Momentum Space Diffusion from Spatially Amplified Waves in a Plasma in a Magnetic Field

Quasilinear equations for relativistic plasmas in external magnetic fields are derived for the case of spatially growing wave turbulence. This generalizes the well-known quasilinear approach to an amplifying relativistic plasma. The equations can be cast in condensed momentum-space diffusive form. The diffusion tensor is given. As a result an inhomogeneity is produced in the space charge distribution giving rise to the development of a second-order field-aligned dc electric field. A general formula for the electrostatic potential is presented, which is specialised to the case of ion-cyclotron turbulence. Here the field points out of the interaction region.     

3-D numerical analysis of EHD turbulent flow and mono-disperse charged particle transport and collection in a wire-plate ESP

The present study attempts to develop a detailed numerical approach and a simulation procedure to predict the motion of gas, ions and particles inside a simple parallel plate channel containing a single corona wire. A hybrid Finite Element (FEM)-Flux Corrected Transport (FCT)-Finite Volume (FVM) method is used: the FEM–FCT numerical algorithm is applied for modeling the steady-state corona discharge, while the turbulent gas flow and the particle motion under electrostatic forces are modeled using the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Calculations for the gas flow are carried out by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and turbulence is modeled using the k–? turbulence model. An additional source term is added to the gas flow equation to include the effect of the electric field, obtained by solving a coupled system of the electric field and charge transport equations using User-Defined Functions (UDFs). The particle phase is simulated based on the Lagrangian approach, where a large number of particles is traced with their motion affected by the gas flow and electrostatic forces using the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) in FLUENT. The developed model is useful to gain insight into the particle collection phenomena that take place inside an ESP.     

The global version of the gyrokinetic turbulence code GENE

The understanding and prediction of transport due to plasma microturbulence is a key open problem in modern plasma physics, and a grand challenge for fusion energy research. Ab initio simulations of such small-scale, low-frequency turbulence are to be based on the gyrokinetic equations, a set of nonlinear integro-differential equations in reduced (five-dimensional) phase space. In the present paper, the extension of the well-established and widely used gyrokinetic code GENE [F. Jenko, W. Dorland, M. Kotschenreuther, B.N. Rogers, Electron temperature gradient driven turbulence, Phys. Plasmas 7 (2000) 1904–1910] from a radially local to a radially global (nonlocal) version is described. The necessary modifications of both the basic equations and the employed numerical methods are detailed, including, e.g., the change from spectral methods to finite difference and interpolation techniques in the radial direction and the implementation of sources and sinks. In addition, code verification studies and benchmarks are presented.     

Solving the 3D MHD equilibrium equations in toroidal geometry by Newton’s method

We describe a novel form of Newton’s method for computing 3D MHD equilibria. The method has been implemented as an extension to the hybrid spectral/finite-difference Princeton Iterative Equilibrium Solver (PIES) which normally uses Picard iteration on the full nonlinear MHD equilibrium equations. Computing the Newton functional derivative numerically is not feasible in a code of this type but we are able to do the calculation analytically in magnetic coordinates by considering the response of the plasma’s Pfirsch–Schlüter currents to small changes in the magnetic field. Results demonstrate a significant advantage over Picard iteration in many cases, including simple finite-β stellarator equilibria. The method shows promise in cases that are difficult for Picard iteration, although it is sensitive to resolution and imperfections in the magnetic coordinates, and further work is required to adapt it to the presence of magnetic islands and stochastic regions.     

An unstaggered constrained transport method for the 3D ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations

Numerical methods for solving the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in more than one space dimension must either confront the challenge of controlling errors in the discrete divergence of the magnetic field, or else be faced with nonlinear numerical instabilities. One approach for controlling the discrete divergence is through a so-called constrained transport method, which is based on first predicting a magnetic field through a standard finite volume solver, and then correcting this field through the appropriate use of a magnetic vector potential. In this work we develop a constrained transport method for the 3D ideal MHD equations that is based on a high-resolution wave propagation scheme. Our proposed scheme is the 3D extension of the 2D scheme developed by Rossmanith [J.A. Rossmanith, An unstaggered, high-resolution constrained transport method for magnetohydrodynamic flows, SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 28 (2006) 1766], and is based on the high-resolution wave propagation method of Langseth and LeVeque [J.O. Langseth, R.J. LeVeque, A wave propagation method for threedimensional hyperbolic conservation laws, J. Comput. Phys. 165 (2000) 126]. In particular, in our extension we take great care to maintain the three most important properties of the 2D scheme: (1) all quantities, including all components of the magnetic field and magnetic potential, are treated as cell-centered; (2) we develop a high-resolution wave propagation scheme for evolving the magnetic potential; and (3) we develop a wave limiting approach that is applied during the vector potential evolution, which controls unphysical oscillations in the magnetic field. One of the key numerical difficulties that is novel to 3D is that the transport equation that must be solved for the magnetic vector potential is only weakly hyperbolic. In presenting our numerical algorithm we describe how to numerically handle this problem of weak hyperbolicity, as well as how to choose an appropriate gauge condition. The resulting scheme is applied to several numerical test cases.     

Qualitative comparison between numerical and experimental results of unsteady flow in a radial diffuser pump

Comparison between numerical simulation and experimental results for unsteady flow field in a radial diffuser pump is presented for the design operating point. The numerical result is obtained by solving three-dimensional, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations by the commercial CFD code CFX-10 withk-ω based shear stress transport turbulence model. Two-dimensional PIV measurements are conducted to acquire the experiment result. The phase-averaged velocity and turbulent kinetic energy fields are compared in detail between the results by the two methods in the impeller, diffuser and return channel regions. The qualitative comparison between CFD and PIV results is quite good in the phase-averaged velocity field. Although the turbulence level by PIV is higher than that by CFD generally, the main turbulence features are nearly the same. Furthermore, the blade orientation effect and other associated unsteady phenomena are also examined, in order to enhance the understanding on impeller-diffuser interaction in a radial diffuser pump.     

Internal transport barriers in plasmas with reversed plasma flow

Evidences of internal particle transport barriers have been observed in plasma discharges with reversed plasma flow. To investigate the influence of the radial electric field profile on these barriers, we apply a drift wave map that describe the plasma particle transport and allows the integration of particle drift in the presence of a given electrostatic turbulence spectrum. With this procedure we show that transport barriers due to the shearless flow invariant lines are created inside the plasma. Moreover, by varying the radial electric field profile, we observe the formation and destruction of internal transport barriers constituted by shearless invariant lines, as well as its effects on the transport in the map's phase space. Applicability of our results are discussed for the Texas Helimak, a toroidal plasma device in which the radial electric field can be changed by application of bias potential.     

再入尾迹湍流对雷达散射截面影响分析

通过探讨高超声速再入湍流尾迹等离子体场中电磁波的散射机制,推导出在工程上描述湍流亚密等离子体雷达散射的一阶畸变波Born近似模型,分析了该模型在充分发展湍流尾迹等离子体场中的适用性,完成了适用于三维尾迹等离子体场的程序设计.以已有的湍流尾迹等离子体流场数据为基础,分析了再入尾迹湍流等离子体流动对雷达散射截面的影响.选取考察的几个有代表性的因素为:湍流模型、转捩过程、湍流尺度、电子组分脉动初始条件等.由结果可以看到,湍流转捩过程和湍流尺度对雷达散射截面值影响不大;电子组份脉动强度初始值影响较明显;湍流模型在特定条件下影响亦不大.     

A robust numerical scheme for highly compressible magnetohydrodynamics: Nonlinear stability,implementation and tests

The ideal MHD equations are a central model in astrophysics, and their solution relies upon stable numerical schemes. We present an implementation of a new method, which possesses excellent stability properties. Numerical tests demonstrate that the theoretical stability properties are valid in practice with negligible compromises to accuracy. The result is a highly robust scheme with state-of-the-art efficiency. The scheme’s robustness is due to entropy stability, positivity and properly discretised Powell terms. The implementation takes the form of a modification of the MHD module in the FLASH code, an adaptive mesh refinement code. We compare the new scheme with the standard FLASH implementation for MHD. Results show comparable accuracy to standard FLASH with the Roe solver, but highly improved efficiency and stability, particularly for high Mach number flows and low plasma β. The tests include 1D shock tubes, 2D instabilities and highly supersonic, 3D turbulence. We consider turbulent flows with RMS sonic Mach numbers up to 10, typical of gas flows in the interstellar medium. We investigate both strong initial magnetic fields and magnetic field amplification by the turbulent dynamo from extremely high plasma β. The energy spectra show a reasonable decrease in dissipation with grid refinement, and at a resolution of 512³ grid cells we identify a narrow inertial range with the expected power law scaling. The turbulent dynamo exhibits exponential growth of magnetic pressure, with the growth rate higher from solenoidal forcing than from compressive forcing. Two versions of the new scheme are presented, using relaxation-based 3-wave and 5-wave approximate Riemann solvers, respectively. The 5-wave solver is more accurate in some cases, and its computational cost is close to the 3-wave solver.     

三维中子-光子输运的蒙特卡罗程序MCMG

三维中子-光子输运蒙特卡罗程序MCMG发展了针对物质的碰撞机制,几何块、几何面动态可扩展, 随机数周期进一步扩大到261。可进行多群-连续截面耦合计算,多群散射展开到P5,并考虑了中子上散射,程序配备了通用和专用多群截面库。MCMG模拟取得了与MCNP程序和实验一致的结果,串行计算速度较MCNP快2~4倍,可进行上万处理器核的并行计算。     

On higher derivatives in 3D gravity and higher-spin gauge theories

The general second-order massive field equations for arbitrary positive integer spin in three spacetime dimensions, and their “self-dual” limit to first-order equations, are shown to be equivalent to gauge-invariant higher-derivative field equations. We recover most known equivalences for spins 1 and 2, and find some new ones. In particular, we find a non-unitary massive 3D gravity theory with a 5th order term obtained by contraction of the Ricci and Cotton tensors; this term is part of an N=2 super-invariant that includes the “extended Chern-Simons” term of 3D electrodynamics. We also find a new unitary 6th order gauge theory for “self-dual” spin 3.     

Cyclokinetic models and simulations for high-frequency turbulence in fusion plasmas

Gyrokinetics is widely applied in plasma physics. However, this framework is limited to weak turbulence levels and low drift-wave frequencies because high-frequency gyro-motion is reduced by the gyro-phase averaging. In order to test where gyrokinetics breaks down, Waltz and Zhao developed a new theory, called cyclokinetics [R. E. Waltz and Zhao Deng, Phys. Plasmas 20, 012507 (2013)]. Cyclokinetics dynamically follows the high-frequency ion gyro-motion which is nonlinearly coupled to the low-frequency drift-waves interrupting and suppressing gyro-averaging. Cyclokinetics is valid in the high-frequency (ion cyclotron frequency) regime or for high turbulence levels. The ratio of the cyclokinetic perturbed distribution function over equilibrium distribution function δf/F can approach 1.This work presents, for the first time, a numerical simulation of nonlinear cyclokinetic theory for ions, and describes the first attempt to completely solve the ion gyro-phase motion in a nonlinear turbulence system. Simulations are performed [Zhao Deng and R. E. Waltz, Phys. Plasmas 22(5), 056101 (2015)] in a local flux-tube geometry with the parallel motion and variation suppressed by using a newly developed code named rCYCLO, which is executed in parallel by using an implicit time-advanced Eulerian (or continuum) scheme [Zhao Deng and R. E. Waltz, Comp. Phys. Comm. 195, 23 (2015)]. A novel numerical treatment of the magnetic moment velocity space derivative operator guarantee saccurate conservation of incremental entropy.By comparing the more fundamental cyclokinetic simulations with the corresponding gyrokinetic simulations, the gyrokinetics breakdown condition is quantitatively tested. Gyrokinetic transport and turbulence level recover those of cyclokinetics at high relative ion cyclotron frequencies and low turbulence levels, as required. Cyclokinetic transport and turbulence level are found to be lower than those of gyrokinetics at high turbulence levels and low-Ω* values with stable ion cyclotron modes. The gyrokinetic approximation is found to break down when the density perturbation exceeds 20%, or when the ratio of nonlinear E×B frequency over ion cyclotron frequency exceeds 20%. This result indicates that the density perturbation of the Tokamak L-mode near-edge is not sufficiently large for breaking the gyro-phase averaging. For cyclokinetic simulations with sufficiently unstable ion cyclotron (IC) modes and sufficiently low Ω* ～10, the high-frequency component of the cyclokinetic transport can exceed that of the gyrokinetic transport. However, the low-frequency component of the cyclokinetic transport does not exceed that of the gyrokinetic transport. For higher and more physically relevant Ω* ?50 values and physically realistic IC driving rates, the low-frequency component of the cyclokinetic transport remains smaller than that of the gyrokinetic transport. In conclusion, the “L-mode near-edge short-fall” phenomenon, observed in some low-frequency gyrokinetic turbulence transport simulations, does not arise owing to the nonlinear coupling of high-frequency ion cyclotron motion to low-frequency drift motion.     

Nondiffusive transport in tokamaks: three-dimensional structure of bursts and the role of zonal flows

Large scale transport events are studied in simulations of resistive ballooning turbulence in a tokamak plasma. The spatial structure of the turbulent flux is analyzed, indicating radially elongated structures (streamers) at the low field side which are distorted by magnetic shear at different toroidal positions. The interplay between self-generated zonal flows and transport events is investigated, resulting in significant modifications of the frequency and the amplitude of bursts. The propagation of bursts is studied in the presence of a transport barrier generated by a strong shear flow.     

FOI-PERFECT程序对电磁驱动高能量密度系统的三维弛豫磁流体力学模拟

提出一个完整的弛豫磁流体力学模型用于电磁驱动高能量密度系统的数值模拟, 它由弛豫电磁波动、弛豫热输运、P1/3近似辐射输运以及流体力学构成。电磁部分在真空区退化为电磁传播, 在等离子体物质区退化为磁扩散近似, 并且相速和群速是有上界的。这意味着弛豫磁流体力学能退化到传统的电阻性磁流体力学, 并且能用显式方法数值求解, 便于大规模高效并行化。基于此弛豫磁流体力学模型开发了三维辐射磁流体力学程序FOI-PERFECT, 指出了所采用的关键数值技术, 并给出了一些应用例子。     

MHD unstable modes in the 3D evolution of 2D MHD structures and the diminished role of coalescence instabilities

The coalescence instability is a widely studied, two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic process by which magnetic islands can merge at growth rates exceeding those of the resistive instability. We present three-dimensional numerical simulations which indicate that, under a broad range of conditions, the coalescence instability will not significantly affect the evolution of a magnetofluid because it is overwhelmed by three-dimensional dynamics. The new 3D unstable modes are ideal. They exhibit fast growth at short wavelengths, a desirable feature for transitioning to turbulence. At long times the system is dominated by structure aligned with the large scale magnetic field, contrary to what is expected as a result of coalescence.     

靶与光斑尺寸对激光冲量影响的数值模拟

采用二维雷诺平均N-S方程,数值模拟研究了大气条件下短脉冲激光与固体靶相互作用所产生等离子体的动力学过程。采用k-ε两方程模型用于湍流的数值模拟,分别利用ROE格式和二阶中心格式对对流通量和粘性通量进行离散处理;用高斯-赛德尔隐式格式对方程进行时间推进求解。数值模拟给出了激光引发靶蒸气等离子体侧向膨胀、稀疏等二维流体动力学过程的物理图像,讨论了靶与光斑尺寸对脉冲激光冲量的影响。结果表明,不同宽度固体靶受到的激光冲量有很大差异,固体靶宽度越大,受到的激光冲量也越大。     

Density fluctuation spectrum in whistler turbulence

We develop a nonlinear two-dimensional fluid model of whistler turbulence that includes effect of electron fluid density perturbations. The latter is coupled nonlinearly with wave magnetic field. This coupling leads essentially to finite compressibility effects in whistler turbulence model. We find from our simulations that despite strong compressibility effects, the density fluctuations follow the evolution of the wave magnetic field fluctuations. In a characteristic regime where large scale whistlers are predominant, the coupled density fluctuations are found to follow a Kolmogorov-like phenomenology in the inertial range turbulence. Consequently, the turbulent energy is dominated by the large scale (compared to electron inertial length) eddies and it follows a Kolmogorov-like k−7/3 spectrum, where k is a characteristic wavenumber.     

3维并行全电磁粒子模拟软件UNIPIC-3D

介绍了自行研制的3维并行全电磁粒子模拟软件UNIPIC-3D。在该软件中,电磁场量用二阶精度的时域有限差分方法迭代,粒子用相对论牛顿-洛仑兹力方程推进。该软件拥有复杂器件的几何建模和网格自动剖分的功能,具有模拟相对论返波管、虚阴极振荡器、磁绝缘线振荡器等高功率微波器件的能力。且该软件具有强大的后处理功能,可以显示电场、磁场、电流、电压、功率、频谱、粒子相空间等。在高性能并行计算机上对软件的并行效率进行了测试。通过与2.5维UNIPIC软件的结果进行比较,验证了UNIPIC-3D软件的正确性。     

3维全电磁粒子模拟大规模并行程序NEPTUNE

 介绍了自主编制的3维全电磁粒子模拟大规模并行程序NEPTUNE的基本情况。该程序具备对多种典型高功率微波源器件的3维模拟能力,可以在数百乃至上千个CPU上稳定运行。该程序使用时域有限差分(FDTD)方法更新计算电磁场,采用Buneman-Boris算法更新粒子运动状态,运用质点网格法（PIC）处理粒子与电磁场的耦合关系,最后利用Boris方法求解泊松方程对电场散度进行修正,以确保计算精度。该程序初步具备复杂几何结构建模能力,可以对典型高功率微波器件中常见的一些复杂结构,如任意边界形状的轴对称几何体、正交投影面几何体,慢波结构、耦合孔洞、金属线和曲面薄膜等进行几何建模。该程序将理想导体边界、外加波边界、粒子发射与吸收边界及完全匹配层边界等物理边界应用于几何边界上,实现了数值计算的封闭求解。最后以算例的形式,介绍了使用NEPTUNE程序对磁绝缘线振荡器、相对论返波管、虚阴极振荡器及相对论速调管等典型高功率微波源器件进行的模拟计算情况,验证了模拟计算结果的可靠性,同时给出了并行效率的分布情况。