Plasma Physics
For the SPT-type Hall thrusters, the magnetic structure with magnetic conductive columns leads inherent to azimuthally inhomogeneous magnetic configurations. This azimuthal magnetic inhomogeneity may impact electron azimuthal closed-drift…
Finite-amplitude low-frequency Alfv\'en waves are commonly found in plasma environments, such as space plasmas, and play a crucial role in ion heating. The nonlinear interaction between oblique Alfv\'en wave spectra and ions has been…
Near-space, which covers altitudes from 20 to 100 kilometers, has been receiving more and more attention because of its special strategic value. Airships and high-altitude balloons are two common types of low-speed vehicles that operate in…
The recent ITER re-baselining calls for new fusion-relevant research best carried out in a DT-capable tokamak device with similar technical choices. The present paper describes key issues that could be addressed in a Suitably Enhanced…
CO$_2$ with an admixture of C$_4$F$_7$N could serve as an eco-friendly alternative to the extreme greenhouse gas SF$_6$ in high-voltage insulation. Streamer discharges in such gases are different from those in air due to the rapid…
We investigate analytically two questions: 1) How does the coil geometry influence the effect of electric current noise on the induced magnetic field? 2) How does the coil-plasma distance influence our ability to control the pointwise…
We present implicit-explicit (IMEX) kinetic simulations of weakly collisional parallel plasma transport in magnetic mirror configurations using the continuum code \textsc{COGENT}. The numerical scheme employs a Jacobian-free Newton--Krylov…
We investigate the linear tearing instability in weakly collisional plasmas using a non-ideal gyrotropic-MHD framework, uncovering a previously unknown scaling relation for the instability growth rate in high-$\beta$ environments. Even…
We investigate the nonlinear evolution of the lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) in reconnecting current sheets using a hybrid kinetic simulation model implemented in the Super Simple Vlasov (ssV) code. The model treats ions kinetically…
High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) offers higher ionized flux fractions at the cost of lower deposition rates compared to conventional DCMS. A fine optimization of the deposition conditions is crucial for specific…
The neoclassical baseline study of a strongly negative triangularity (NT) plasma and the corresponding positive triangularity plasma is performed using the edge-specialized, total-f gyrokinetic code XGC. A DIII-D-like plasma is used, based…
After developing a scattering theory for grazing collisions in general noncanonical phase spaces, we introduce a guiding center collision operator in five-dimensional phase space designed for plasma regimes characterized by long wavelengths…
We present a new theory describing the variation of electron capture and bound-state $\beta$-decays in atomic ions and (non) local thermodynamic equilibrium ((N)LTE) plasmas. We adopt the Takahashi-Yokoi nuclear model with added corrections…
The two leading models of isotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence have competing predictions: $k^{-5/3}$ (Kolmogorov) and $k^{-3/2}$ (Iroshnikov-Kraichnan) scalings. This paper identifies the valid MHD turbulence model using…
Accurately incorporating non-local transport into radiation-hydrodynamics codes, and indeed any fluid system, has long been elusive. To date, a simplified and accurate theory that can be easily integrated has not been available. This…
We propose an explicit particle method for the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation that conserves energy at the fully discrete level. The method features two key components: a deterministic and conservative particle discretization for the…
The ionizations per photon, or S/XB, method uses spectroscopic measurements of radiating impurity ions to determine the influx from a solid surface. It is highly useful as a non-perturbing, in-situ measure of the gross erosion flux of…
We investigate laser amplification in $e^{-}$-$\mu^{-}$-ion plasmas, where negative muons partially replace electrons. Theoretical results reveal a hybrid plasma wave, called $\mu$-wave that exhibits ion-acoustic behavior in long-wavelength…
A free-boundary, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium code, pyIPREQ, has been developed for Tokamak plasmas using finite difference and Green's function approach. The code builds upon the foundational frameworks of the PEST…
We describe a new model for the study of weakly-collisional, magnetized plasmas derived from exploiting the separation of the dynamics parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. This unique system of equations retains the particle…