Related papers: Comprehensive Gyrokinetic Study of Eigenstate Tran…
We argue that stochastic and resonant ion heating, often viewed as distinct processes in low-$\beta$ collisionless plasmas, are the far limits of a continuum controlled by nonlinear broadening of turbulent fluctuations, and thus by the…
Boundary plasma physics plays an important role in tokamak confinement, but is difficult to simulate in a gyrokinetic code due to the scale-inseparable nonlocal multi-physics in magnetic separatrix and open magnetic field geometry. Neutral…
In the presence of a strong electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field, the electron cross-field (E$\times$B) flow relative to the unmagnetized ions can cause the Electron Cyclotron Drift Instability (ECDI) due to resonances of the…
Full-f global gyrokinetic simulations of the plasma boundary have until now required heroic computational efforts and case-by-case expert intervention, precluding systematic parameter scans. Here we demonstrate a paradigm shift: hundreds of…
An analytic equilibrium, the Toroidal Bessel Function Model, is used in conjunction with the gyrokinetic code GYRO to investigate the nature of microinstabilities in a reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma. The effect of the normalized electron…
In-situ observations of the solar wind (SW) plasma from 0.29 to 1AU show that the protons and alpha particles are often non-Maxwellian, with evidence of kinetic instabilities, temperature anisotropies, differential ion streaming, and…
We present 1X2V continuum Vlasov-Maxwell simulations of interpenetrating plasma beams with mobile ions. While the early-time evolution is similar to the stationary-ion case, the late-time dynamics are dominated by the ion-Weibel…
We present a predictive model of the nonlinear phase of the Weibel instability induced by two symmetric, counter-streaming ion beams in the non-relativistic regime. This self-consistent model combines the quasilinear kinetic theory of…
Helicon plasma sources play a central role in applications ranging from material treatment to space propulsion and fusion, yet the physical processes governing their ignition, transient ionization, and mode evolution remain incompletely…
A one-dimensional Particle-In-Cell Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC-MCC) method has been used to model the development and propagation of ionization waves in neon and argon positive columns. Low current conditions are considered, i.e. conditions…
Small-scale turbulence originating from microinstabilities limits the energy confinement time in magnetic confinement fusion. Here we develop a semi-analytical dispersion relation based on lowest-order solutions to the gyrokinetic equations…
Gyrokinetics is a rich and rewarding playground to study some of the mysteries of modern physics. In this thesis I present work, motivated by the quest for fusion energy, which seeks to uncover some of the inner workings of turbulence in…
A two-field gyrofluid model including ion finite Larmor radius (FLR) corrections, magnetic fluctuations along the ambient field and electron inertia is used to study two-dimensional reconnection in a low $\beta_e$ collisionless plasma, in a…
In a recent paper (Phys. Plasmas 25, 061203, 2018), the authors have presented the analysis of the electric ion drift velocity experienced by heavy ions created in a plasma submitted to a low magnetic field. Unfortunately, they have used…
We present first principles simulations of the direct collisionless coupling of the free energy of fusion-born ions into electron current in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. These simulations demonstrate, for the first time, a key…
When an ion confined in a linear ion trap interacts with a coherent laser field, the internal degrees of freedom, related to the electron transitions, couple to the vibrational degree of freedom of the ion. As a result of this interaction,…
Toroidal Alfv\'en eigenmodes (TAEs) can transport fusion-born energetic particles out of the plasma volume, thereby decreasing plasma self-heating efficiency and possibly damaging reactor walls. Therefore, understanding TAE destabilisation…
We investigate the effect of varying the ion temperature gradient (ITG) and toroidal equilibrium scale sheared flow on ion-scale turbulence in the outer core of MAST by means of local gyrokinetic simulations. We show that nonlinear…
A new set of nonlinear coupled equations is derived in the context of small amplitude limit of the general wave equations in a fluid type warm electrons/cold ions plasma irradiated by a continuous laser beam. This limit is proved to be…
Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities like Toroidal Alfv\'en Eigenmodes or core-localized modes such as Beta Induced Alfv\'en Eigenmodes and Reversed Shear Alfv\'en Eigenmodes driven by fast particles can lead to significant redistribution and…