Kinetic theory of instabilities responsible for magnetic turbulence in laboratory rotating plasma

The problem of instabilities responsible for magnetic turbulence in collisionless laboratory rotating plasma is investigated. It is shown that the standard mechanism of driving the magnetorotational instability (MRI), due to negative rotation frequency gradient, disappears in such a plasma. Instead of it, a new driving mechanism due to plasma pressure gradient is predicted.     

Anisotropic emission in laser-produced aluminum plasma in ambient nitrogen

We report on the dynamical expansion of pulsed laser ablation of aluminum in ambient pressure of nitrogen using images of the expanding plasma. The plasma follows shock model at pressures of 0.1 Torr and drag model at 70 Torr, respectively, with incident laser energy of 265 mJ. The plasma expansion shows unstable boundaries at 70 Torr and is attributed to Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The growth time of Rayleigh-Taylor instability is estimated between 0.09 and 4 μs when the pressure is varied from 1 to 70 Torr. The pressure gradients at the plasma-gas interface gives rise to self-generated magnetic field and is estimated to be 26 kG at 1 Torr ambient pressure using the image of the expanding plasma near the focal spot. The varying degree of polarization of Al III transition 4s ²S_1/2-4p ²P°_3/2 at 569.6 nm gives rise to anisotropic emission and is attributed to the self-generated magnetic field that results in the splitting of the energy levels and subsequent recombination of plasma leading to the population imbalance.     

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.     

Reflection of Electromagnetic Waves by a Nonuniform Plasma Layer Covering a Metal Surface

Reflection coefficients of electromagnetic waves in a nonuniform plasma layer with electrons, positive ions and negative ions, covering a metal surface are investigated by using the finite-difference-time-domMn method. It is shown that the reflection coemcients are influenced greatly by the density gradient on the layer edge, layer thickness and electron proportion, i.e., the effect of the negative ions. It is also found that low reflection or high attenuation can be reached by properly choosing high electron proportion, thick plasma layer, and smooth density gradient in the low frequency regime, but sharp density gradient in the high frequency regime.     

Fast magnetization in counterstreaming plasmas with temperature anisotropies

Counterstreaming plasmas exhibits an electromagnetic unstable mode of filamentation type, which is responsible for the magnetization of plasma system. It is shown that filamentation instability becomes significantly faster when plasma is hotter in the streaming direction. This is relevant for astrophysical sources, where strong magnetic fields are expected to exist and explain the nothermal emission observed.     

Drift ion acoustic solitons in an inhomogeneous 2-D quantum magnetoplasma

Linear and nonlinear propagation characteristics of quantum drift ion acoustic waves are investigated in an inhomogeneous two-dimensional plasma employing the quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) model. In this regard, the dispersion relation of the drift ion acoustic waves is derived and limiting cases are discussed. In order to study the drift ion acoustic solitons, nonlinear quantum Kadomstev-Petviashvilli (KP) equation in an inhomogeneous quantum plasma is derived using the drift approximation. The solution of quantum KP equation using the tangent hyperbolic (tanh) method is also presented. The variation of the soliton with the quantum Bohm potential, the ratio of drift to soliton velocity in the co-moving frame, , and the increasing magnetic field are also investigated. It is found that the increasing number density decreases the amplitude of the soliton. It is also shown that the fast drift soliton (i.e., v_*>u) decreases whereas the slow drift soliton (i.e., v_*<u) increases the amplitude of the soliton. Finally, it is shown that the increasing magnetic field increases the amplitude of the quantum drift ion acoustic soliton. The stability of the quantum KP equation is also investigated. The relevance of the present investigation in dense astrophysical environments is also pointed out.     

Coexistence of positive and negative solitary potential structures in dusty plasma

A dusty plasma system consisting of electrons, ions, and negative as well as positive dust particles has been considered. The basic properties of arbitrary amplitude solitary potential structures that may exist in such a multi-component dusty plasma have been theoretically investigated by the pseudo-potential approach. It has been found that the presence of additional positive dust component does not only significantly modify the basic properties of solitary potential structures, but also causes the coexistence of positive and negative solitary potential structures, which is a completely new feature shown in a dusty plasma with dust of opposite polarity.     

Ultra-low-frequency electrostatic and electromagnetic modes in self-gravitating magnetized dusty plasmas

A theoretical investigation has been made of ultra-low-frequency dust-electrostatic and dust-electromagnetic modes, propagating perpendicular to the external magnetic field, in a self-gravitating, warm, magnetized, two fluid dusty plasma system. It has been shown that the effects of self-gravitational field and dust thermal pressure significantly modify the dispersion properties of these ultra-low-frequency dust-modes. It is also found that under certain conditions, the self-gravitational effect can destabilize these ultra-low-frequency dust-electrostatic and dust-electromagnetic modes. However, the effects of the external magnetic field and dust and ion thermal pressures are found to play stabilizing role, i.e., these effects make these modes stable and counter the gravitational condensation of the dust grains. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially, to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. Received 16 December 1999     

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.     

Nonlinear generation of zonal flows by ion-acoustic waves in a uniform magnetoplasma

It is shown that large-scale zonal flows (ZFs) can be excited by Reynolds stress of nonlinearly interacting random phase ion-acoustic waves (EIAWs) in a uniform magnetoplasma. Since ZFs are associated with poloidal sheared flows, they can tear apart short scale EIAW turbulence eddies, and hence contribute to the reduction of the cross-field turbulent transport in a magnetized plasma.     

Multiple polarization of geodesic curvature induced modes

Dispersion relations for geodesic acoustic modes are derived by using the Grad hydrodynamic equations thereby reconciling long known but not previously explained discrepancy between the results of kinetic and fluid calculations. Extended fluid theory allows a simple analysis of mode polarization and coupling. A new type of electromagnetic modes induced by geodesic compressibility is predicted. These modes are related to Alfvén and geodesic acoustic modes. While a standard geodesic acoustic mode involves poloidally and toroidally symmetric perturbations of electrostatic potential (m=n=0) and the first poloidal side-bands of plasma pressure, new modes involve side-bands of the electrostatic and vector potential as well as pressure perturbations at zeroth and second harmonics. It is shown that there exist two different values of the adiabatic constant depending on the mode polarization. Both standard (electrostatic) geodesic acoustic modes and new electromagnetic modes involve finite perturbations of parallel viscosity, which modify an effective adiabatic (compressibility) index for a toroidal plasma.     

Dissipative instability under weak beam-plasma coupling in finite magnetic field

Beam-plasma interaction is considered in a model of plasma microwave generator: cylindrical waveguide with thin annular plasma and spatially separated thin annular e-beam. Finite external longitudinal magnetic field and dissipation are assumed. Such a configuration is favorable to trigger a new type of dissipative beam instability with more critical, as compared to conventional, inverse proportional dependence of the growth rate on the dissipation.     

Numerical Simulation on Expansion Process of Ablation Plasma Induced by Intense Pulsed Ion Beam

We present a one-dimensional time-dependent numerical model for the expansion process of ablation plasma induced by intense pulsed ion beam （IPIB）. The evolutions of density, velocity, temperature, and pressure of the ablation plasma of the aluminium target are obtained. The numerical results are well in agreement with the relative experimental data. It is shown that the expansion process of ablation plasma induced by IPIB includes strongly nonlinear effects and that shock waves appear during the propagation of the ablation plasma.     

Effect of excavated trapped electron distributions on ion-acoustic solitary structures in an electron-positron-ion plasma

Fully nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized electron-positron-ion plasma is investigated. A more realistic situation is considered in which electrons interact with the wave potential during its evolution and, follow the vortex-like excavated trapped distribution. The basic properties of large amplitude solitary waves are studied by deriving an energy integral equation involving Sagdeev potential. It is shown that effects of such electron behavior and positron concentration change the maximum values of the Mach number and amplitude for which solitary waves can exist. The small amplitude limit is also investigated by expanding the Sagdeev potential to include third-order nonlinearity of electric potential. In this case, exact analytical solution is obtained which is related to the contribution of the resonant electron to the electron density. It is shown from both highly and weakly nonlinear analysis that the plasma system under consideration supports only compressive solitary waves.     

Localized plasmons in quantum plasmas

We consider the nonlinear interactions between finite amplitude electron and ion plasma oscillations in a fermionic quantum plasma. Accounting for the quantum statistical electron pressure and the quantum Bohm potential, we derive a set of coupled nonlinear equations that govern the dynamics of modulated electron plasma oscillations (EPOs) in the presence of the nonlinear ion oscillations (NLIOs). We numerically study stationary solutions of our coupled nonlinear equations. We find that the quantum parameter H (equal to the ratio between the plasmonic and electron Fermi energy densities) introduces new features to the electron density and electric potential humps of localized NLIOs in the absence of EPOs. Furthermore, the nonlinear coupling between the EPOs and NLIOs gives rise to a new class of envelope solitons composed of bell shaped electric field envelope of the EPOs, which are trapped in the electron density hole (and an associated negative oscillatory electric potential) that is produced by the ponderomotive force of the EPOs. The knowledge of the localized plasmonic structures is of immense value for interpreting experimental observations in dense quantum plasmas.     

Mechanism of neoclassical tearing modes triggering by a magnetic perturbation

A new mechanism whereby Neoclassical Tearing Modes (NTMs) can be triggered through toroidal mode coupling to a magnetic perturbation is proposed. The physical picture is the presence of a relatively small “pre-NTM” magnetic island whose frequency is modified by the perturbation, changing polarization current effects from stabilizing to destabilizing.     

Guiding of an electromagnetic pulse in a plasma immersed in combined wiggler and axial magnetic fields

We present a new plasma-based method of guiding an electromagnetic pulse. The scheme consists of an inhomogeneous magnetic field and a uniform density plasma, in contrast to existing schemes that rely on transverse plasma density gradients but need not be magnetized. The refractive index of a magnetized plasma depends on the strength and direction of the magnetic field as well as the plasma density. A guiding channel is formed by using field inhomogeneity to generate the desired transverse profile of the index of refraction. The concept is analyzed with an envelope equation and, for the specific example of a wiggler magnetic field, with a two-dimension particle-in-cell simulation. A simplified model of this scheme as producing a magnetic wall in analogy to metallic waveguides is presented, for which corresponding approximate relations for the guided mode axial wavelength and radius are derived as functions of the plasma and magnetic field parameter. These are seen to be in good agreement with particle-in-cell simulation results. Since the desired inhomogeneity of the refractive index can be made easily when the electromagnetic wave frequency is close to the cyclotron frequency, this guiding scheme is most readily applied in the microwave regime.     

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 Nonlinear Structures in Dissipative Electron--Positron--Ion Quantum Plasmas

Low frequency （in comparison to ion plasma frequency） ion-acoustic shocks and solitons in superdense electronpositron-ion quantum plasmas are studied. The quantum hydrodynamic model is used incorporating quantum Bohm forces and Fermi-Dirac statistical corrections to derive the deformed Korteweg de Vries-Burgers （dKdVB） equation in weakly nonlinear limit. The travelling wave solution of dKdVB equation is presented and results are discussed in different limits. It is found that shock height increases with increase of quantum pressure, positron concentration and dissipation. Further, it is seen that the width of soliton decreases with increase of quantum pressure