Plasma Physics
This paper revisits an earlier discussion of the hypothesis of constrained dynamics [IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 41, 2013 pp. 437-446] with better experiments and insights. This hypothesis pertains to the observation that the standard single…
We investigate the creation of electron-positron pairs by two spatiotemporally inhomogeneous electric fields with a relative phase, employing computational quantum field theory. We find that, when the two fields are closely spaced, the pair…
Achieving significant energy gain in laser-driven relativistic electron beams remains challenging due to dephasing between the accelerating laser field and the electrons. We show that transverse electric fields, when aligned with the plane…
The variational approach based on the Bogoliubov inequality using the fluid of hard spheres as a reference system is implemented to evaluate instantaneous shear, bulk and longitudinal elastic moduli, as well as related sound velocities of…
The excess energy, entropy, and pressure of a strongly coupled Yukawa fluid are calculated from the variational approach using the fluid of hard spheres as a reference system. As in the case of the one-component plasma, the Percus-Yevick…
Laser power beaming offers a route to space energy delivery, but semiconductor laser photovoltaic receivers face thermalization, joule heat, and radiative recombination waste, etc. Here we propose a gas-phase plasma power cell that converts…
The paper presents the HIR (Hydrogen Ionization Rates) software package developed for calculating the level populations of atomic hydrogen and the dynamics of its ionization in hot plasma, including the case of fast ions with an anisotropic…
X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) is a key diagnostic for high-energy-density plasmas, which can exhibit significant quantum effects even at elevated temperatures. XRTS experiments are commonly interpreted using the Chihara decomposition,…
We present the design, construction, and first plasma experiments of Polaris, a new small-scale stellarator experiment (major radius R ~ 0.4 m) located at the Swiss Plasma Center. Polaris consists of a relatively large vacuum vessel (~0.5…
The nuclear spin state of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel sets both the D-T fusion cross section and the emission direction of the fusion-born alphas and neutrons. We show two ways that spin-polarized fuel (SPF) could enhance alpha channeling,…
In isothermal kinetic equilibrium of a plasma with sheared flow, the electrostatic potential is the cumulant generating function of the velocity distribution, encoding all non-Maxwellian statistics. Consequently, of the polynomial-form…
The solar wind is characterized by turbulence, where a cascade produces intermittent current structures called current sheets (CS) that efficiently dissipate energy into the plasma. These have been studied with in situ spacecraft…
Disruptions threaten tokamak operation not only because of large in-vessel forces and thermal heat loads, but also because some electrons may be accelerated to relativistic energies. These so-called runaway electrons (REs) can multiply…
The maximum current that can be extracted from a diode is a central question in electronic devices, especially for the generation of radiation from microwaves to x-rays. The challenge in its prediction increases significantly when the…
By applying a first-principles reduced kinetic method, this work demonstrates the impact of ion-electron collisions on ion transport for strongly inhomogeneous plasmas in the nonlocal regime, where collisionality is insufficient to enforce…
Relativistic particle beams propagating through dense ambient plasmas are susceptible to streaming instabilities that can govern the system dynamics in various astrophysical and laboratory settings. For an unmagnetized, collisionless plasma…
Plasma streaming instabilities excited by relativistic charged particle beams play a pivotal role in astrophysical and laboratory environments. Their numerical study, however, is challenged by the disparity in spatiotemporal scales between…
The gravitational sedimentation of strongly coupled dusty plasma crystals is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Initially, the dust particles are levitated by the balance between the upward external electric field and…
We report a new experimental platform developed at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility to investigate carbon ablation and spallation under extreme heat fluxes relevant to fusion plasma-facing components and high-enthalpy atmospheric entry.…
This paper reports on the implementation process of the three-dimensional (3D) edge plasma transport code EMC3-EIRENE on the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) facility and the results of its first application, with a focus on assessing the heat…