Plasma Physics
Relativistic lasers on solid targets generate hot electrons, and other secondary particles. These particles can be used for radiography, cancer therapy, or isochoric heating. A lower density or structured coating on high-Z targets can…
We develop a weakly nonlinear, multi-mode theory for the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) on a time-varying spherical interface, fully incorporating mode couplings and the Bell-Plesset (BP) effects arising from interface convergence. Our…
By returning to the topological basics of fusion target design, Generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) is used to specify how to initially configure and drive the optimally entangled topological state, and stabilize that topological…
Electrospray thrusters are emerging as a leading propulsion technology for CubeSats, offering high specific impulse ($I_{sp} > 1000$ s) and low power requirements. However, the divergent ion plumes can impinge on spacecraft surfaces,…
A self-consistent model is developed to explain the anomalously large enrichment of nickel isotopes observed in ablation plumes from ultrafast laser irradiation of solid surfaces. The model is based on the spontaneous creation of a magnetic…
We present a method for imposing quasineutrality and, more generally, charge density conservation in the Vlasov-Poisson (VP) and Vlasov-Amp\`ere (VA) systems, which describe electrostatic plasma dynamics, by applying the Dirac theory of…
Nonlinear dynamics of runaway electron induced wave instabilities can significantly modify the runaway distribution critical to tokamak operations. Here we present the first-ever fully kinetic simulations of runaway-driven instabilities…
Particle in Cell (PIC) simulations have become a vital tool for the investigation of kinetic processes in plasma physics. Many of the systems investigated with PIC simulations contain particles with relativistic velocities. The correct…
Axial plugging is a critical challenge for fusion in open-ended magnetic confinement systems. Multi-mirror systems, consisting of a series of axially aligned magnetic mirrors, aim to enhance axial confinement by increasing the effective…
Plasmoid growth is considered to enhance the rate of magnetic reconnection and is frequently used to explain fast mag netic reconnection in highly conductive (collisionless) plasmas. In strongly magnetized plasmas, the long wavelength…
Magnetic flux ropes are ubiquitous magnetic structures found in plasmas ranging from astrophysical to laboratory. We employ a newly-developed parallel-kinetic-perpendicular-moment (PKPM) model to simulate the 3D interaction and evolution of…
Self-consistent modeling of turbulence-driven transport is critical for optimizing confinement in magnetically confined fusion plasmas, such as in tokamaks and stellarators. In particular, capturing the long-term co-evolution of turbulence,…
Vacuum birefringence (VB), a fundamental prediction of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics (QED), has eluded direct laboratory detection due to its extreme weakness. We propose a compact, "self-probing" scheme where a GeV electron beam…
Turbulent transport near the X-point of a large tokamak is examined using local, gradient-driven simulations that determine the saturated plasma profiles. The distribution of a representative set of particle tracers evolving within these…
Stellarator optimization is a multi-objective, non-convex problem characterized by a complex objective landscape containing many local minima. The solution resulting from a single optimization is highly sensitive to factors such as the…
Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations with a realistic mass ratio reveal the generation mechanisms of the out-of-plane magnetic field in magnetic islands/flux ropes during magnetic reconnection. In the absence of an initial guide…
In stellarator design, the coil winding surfaces $\Sigma\subset\mathbb R^3$ support current distributions $j$ that shape the magnetic field. This work provides a theoretical framework explaining the emergence of centre and saddle point…
Effects of neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) on plasma flow evolution in the presence of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) in a tokamak have been evaluated using a cylindrical theory model. Calculations show that the introduction of…
The integrity of plasma-facing components (PFCs) in tokamaks is critically challenged by transient events such as runaway electron (RE) impacts. We report the first systematic analysis of the thermal damage to tungsten-based PFC tiles…
A simple numerical method for loading of a relativistic Maxwellian-type distribution is proposed based on inverse transform sampling. The relativistic Maxwellian energy distribution is introduced as an alternative to the Maxwell-J\"{u}ttner…