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Register a new userImpact Of A Uniform Plasma Resistivity In MHD Modelling Of Helical Solutions For The Reversed Field Pinch Dynamo
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Till now the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the reversed field pinch (RFP) has been performed by assuming axis-symmetric radial time independent dissipation profiles. In helical states this assumption is not correct since these dissipations should be flux functions, and should exhibit a helical symmetry as well. Therefore more correct simulations should incorporate self-consistent dissipation profiles. As a first step in this direction, the case of uniform dissipation profiles was considered by using the 3D nonlinear visco-resistive MHD code SpeCyl. It is found that a flattening of the resistivity profile results in the reduction of the dynamo action, which brings to marginally-reversed or even non-reversed equilibrium solutions. The physical origin of this result is discussed in relation to the electrostatic drift explanation of the RFP dynamo. This sets constraints on the functional choice of dissipations in future self-consistent simulations.
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In the reversed field pinch RFX-mod strong electron temperature gradients develop when the Single-Helical-Axis regime is achieved. Gyrokinetic calculations show that in the region of the strong temperature gradients microtearing instabilities are the dominant turbulent mechanism acting on the ion Larmor radius scale. The quasi-linear evaluation of the electron thermal conductivity is in good agreement with the experimental estimates.
The Multi-region Relaxed MHD (MRxMHD) has been successful in the construction of equilibria in three-dimensional (3D) configurations. In MRxMHD, the plasma is sliced into sub-volumes separated by ideal interfaces, each undergoing relaxation, allowing the formation of islands and chaos. The resulting equilibrium has a stepped pressure profile across sub-volumes. The Stepped Pressure Equilibrium Code (SPEC) [S.R. Hudson et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 112502 (2012)] was developed to calculate MRxMHD equilibria numerically. In this work, we have extended the SPEC code to compute MRxMHD equilibria with field-aligned flow and rotation, following the theoretical development to incorporate cross-helicity and angular momentum constraints. The code has been verified for convergence and compared to a Grad-Shafranov solver in 2D. We apply our new tool to study the flow profile change before and after the sawtooth crash of a reversed-field pinch discharge, in which data of the parallel flow is available. We find the promising result that under the constraints of cross-helicity and angular momentum, the parallel flow profile in post-crash SPEC equilibrium is flat in the plasma core and the amplitude of the flow matches experimental observations. Finally, we provide an example equilibrium with a 3D helical field structure as the favoured lower energy state. This will be the first 3D numerical equilibrium in which the flow effects are self-consistently calculated.
Using detailed spectroscopic measurements, highly-resolved in both time and space, a self-generated plasma rotation is demonstrated for the first time in a cylindrical Z-pinch implosion with a pre-embedded axial magnetic field. The plasma parameters and all three components of the magnetic field are resolved. The plasma is seen to rotate at a velocity comparable to the peak implosion velocity, considerably affecting the force and energy balance throughout the implosion. Moreover, the evolution of the rotation is consistent with magnetic flux surface isorotation, a novel observation in a Z-pinch.
Curvature-driven turbulence in a helical open-field-line plasma is investigated using electrostatic five-dimensional gyrokinetic continuum simulations in an all-bad-curvature helical-slab geometry. Parameters for a National Spherical Torus Experiment scrape-off-layer plasma are used in the model. The formation and convective radial transport of plasma blobs is observed, and it is shown that the radial particle-transport levels are several times higher than diffusive Bohm-transport estimates. By reducing the strength of the poloidal magnetic field, the profile of the heat flux to the divertor plate is observed to broaden.
The Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX) is a novel, versatile, basic plasma research device designed to investigate flow driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities and other high-$beta$ phenomena with astrophysically relevant parameters. A 3 m diameter vacuum vessel is lined with 36 rings of alternately oriented 4000 G samarium cobalt magnets which create an axisymmetric multicusp that contains $sim$14 m$^{3}$ of nearly magnetic field free plasma that is well confined and highly ionized $(>50%)$. At present, 8 lanthanum hexaboride (LaB$_6$) cathodes and 10 molybdenum anodes are inserted into the vessel and biased up to 500 V, drawing 40 A each cathode, ionizing a low pressure Ar or He fill gas and heating it. Up to 100 kW of electron cyclotron heating (ECH) power is planned for additional electron heating. The LaB$_6$ cathodes are positioned in the magnetized edge to drive toroidal rotation through ${bf J}times{bf B}$ torques that propagate into the unmagnetized core plasma. Dynamo studies on MPDX require a high magnetic Reynolds number $Rm > 1000$, and an adjustable fluid Reynolds number $10< Re <1000$, in the regime where the kinetic energy of the flow exceeds the magnetic energy ($M_A^2=($v$/$v$_A)^2 > 1$). Initial results from MPDX are presented along with a 0-dimensional power and particle balance model to predict the viscosity and resistivity to achieve dynamo action.
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