Plasma Physics
A theoretical model is presented that for the first time matches experimental measurements of the pedestal width-height Diallo scaling in the low-aspect-ratio high-$\beta$ tokamak NSTX. Combining linear gyrokinetics with self-consistent…
Omnigenity is a desirable property of toroidal magnetic fields that ensures confinement of trapped particles. Confining charged particles is a basic requirement for any fusion power plant design, but it can be difficult to satisfy with the…
In a recent publication (Toler et al. 2023), we demonstrated that for axisymmetric geometries, the Kapur-Rokhlin quadrature rule provided an efficient and high-order accurate method for computing the normal component, on the plasma surface,…
In a strongly magnetized, magnetically dominated relativistic plasma, Alfv\'enic turbulence can extend to scales much smaller than the particle inertial scales. It leads to an energy cascade somewhat analogous to inertial- or…
Z-pinch platforms constitute a promising pathway to fusion energy research. Here, we present a one-dimensional numerical study of the staged Z-pinch (SZP) concept using the FLASH and MACH2 codes. We discuss the verification of the codes…
The optimisation of scenarios and design of real-time-control in tokamaks, especially for machines still in design phase, requires a comprehensive exploration of solutions to the Grad-Shafranov (GS) equation over a high-dimensional space of…
This experimental study presents an in-depth investigation of the performance of the MAST-U Super-X divertor during NBI-heated operation (up to 2.5 MW) focussing on volumetric ion sources and sinks as well as power losses during detachment.…
A physical and numerical model of the Townsend discharge in molecular hydrogen and deuterium has been developed to meet the needs of designing a plasma-based switching device for power grid application. The model allows to predict the…
Self-focusing emerges as a nonlinear optical phenomenon resulting from an intense laser field and plasma interaction. This study investigates the self-focusing behavior of Gaussian laser beams within magnetized plasma environments utilizing…
We introduce an extension of the particle-in-cell (PIC) method that captures the Landau collisional effects in the Vlasov-Maxwell-Landau equations. The method arises from a regularisation of the variational formulation of the Landau…
The growing demand for real-time ultraviolet (UV) monitoring calls for a simple, rapid, and low-cost strategy to prepare UV photodetectors. We prepare a wearable real-time UV photodetector based on hydrogenated titanium dioxide film…
We propose a novel method for changing the length of laser wakefield electron acceleration in a gas jet by a cylindrical blast wave created by a perpendicularly focused nanosecond laser pulse. The shock front destroys the wake thus stopping…
Non-classical electron diffusion in crossed-field, low-temperature plasmas is measured experimentally. Laser-induced fluorescence and Thomson scattering are used to determine the inverse Hall parameter, a metric for cross-field transport,…
An efficient plasma compression scheme by azimuthally-polarized (AP) light is proposed. An AP light possesses a donut-like intensity pattern, enabling it to compress and accelerate ions toward the optical axis across a wide range of…
Stellarator plasmas are externally controlled to a degree unparalleled by any other fusion concept, magnetic or inertial. This control is largely through the magnetic fields produced by external coils. The development of fusion energy could…
Time-resolved Langmuir probe diagnostics at the discharge centerline and at three distances from the target (35mm, 60mm, and 100mm) was carried out during long positive voltage pulses (a duration of 500$\mu$s and a preset positive voltage…
The scaling of the relativistic reconnection outflow speed is studied in the presence of both shear flows parallel to the reconnecting magnetic fields and guide fields pointing out of the reconnection plane. In nonrelativistic reconnection,…
Isothermal fluid turbulence simulations have been performed in the edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL) of an analytic stellarator configuration with an island divertor, thereby providing numerical insight into edge turbulence in regions around…
Time-dependent multiphysics interactions that drive the energy transfer in electromechanical systems are poorly understood. We probe dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with an external DC-augmented (DCA) field to reveal new mechanistic…
We derive a reduced model for the electrostatic turbulence in a Tokamak edge, when dealing with a resistive plasma and neglecting the spatial gradient of the background density which triggers the linear drift wave response. The obtained…