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physics.plasm-ph

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24 paper(s) to start with

preprint2016arXiv

The generation of unexpected super-high energetic electrons at relativistic circularly polarized laser-solid interactions in the presence of large scale pre-plasmas

As an extension of the previous work [arXiv: 1512.02411], we have investigated the role of circularly polarized (CP) laser pulses while keeping other conditions the same. It is found that in the presence of large scale pre-formed plasmas, super-high energetic electrons can be generated at relativistic CP laser-solid interactions. For laser of intensity $10^{20}\ \text{W}/\text{cm}^2$ and pre-plasma scale-length $10\ μ\text{m}$, the cut-off energy of electron by CP laser is $120\ \text{MeV}$ compared with $100\ \text{MeV}$ in the case of linearly polarized (LP) laser. The unexpected super-high energetic electron acceleration can also be explained by the two-stage acceleration model, {by taking into account the envelop modulation effects of the reflected CP laser pulse.} The underlying physics of this envelop modulation is figured out, and a modified first-stage electron acceleration scaling law in the presence of the modulated-CP laser is also obtained.

preprint2016arXiv

Electron Acceleration Mechanisms in Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms produce strong electric fields over regions on the order of kilometer. The corresponding electric potential differences are on the order of 100 MV. Secondary cosmic rays reaching these regions may be significantly accelerated and even amplified in relativistic runaway avalanche processes. These phenomena lead to enhancements of the high-energy background radiation observed by detectors on the ground and on board aircraft. Moreover, intense submillisecond gamma-ray bursts named terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) produced in thunderstorms are detected from low Earth orbit satellites. When passing through the atmosphere, these gamma-rays are recognized to produce secondary relativistic electrons and positrons rapidly trapped in the geomagnetic field and injected into the near-Earth space environment. In the present work, we attempt to give an overview of the current state of research on high-energy phenomena associated with thunderstorms.

preprint2013arXiv

An energy- and charge-conserving, nonlinearly implicit, electromagnetic 1D-3V Vlasov-Darwin particle-in-cell algorithm

A recent proof-of-principle study proposes a nonlinear electrostatic implicit particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm in one dimension (Chen, Chacon, Barnes, J. Comput. Phys. 230 (2011) 7018). The algorithm employs a kinetically enslaved Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov (JFNK) method, and conserves energy and charge to numerical round-off. In this study, we generalize the method to electromagnetic simulations in 1D using the Darwin approximation of Maxwell's equations, which avoids radiative aliasing noise issues by ordering out the light wave. An implicit, orbit-averaged time-space-centered finite difference scheme is applied to both the 1D Darwin field equations (in potential form) and the 1D-3V particle orbit equations to produce a discrete system that remains exactly charge- and energy-conserving. Furthermore, enabled by the implicit Darwin equations, exact conservation of the canonical momentum per particle in any ignorable direction is enforced via a suitable scattering rule for the magnetic field. Several 1D numerical experiments demonstrate the accuracy and the conservation properties of the algorithm.

preprint2016arXiv

Multiscale Equatorial Electrojet Turbulence: Energy Conservation, Coupling, and Cascades in a Baseline 2-D Fluid Model

Progress in understanding the coupling between plasma instabilities in the equatorial electrojet based on a unified fluid model is reported. A deeper understanding of the linear and nonlinear evolution and the coupling of the gradient-drift and Farley-Buneman instabilities is achieved by studying the effect of different combinations of the density-gradient scale-lengths (Ln) and cross-field (E?B) drifts on the plasma turbulence. Mechanisms and channels of energy transfer are illucidated for these multiscale instabilities. Energy for the unified model is examined, including the injected, conservative redistribution (between fields and scales), and ultimate dissipation. Various physical mechanisms involved in the energetics are categorized as sources, sinks, nonlinear transfer, and coupling to show that the system satisfies the fundamental law of energy Oonservation. The physics of the nonlinear transfer terms is studied to identify their roles in producing energy cascades { the transference of energy from the dominant unstable wavenumbers and driving irregularities of different scale-lengths. The theory of two-step energy cascading to generate the 3-meter plasma irregularities in th

preprint2016arXiv

Anharmonic resonance absorption of short laser pulses in clusters: A molecular dynamics simulation study

Linear resonance (LR) absorption of an intense 800~nm laser light in a nano-cluster requires a long laser pulse > 100~fs when Mie-plasma frequency ($\omegaMie$) of electrons in the expanding cluster matches the laser frequency~($ω$). For a short duration of the pulse the condition for LR is not satisfied. In this case, it was shown by a model and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 123401 (2006)] that electrons absorb laser energy by anharmonic resonance (AHR) when the position-dependent frequency $Ω[r(t)]$ of an electron in the self-consistent anharmonic potential of the cluster satisfies $Ω[r(t)]=ω$. However, AHR remains to be a debate and still obscure in multi-particle plasma simulations. Here, we identify AHR mechanism in a laser driven cluster using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. By analyzing the trajectory of each MD electron and extracting its $Ω[r(t)]$ in the self-generated anharmonic plasma potential it is found that electron is outer ionized {\em only} when AHR is met. An anharmonic oscillator model, introduced here, brings out most of the features of MD electrons while passing the AHR. Thus, we not only bridge the gap between PIC simulations,

preprint2016arXiv

Numerical simulations of the Princeton magneto-rotational instability experiment with conducting axial boundaries

We investigate numerically the Princeton magneto-rotational instability (MRI) experiment and the effect of conducting axial boundaries or endcaps. MRI is identified and found to reach a much higher saturation than for insulating endcaps. This is probably due to stronger driving of the base flow by the magnetically rather than viscously coupled boundaries. Although the computations are necessarily limited to lower Reynolds numbers ($\Re$) than their experimental counterparts, it appears that the saturation level becomes independent of $\Re$ when $\Re$ is sufficiently large, whereas it has been found previously to decrease roughly as $\Re^{-1/4}$ with insulating endcaps. The much higher saturation levels will allow for the first positive detection of MRI beyond its theoretical and numerical predictions.

preprint2016arXiv

Modeling and Simulation of the Current Quenching Behavior of a Line Lightning Protection Device

We develop a consistent model for a Line Lightning Protection Device and demonstrate that this model can explain the two modes of current quenching -- impulse quenching and current zero quenching -- observed in such devices. A dimensional analysis shows that impulse quenching can always be obtained if the power loss from the electric arcs is large enough as compared to $U_0 I_f$, where $U_0$ is the grid voltage and $I_f$ is the maximum follow current after a lightning strike. We further show that the two modes of quenching can be reproduced in a full 3D arc simulations coupled to the appropriate circuit model. This means the arc simulations can be used for optimization and development of future LLPDs.

preprint2016arXiv

Effect of collisions on the two-stream instability in a finite length plasm

The instability of a monoenergetic electron beam in a collisional one-dimensional plasma bounded between grounded walls is considered both analytically and numerically. Collisions between electrons and neutrals are accounted for the plasma electrons only. Solution of a dispersion equation shows that the temporal growth rate of the instability is a decreasing linear function of the collision frequency which becomes zero when the collision frequency is two times the collisionless growth rate. This result is confirmed by fluid simulations. Practical formulas are given for the estimate of the threshold beam current which is required for the two-stream instability to develop for a given system length, neutral gas pressure, plasma density, and beam energy. Particle-in-cell simulations carried out with different neutral densities and beam currents demonstrate good agreement with the fluid theory predictions for both the growth rate and the threshold beam current.

preprint2016arXiv

Linear Vlasov theory of a magnetised, thermally stratified atmosphere

The stability of a collisionless, magnetised plasma to local convective disturbances is examined, with a focus on kinetic and finite-Larmor-radius effects. Specific application is made to the outskirts of galaxy clusters, which contain hot and tenuous plasma whose temperature increases in the direction of gravity. At long wavelengths (the "drift-kinetic" limit), we obtain the kinetic version of the magnetothermal instability (MTI) and its Alfvénic counterpart (Alfvénic MTI), which were previously discovered and analysed using a magnetofluid (i.e. Braginskii) description. At sub-ion-Larmor scales, we discover an overstability driven by the electron temperature gradient of kinetic-Alfvén drift waves -- the electron MTI (eMTI) -- whose growth rate is even larger than the standard MTI. At intermediate scales, we find that ion finite-Larmor-radius effects tend to stabilise the plasma. We discuss the physical interpretation of these instabilities in detail, and compare them both with previous work on magnetised convection in a collisional plasma and with temperature-gradient-driven drift-wave instabilities well-known to the magnetic-confinement-fusion community. The implications

preprint2016arXiv

Velocity shear, turbulent saturation, and steep plasma gradients in the scrape-off layer of inner-wall limited tokamaks

The narrow power decay-length ($λ_q$), recently found in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of inner-wall limited (IWL) discharges in tokamaks, is studied using 3D, flux-driven, global two-fluid turbulence simulations. The formation of the steep plasma profiles measured is found to arise due to radially sheared $\vec{E}\times\vec{B}$ poloidal flows. A complex interaction between sheared flows and outflowing plasma currents regulates the turbulent saturation, determining the transport levels. We quantify the effects of sheared flows, obtaining theoretical estimates in agreement with our non-linear simulations. Analytical calculations suggest that the IWL $λ_q$ is roughly equal to the turbulent correlation length.

preprint2016arXiv

Re-appraisal and extension of the Gratton-Vargas two-dimensional analytical snowplow model of plasma focus - III: Scaling theory for high pressure operation and its implications

Recent work on the revised Gratton-Vargas model has demonstrated that there are some aspects of Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) which are not sensitive to details of plasma dynamics and are well captured in an oversimplified model assumption which contains very little plasma physics. A hyperbolic conservation law formulation of DPF physics reveals the existence of a velocity threshold related to specific energy of dissociation and ionization, above which, the work done during shock propagation is adequate to ensure dissociation and ionization of the gas being ingested. These developments are utilized to formulate an algorithmic definition of DPF optimization that is valid in a wide range of applications, not limited to neutron emission. A universal scaling theory of DPF design optimization is proposed and illustrated for designing devices working at one or two orders higher pressure of deuterium than the current practice of designs optimized at pressures less than 10 mbar of deuterium. These examples show that the upper limit for operating pressure is of technological (and not physical) origin.

preprint2016arXiv

"Ideally" unstable current sheets and the triggering of fast magnetic reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is thought to be the dynamical mechanism underlying many explosive phenomena observed both in space and in the laboratory, though the question of how fast magnetic reconnection is triggered in such high Lundquist ($S$) number plasmas has remained elusive. It has been well established that reconnection can develop over timescales faster than those predicted traditionally once kinetic scales are reached. It has also been shown that, within the framework of resistive Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), fast reconnection is achieved for thin enough sheets via the onset of the so-called plasmoid instability. The latter was discovered in studies specifically devoted to the Sweet-Parker current sheet, either as an initial condition or an apparent transient state developing in nonlinear studies. On the other hand, a fast tearing instability can grow on an ideal, i.e., $S$-independent, timescale (dubbed "ideal" tearing) within current sheets whose aspect ratio scales with the macroscopic Lundquist number as $L/a\sim S^{1/3}$ -- much smaller than the Sweet-Parker one -- suggesting a new way to approach to the initiation of fast reconnection in collapsing current configu

preprint2017arXiv

Low-energy collisions between electrons and BeH$^+$: cross sections and rate coefficients for all the vibrational states of the ion

We provide cross sections and Maxwell rate coefficients for reactive collisions of slow electrons with BeH$^+$ ions on all the eighteen vibrational levels ($X{^{1}Σ^{+}},v_{i}^{+}=0,1,2,\dots,17$) using a Multichannel Quantum Defect Theory (MQDT) - type approach. These data on dissociative recombination, vibrational excitation and vibrational de-excitation are relevant for magnetic confinement fusion edge plasma modelling and spectroscopy, in devices with beryllium based main chamber materials, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the Joint European Torus (JET). Our results are presented in graphical form and as fitted analytical functions, the parameters of which are organized in tables.

preprint2016arXiv

High orbital angular momentum harmonic generation

We identify and explore a high orbital angular momentum (OAM) harmonics generation and amplification mechanism that manipulates the OAM independently of any other laser property, by preserving the initial laser wavelength, through stimulated Raman backscattering in a plasma. The high OAM harmonics spectra can extend at least up to the limiting value imposed by the paraxial approximation. We show with theory and particle-in-cell simulations that the orders of the OAM harmonics can be tuned according to a selection rule that depends on the initial OAM of the interacting waves. We illustrate the high OAM harmonics generation in a plasma using several examples including the generation of prime OAM harmonics. The process can also be realised in any nonlinear optical Kerr media supporting three-wave interactions.

preprint2016arXiv

Classical and quantum dynamics of a charged scalar particle in a background of two counterpropagating plane waves

We consider a scalar particle in a background formed by two counter-propagating plane waves. Two cases are studied: i) dynamics at a magnetic node and ii) zero initial transverse canonical momentum. The Lorentz and Klein-Gordon equations are solved for these cases and approximations analysed. For the magnetic node solution (homogeneous, time-dependent electric field), the modified Volkov wavefunction which arises from a high-energy approximation is found to be inaccurate for all energies and the solution itself unstable when photon emission (nonlinear Compton scattering) is included. For the zero initial transverse canonical momentum case, in both quantum and classical cases, forbidden parameter regimes, absent in the plane wave model, are identified.

preprint2016arXiv

Collisionless, phase-mixed, dispersive, Gaussian Alfven pulse in transversely inhomogeneous plasma

In the previous works harmonic, phase-mixed, Alfven wave dynamics was considered both in the kinetic and magnetohydrodynamic regimes. Up today only magnetohydrodynamic, phase-mixed, Gaussian Alfven pulses were investigated. In the present work we extend this into kinetic regime. Here phase-mixed, Gaussian Alfven pulses are studied, which are more appropriate for solar flares, than harmonic waves, as the flares are impulsive in nature. Collisionless, phase-mixed, dispersive, Gaussian Alfven pulse in transversely inhomogeneous plasma is investigated by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and by an analytical model. The pulse is in inertial regime with plasma beta less than electron-to-ion mass ratio and has a spatial width of 12 ion inertial length. The linear analytical model predicts that the pulse amplitude decrease is described by the linear Korteweg de Vries (KdV) equation. The numerical and analytical solution of the linear KdV equation produces the pulse amplitude decrease in time as $t^{-1}$. The latter scaling law is corroborated by full PIC simulations. It is shown that the pulse amplitude decrease is due to dispersive effects, while electron acceleration is due to Landau da

preprint2017arXiv

Diagnosing Coronal Heating Processes with Spectrally Resolved Soft X-ray Measurements

Decades of astrophysical observations have convincingly shown that soft X-ray (SXR; ~0.1--10 keV) emission provides unique diagnostics for the high temperature plasmas observed in solar flares and active regions. SXR observations critical for constraining models of energy release in these phenomena can be provided using instruments that have already been flown on sounding rockets and CubeSats, including miniaturized high-resolution photon-counting spectrometers and a novel diffractive spectral imager. These instruments have relatively low cost and high TRL, and would complement a wide range of mission concepts. In this white paper, we detail the scientific background and open questions motivating these instruments, the measurements required, and the instruments themselves that will make groundbreaking progress in answering these questions.

preprint2017arXiv

Deep learning for plasma tomography using the bolometer system at JET

Deep learning is having a profound impact in many fields, especially those that involve some form of image processing. Deep neural networks excel in turning an input image into a set of high-level features. On the other hand, tomography deals with the inverse problem of recreating an image from a number of projections. In plasma diagnostics, tomography aims at reconstructing the cross-section of the plasma from radiation measurements. This reconstruction can be computed with neural networks. However, previous attempts have focused on learning a parametric model of the plasma profile. In this work, we use a deep neural network to produce a full, pixel-by-pixel reconstruction of the plasma profile. For this purpose, we use the overview bolometer system at JET, and we introduce an up-convolutional network that has been trained and tested on a large set of sample tomograms. We show that this network is able to reproduce existing reconstructions with a high level of accuracy, as measured by several metrics.

preprint2016arXiv

Plasma-screening effects in the atrophysically relevant He-like and Li-like Mg and Fe ions

The effect of plasma environment on the atomic energy levels of He-like and Li-like Mg and Fe ions have been studied using Debye model. The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) and Fock-space coupled-cluster (FSCC) formalisms in the relativistic frame work have been adopted to describe the atomic states and the energy levels of the above plasma embedded ions. Salient features of these methods have been described to account the two electron screening effects through the Debye potentials. The two-body screening potential has been derived in the multipole expansion form to evaluate the reduced matrix elements in solving the equation of motion. Using this extended model, we have also predicted that quasi-degeneracy among the energy states having same principal quantum number ($n$) but different angular momentum ($l$) is slacken, whereas fine structure splitting is unaffected with increasing plasma strength. These knowledge are useful in estimatingradiative opacity, photoionization cross sections, line intensities, etc of the aforementioned astrophysical plasmas.

preprint2016arXiv

Intrinsic parallel rotation drive by electromagnetic ion temperature gradient turbulence

The quasilinear intrinsic parallel flow drive including parallel residual stress, kinetic stress, cross Maxwell stress and parallel turbulent acceleration by electromagnetic ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulence is calculated analytically using electromagnetic gyrokinetic theory. Both the kinetic stress and cross Maxwell stress also enter the mean parallel flow velocity equation via their divergence, as for the usual residual stress. The turbulent acceleration driven by ion pressure gradient along the total magnetic field (including equilibrium magnetic field and fluctuating radial magnetic field) cannot be written as a divergence of stress, and so should be treated as a local source/sink. All these terms can provide intrinsic parallel rotation drive. Electromagnetic effects reduce the non-resonant electrostatic stress force and even reverse it, but enhance the resonant stress force. Both the non-resonant and resonant turbulent acceleration terms are also enhanced by electromagnetic effects. The possible implications of our results for experimental observations are discussed.

preprint2005arXiv

Density fluctuations on mm and Mpc scales

We will in this paper report on suggestive similarities between density fluctuation power versus wavenumber on small (mm) and large (Mpc) scales. The small scale measurements were made in fusion plasmas and compared to predictions from classical fluid turbulence theory. The data is consistent with the dissipative range of 2D turbulence. Alternatively, the results can be fitted to a functional form that can not be explained by turbulence theory. The large scale measurements were part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy redshift examination. We found that the equations describing fusion plasmas also hold for the galaxy data. The comparable dependency of density fluctuation power on wavenumber in fusion plasmas and galaxies might indicate a common origin of these fluctuations.

preprint2016arXiv

Modulation and nonlinear evolution of multi-dimensional Langmuir wave envelopes in a relativistic plasma

The modulational instability (MI) and the evolution of weakly nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) Langmuir wave (LW) packets are studied in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma with weakly relativistic electron flow. By using a 2D self-consistent relativistic fluid model and employing the standard multiple-scale technique, a coupled set of Davey-Stewartson (DS)-like equations is derived which governs the slow modulation and the evolution of LW packets in relativistic plasmas. It is found that the relativistic effects favor the instability of LW envelopes in the kθ plane, where k is the wave number and θ the angle of modulation. It is also found that as the electron thermal velocity or θ increases, the growth rate of MI increases with cutoffs at higher wave numbers of modulation. Furthermore, in the nonlinear evolution of the DS-like equations, it is seen that with an effect of the relativistic flow, a Gaussian wave beam collapses in a finite time, and the collapse can be arrested when the effect of the thermal pressure or the relativistic flow is slightly relaxed. The present results may be useful to the MI and the formation of localized LW envelopes in cosmic plasmas with a relativisti

preprint2016arXiv

Observation of Weak Collapse in a Bose-Einstein Condensate

We study the collapse of an attractive atomic Bose-Einstein condensate prepared in the uniform potential of an optical-box trap. We characterise the critical point for collapse and the collapse dynamics, observing universal behaviour in agreement with theoretical expectations. Most importantly, we observe a clear experimental signature of the counterintuitive weak collapse, namely that making the system more unstable can result in a smaller particle loss. We experimentally determine the scaling laws that govern the weak-collapse atom loss, providing a benchmark for the general theories of nonlinear wave phenomena.

preprint2016arXiv

Turbulent dynamo in a conducting fluid and partially ionized gas

By following the Kazantsev theory and taking into account both microscopic and turbulent diffusion of magnetic fields, we develop a unified treatment of the kinematic and nonlinear stages of turbulent dynamo, and study the dynamo process for a full range of magnetic Prandtl number Pm and ionization fractions. We find a striking similarity between the dependence of dynamo behavior on Pm in a conducting fluid and R (a function of ionization fraction) in partially ionized gas. In a weakly ionized medium, the kinematic stage is largely extended, including not only exponential growth but a new regime of dynamo characterized by linear-in-time growth of magnetic field strength, and the resulting magnetic energy is much higher than the kinetic energy carried by viscous-scale eddies. Unlike the kinematic stage, the subsequent nonlinear stage is unaffected by microscopic diffusion processes and has a universal linear-in-time growth of magnetic energy with the growth rate as a constant fraction $3/38$ of the turbulent energy transfer rate, showing good agreement with earlier numerical results. Applying the analysis to the first stars and galaxies, we find that the kinematic stage is able to g

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