Dynamics of fully nonlinear drift wave-zonal flow turbulence system in plasmas

We present numerical simulations of fully nonlinear drift wave-zonal flow (DW-ZF) turbulence systems in a nonuniform magnetoplasma. In our model, the drift wave (DW) dynamics is pseudo-three-dimensional (pseudo-3D) and accounts for self-interactions among finite amplitude DWs and their coupling to the two-dimensional (2D) large amplitude zonal flows (ZFs). The dynamics of the 2D ZFs in the presence of the Reynolds stress of the pseudo-3D DWs is governed by the driven Euler equation. Numerical simulations of the fully nonlinear coupled DW-ZF equations reveal that short scale DW turbulence leads to nonlinear saturated dipolar vortices, whereas the ZF sets in spontaneously and is dominated by a monopolar vortex structure. The ZFs are found to suppress the cross-field turbulent particle transport. The present results provide a better model for understanding the coexistence of short and large scale coherent structures, as well as associated subdued cross-field particle transport in magnetically confined fusion plasmas.     

Cascade generation of zonal flows by the drift wave turbulence

The purpose of this research is to investigate the formation of zonal flows that can lead to the enhanced confinement of plasma in tokamaks. We show that zonal flows can be effectively formed by resonance triad interactions in the process of the inverse cascade. We discuss what energy sources are more effective for the formation of zonal flows.     

Effect of collisional zonal-flow damping on flux-driven turbulent transport

The effect of collisional damping of zonal flows (ZFs) on ion-temperature gradient (ITG) driven turbulence in a toroidal plasma is investigated by means of a 3D global fluid model with flux boundary conditions. Results from simulations show an increase of the energy confinement time and a stabilization of turbulence with the inverse of the collisionality nu(*). The stabilization mechanism is identified as an effect of the increased shearing rate of ZFs, which shift upwards the ITG turbulence effective threshold. The shearing rate of ZFs is also seen to depend on the injected power. As a consequence, the effective heat conductivity depends parametrically on the input power.     

Out-of-plane bipolar and quadrupolar magnetic fields generated by shear flows in two-dimensional resistive reconnection

Shear flows perpendicular to the anti-parallel reconnecting magnetic field are often observed in magnetosphere and interplanetary plasmas, and in laboratory plasmas toroidal differential rotations can also be generated in magnetic confinement devices. Our study finds that such shear flows can generate bipolar or quadrupolar out-of-plane magnetic field perturbations in a two-dimensional resistive MHD reconnection without the Hall effects. The quadrupolar structure has otherwise been thought a typical Hall MHD reconnection feature caused by the in-plane electron convection. The results will challenge the conventional understanding and satellite observations of the signature of reconnection evidences in space plasmas.     

Parallel velocity shear driven electrostatic waves in a very dense nonuniform magnetoplasma

It is shown that the parallel (magnetic field-aligned) velocity shear can drive the low-frequency (in comparison with the ion gyrofrequency) electrostatic (LF-ES) waves in an ultracold super-dense nonuniform magnetoplasma. By using an electron density response arising from the balance between the electrostatic and quantum Bohm forces, as well as the ion density response deduced from the continuity and momentum equations, a wave equation for the LF-ES waves is derived. In the local approximation, a new dispersion relation is obtained by Fourier transforming the wave equation. The dispersion relation reveals an oscillatory instability of dispersive drift-like modes in super-dense quantum magnetoplasmas.     

Enhancement of the guide field during the current sheet formation in the three-dimensional magnetic configuration with an X line

Results are presented from studies of the formation of current sheets during exciting a current aligned with the X line of the 3D magnetic configuration, in the CS-3D device. Enhancement of the guide field (parallel to the X line) was directly observed for the first time, on the basis of magnetic measurements. After the current sheet formation, the guide field inside the sheet exceeds its initial value, as well as the field outside. It is convincingly demonstrated that an enhancement of the guide field is due to its transportation by plasma flows on the early stage of the sheet formation. The in-plane plasma currents, which produce the excess guide field, are comparable to the total current along the X line that initiates the sheet itself.     

Electrostatic solitons in unmagnetized hot electron-positron-ion plasmas

Linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves in unmagnetized electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasmas are studied. The electrons and positrons are assumed to be isothermal and dynamic while ions are considered to be stationary to neutralize the plasma background only. It is found that both upper (fast) and lower (slow) Langmuir waves can propagates in such a type of pair (e-p) plasma in the presence of ions. The small amplitude electrostatic Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) solitons are also obtained using reductive perturbation method. The electrostatic potential hump structures are found to exist when the temperature of the electrons is larger than the positrons, while the electrostatic potential dips are obtained in the reverse temperature conditions for electrons and positrons in e-p-i plasmas. The numerical results are also shown for illustration. The effects of different ion concentration and temperature ratios of electrons and positrons, on the formation of nonlinear electrostatic potential structures in e-p-i plasmas are also discussed.     

Ion acceleration by the space charge electric force arising from the radiation pressure in a magnetized electron–positron plasma

It is shown that ions can be accelerated by the space charge electric force arising from the separation of electrons and positrons due to the ponderomotive force of the magnetic field-aligned circularly polarized electromagnetic (CPEM) wave in a magnetized electron–positron–ion plasma. The ion acceleration critically depends on the external magnetic field strength. The result is useful in understanding differential ion acceleration in magnetized electron–positron–ion plasmas, such as those in magnetars and in some laboratory experiments that aim to mimic astrophysical environments.     

Zonal flows, GAM, and radial electric field in the H-1 heliac

Experimental results on the role of zonal flows and geodesic acoustic modes in formation of transport barriers in the H-1 heliac are reviewed. Presented at the Workshop “Electric Fields, Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas”, Roma, Italy, June 26–27, 2006.     

A DC probe diagnostics for fast electron temperature measurements in tokamak edge plasmas

The tunnel probe is a new kind of Langmuir probe for use in the tokamak scrape-off layer. It provides simultaneous measurements of electron temperature and parallel ion current density with high frequency at the same point in space. We describe ongoing work to characterize the ion flows within the probe, and to calibrate the diagnostics using 2D kinetic simulations. Presented at 5th Workshop “Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement and Exhaust”, Montreus, Seitzerland, June 23–24, 2002.     

Observation of Fishbone-Like Instabilities Excited by Energetic Electrons on the HL-2A Tokamak

Strong burst of an internal kink mode is observed on the HL-2A tokamak. Features of the fishbone-like mode are presented. The fishbone-like instabihties can be driven during electron cyclotron resonance heating （ECRH） and can be excited on the high field side （HFS） by ECRH. It is found for the first time that the modes also present themselves on the low field side （LFS） during ECRH. Experiments show that the energetic electrons with energy of 35-70 keV play a dominant role in the excitation mechanism, and the experimental results are also consistent with our calculation ones.     

Equilibrium of a gravitating plasma in a dipolar magnetic field

The equilibria of plasma in a dipolar magnetic field under the gravitational influence of a massive body (a star or black hole) and a self gravitating plasma are considered. Analytical solutions are found that can be useful for understanding the physics of plasma flows in accretion disks and star formation.     

Effect of scalar nonlinearity on zonal flow generation by Rossby waves

Effects of scalar nonlinearity on the generation of zonal flow by Rossby waves in shallow rotating fluid are considered. Zonal flows are generated via the action of Reynolds stress due to vector nonlinearity together with the effects of scalar nonlinearity. It is shown that the scalar nonlinearity reduces the amplitude threshold of the zonal flow instability. In addition, it increases the range of wave vectors of unstable modes subjected to the instability. The growth rate of the instability as a function of the spectrum of primary waves is calculated. The spectrum is assumed to be arbitrary with emphasizing the case of two monochromatic waves.     

Dust-acoustic solitary waves in an adiabatic hot dusty plasma

An adiabatic hot dusty plasma (containing non-inertial adiabatic electron and ion fluids, and negatively charged inertial adiabatic dust fluid) is considered. The basic properties of arbitrary amplitude dust-acoustic (DA) solitary waves, which exist in such an adiabatic hot dusty plasma, are explicitly examined by the pseudo-potential approach. To compare the basic properties (critical Mach number, amplitude and width) of the DA solitary waves observed in a dusty plasma containing adiabatic electron, ion and dust fluids with those observed in a dusty plasma containing isothermal electron and ion fluids and adiabatic dust fluid, it has been found that the adiabatic effect of inertia-less electron and ion fluids has significantly modified the basic properties of the DA solitary waves, and that on the basic properties of the DA solitary waves, the adiabatic effect of electron and ion fluids is much more significant than that of the dust fluid.     

Nonlinear interactions between drift waves and zonal flows

Phase coherent interactions between drift waves and zonal flows are considered. For this purpose, mode coupling equations are derived by using a two-fluid model and the guiding center drifts. The equations are then Fourier analyzed to deduce the nonlinear dispersion relations. The latter depict the excitation of zonal flows due to the ponderomotive forces of drift waves. The flute-like zonal flows with insignificant density fluctuations have faster growth rates than those which have a finite wavelength along the magnetic field direction. The relevance of our investigation to drift wave driven zonal flows in computer simulations and laboratory plasmas is discussed. Received 5 April 2002 Published online 28 June 2002     

Excitation of multiple wakefields by short laser pulses in quantum plasmas

We present a theoretical investigation of the excitation of multiple electrostatic wakefields by the ponderomotive force of a short electromagnetic pulse propagating through a dense plasma. It is found that the inclusion of the quantum statistical pressure and quantum electron tunneling effects can qualitatively change the classical behavior of the wakefield. In addition to the well-known plasma oscillation wakefield, with a wavelength of the order of the electron skin depth (λe=c/ωpe, which in a dense plasma is of the order of several nanometers, where c is the speed of light in vacuum and ωpe is the electron plasma frequency), wakefields in dense plasmas with a shorter wavelength (in comparison with λe) are also excited. The wakefields can trap electrons and accelerate them to extremely high energies over nanoscales.     

Reply to: “Comment on: ‘Spherical Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation and nebulons for dust ion-acoustic waves with symbolic computation’ ” [Phys. Lett. A 361 (2007) 520]

Dusty plasmas exist almost everywhere in the Universe and relevant nonlinear studies are encouragingly going to non-planar geometry. On our recent construction of a spherical Kadomtsev–Petviashvili model for the dust-ion-acoustic waves in a cosmic dusty plasma [B. Tian, Y.-T. Gao, Phys. Lett. A 340 (2005) 243], Hong [W.P. Hong, Phys. Lett. A (2006), doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2006.11.021, in press] comments that certain interesting coordinate transformations exist, with presentation of a transformed equation (TE) and nebulon solutions. In this Reply, we point out that the TE is valuable to the studies on both cosmic plasmas and applied mathematics. We obtain an auto-Bäcklund transformation on the TE and more general nebulons. With series of pictures, we discuss nebulon structures out of the TE, and address that there are cosmic plasma systems for which the TE is valid. We remove a constraint set in that Comment so that the TE can be useful for the Saturn-F-ring-typed dusty plasmas as well.     

Comment on: “Spherical Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation and nebulons for dust ion-acoustic waves with symbolic computation” [Phys. Lett. A 340 (2005) 243]

Tian and Gao [B. Tian, Y.T. Gao, Phys. Lett. A 340 (2005) 243] have recently constructed a spherical Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation for the dust-ion-acoustic waves with zenith-angle perturbation in a cosmic dusty plasma, and symbolically obtained and discussed spherical structures of the expanding dark, shrinking dark, expanding bright and shrinking bright nebulons. In this Comment, we point out that certain simple coordinate transformations exist, which make the analytic nebulon solutions more easily accessible. We also show that the transformed solutions can result in a couple of nebulon solutions in addition to the second-order nebulons found by Tian and Gao.     

On the existence of ion-acoustic solitary waves in a gravitating dusty plasma having charge fluctuation

Theoretical investigation on the propagation of ion-acoustic waves in an unmagnetized self-gravitating plasma has been made for the existence of solitary waves using the reductive perturbation method. It is observed that nonlinear excitations follow a coupled third-order partial differential equation which is slightly different from the usual case of coupled Korteweg-de Vries (K-dV) system. It appears that the system so deduced is a two-component generalization of the previous one derived by Paul et al. (1999) in which it was shown that ion-acoustic solitary waves can not exist in such system.