Plasma Physics Seminar |
Yi-Min Huang Department of Physics, University of Maryland MHD Stability of Centrifugally Confined Plasmas Centrifugally confined plasmas utilize centrifugal forces from plasma rotation to augment magnetic confinement, as an alternative approach to fusion. One magnetic geometry is mirror-type, with rotation about the axis induced from a central, biased core conductor. The outward centrifugal forces from the rotation have a component along the field lines, thus confining ions to the center. The immediate concern, of course, is that the system could be flute unstable to the interchange. The antidote here is that the radial shear in the rotation could stabilize the flute. Our 2D simulations show, first, that plasma pressure is highly peaked at the center away from the mirror end coils. Next, 3D simulations show unequivocally that velocity shear is providing the stability. Further study indicates that the flute stability is sensitive to the density profile. A favorable density profile could be achieved by judiciously placing the particle source, also necessary for a steady state centrifuge. As flows approach the Alfven speed, electromagnetic modes could be involved. The latter is motivated by the question of whether magnetorotational instability, thought to be an angular momentum transporter in accretion disks, could be found in centrifugal plasmas, since all the ingredients are there. We show that the MRI as understood should be stable; however, a related astrophysical instability, the Parker instability, could arise. The Parker instability results in plasma accumulating in regions of bent field lines, further accentuating the bending. |