecting the fact that the new system has a potential vorticity source. It is, then, demonstrated that the effect of the broken PVC is insignificant for the normal operation parameters in tokamaks; the correction due to curvature is at the order of 2 L 0 / R , where L 0 is the scale length of the local gradient and R is the major radius. The excellent agreement between simulation and slab model 1993 theory is therefore not accidental; the latter can be applied with confidence to the tokamak pedestal.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2012

Integrated Study of the Nonlinear Dynamics of Collisional Drift Wave Turbulence (Final Technical Report)

An existing linear magnetized plasma device, the Controlled Shear Decorrelation experiment (CSDX) was used to study the transition from a state of coherent wave like activity to a state of turbulent activity using the magnetic field and thus magnetization of the plasma as the control parameter. The results show the onset of coherent drift waves consistent with linear stability analysis. As the magnetization is raised, at first multiple harmonics appear, consistent with wave steepening. This period is then followed by the beginning of nonlinear interactions between different wave modes, which then results in the formation of narrow frequency but distributed azimuthal wave number fluctuations that are consistent with the formation of long-lived coherent nonlinear structures within the plasmas. These structures, termed quasicoherent modes, persist as the magnetic field is raised. Measurements of turbulent momentum flux indicate that the plasma is also forming an azimuthally symmetric radially sheared fluid flow that is nonlinearly driven by smaller scaled turbulent fluctuations. Further increases in the magnetic field result in the breakup of the quasicoherent mode, and the clear formation of the sheared flow. Numerical simulations of the experiment reproduce the formation of the sheared flow via a vortex merging process, and confirm that the experiment is providing the first clear experimental evidence of the formation of sheared zonal flows from drift turbulent fluctuations in a magnetized plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Theory of the Drift-Wave Instability at Arbitrary Collisionality

We introduce a framework, based on the expansion of the distribution function on a Hermite- Laguerre polynomial basis, to study the effects of collisions on magnetized plasma instabilities at arbitrary mean-free path. Focusing on the drift-wave instability, we show that our framework allows retrieving established collisional and collisionless limits. At the intermediate collisionalities relevant for present and future magnetic nuclear fusion devices, deviations with respect to collision operators used in state-of-the-art turbulence simulation codes show the need for retaining the full Coulomb operator in order to obtain both the correct instability growth rate and eigenmode spectrum, with potentially important implications to the understanding of plasma turbulence. The exponential convergence of the spectral representation that we propose makes the representation of the velocity space dependence, including the full collision operator, optimally efficient.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dust magneto-gravitational drift wave in g×B configuration

The dispersion relation of electrostatic waves in a magnetized complex plasma under gravity is presented. It is assumed that the waves propagate perpendicular to the external fields. The effects of weak electric field, neutral drag force, and ion drag force are also taken into account. The dispersion relation is numerically examined in an appropriate parameter space in which the gravity plays the dominant role in the dynamics of magnetized microparticles. The numerical results show that an unstable low frequency drift wave can be developed in the long wavelength limit. This unstable mode is transformed into an aperiodic stationary structure at a cut-off wavenumber. Furthermore, the influence of the external fields on the dispersion properties is analyzed. It is shown that the instability is essentially due to the E×B drift motion of plasma particles. However, in the absence of weak electric field, the g×B drift motion of microparticles can cause the instability in a wide range of wavenumbers. It is also found that by increasing the magnetic field strength, the wave frequency is first increased and then decreased. This behaviour is explained by the existence of an extremum point in the dust magneto-gravitational drift velocity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1973

Observations of collisionless drift waves.

Velocity distribution functions of both the electron and the proton component of the magnetospheric plasma are measured in 62 logarithmically spaced steps from 50 eV to 50 keV by an instrument carried upon the ATS-5 spacecraft in circular synchronous orbit (6.6 earth radii). Oscillations which appear to be collisionless drift waves having periods of several minutes or longer are found in this data. Linearized wave theory can be used to predict the theoretical perturbation distribution function in terms of the perturbing fields and the equilibrium distribution function. The functional dependence of the theoretical perturbation distribution function upon particle energy can then be compared with that of the measured perturbation.

Laquey, R. E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unveiling the Significance of Correlations in K-Space and Configuration Space for Drift Wave Turbulence in Tokamaks

Turbulence and transport phenomena play a crucial role in the confinement and stability of tokamak plasmas. Turbulent fluctuations in certain physical quantities, such as density or temperature fluctuations, can have a wide range of spatial scales, and understanding their correlation length is important for predicting and controlling the behavior of the plasma. The correlation length in the radial direction is identified as the critical length in real space. The dynamics in real space are of significant interest because transport in configuration space is primarily focused on them. When investigating transport caused by the E×B drift, the correlation length in real space represents the size of E×B whirls. It was numerically discovered that in drift wave turbulence, this length is inversely proportional to the normalized mode number of the fastest growing mode relative to the drift frequency. Considerable time was required before a proper analytical derivation of this condition was accomplished. Therefore, a connection has been established between phenomena occurring in real space and those occurring in k-space. Although accompanied by a turbulent spectrum in k-space with a substantial width, transport in real space is uniquely determined by the correlation length, allowing for accurate transport calculations through the dynamics of a single mode. Naturally, the dynamics are subject to nonlinear effects, with resonance broadening in frequency being the most significant nonlinear effect. Thus, mode number space is once again involved. Resonance broadening leads to the detuning of waves from particles, permitting a fluid treatment. It should be emphasized that the consideration here involves the total electric field, including the induction part, which becomes particularly important at higher beta plasmas.

Weiland, Jan (ORCID:0000000253496025)↗