This study investigates the effect of a transverse magnetic field on high-voltage pulsed discharge in helium at a pressure of 30 Torr. A simple two-dimensional fluid model that describes the high-voltage pulsed discharge in helium in a transverse weak magnetic field (B = 0.4 T) is presented, which uses an empirical relation to account for the magnetic field. The results of using the empirical relation for the effective field agree well with the experimental results. The dynamics of discharge development in the presence of the magnetic field is also investigated. The magnetic field does not significantly affect the gas-discharge development dynamics in helium at a pressure of 30 Torr.

Dispersion relations of electrostatic surface waves propagating in magnetized plasmas contained in an infinite duct and in an infinite cylindrical column surrounded by vacuum are derived by means of a Vlasov equation and fluid equations, respectively. The kinematic boundary condition imposed on the distribution function, the specular reflection conditions on the four sides of a duct, can be satisfied by placing infinite number of fictitious surface charge sheets spaced by the duct widths. The Vlasov equation that includes these surface charge sheets is solved by summing up the contribution due to the infinite charge sheets. The method of placing appropriate fictitious surface charge sheets enables one to treat the surface waves in bounded plasmas of Cartesian structure with mathematical efficiency, kinetically. The kinetic duct dispersion relation is compared with the dispersion relation for the magnetized cylindrical plasma column. When the square duct cross-sectional area as well as the cylinder radius become infinity, both dispersion relations become the dispersion relation of the upper-hybrid wave.

Isothermal fluid turbulence simulations have been performed in the edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) of an analytic stellarator configuration with an island divertor, thereby providing numerical insight into edge turbulence in regions around islands in a stellarator. The steady-state transport follows the a curvature drive that is inverse to the major radius ($1/R$) toward the outboard side, but large fluctuations are present throughout the island divertor region, with the average wavelength of similar size to the island width. The system exhibits a prominent $m=2$, $n=5$ mode, where m is the poloidal mode number and n is the toroidal mode number, although other modes are present. The amplitude and radial extent of the density fluctuations are similar throughout the edge and SOL, but can decrease near island O-points. The fluctuations exhibit a predominantly positive skewness on the outboard midplane, indicating blob-like perturbations for the transport into the outer SOL. It is determined that a point on the separatrix is generally more correlated with regions outside of the SOL than a nearby reference point which does not lie on the separatrix.

The centrifugal mirror confinement scheme incorporates supersonic rotation of a plasma into a magnetic mirror device. This concept has been shown experimentally to drastically decrease parallel losses and increase plasma stability as compared with prior axisymmetric mirrors. MCTrans++ is a dimensionless (0-D) scoping tool which rapidly models experimental operating points in the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) at the University of Maryland. In the low-collisionality regime, parallel losses can be modelled analytically. A confining potential is set up that is partially ambipolar and partially centrifugal. Due to the stabilizing effects of flow shear, the perpendicular losses can be modelled as classical. Radiation losses such as bremsstrahlung and cyclotron emission are taken into account. A neutrals model is included, and, in some circumstances, charge-exchange losses are found to exceed all other loss mechanisms. We use the SUNDIALS ARKODE library to solve the underlying equations of this model; the resulting software is suitable for scanning large parameter spaces, and can also be used to model time-dependent phenomena such as a capacitive discharge. MCTrans++ has been used to verify results from prior centrifugal mirrors, create an experimental plan for CMFX and find configurations for future reactor-scale fusion devices.

The theory of the terahertz (THz) waves emission from a near-critical plasma slab under the action of the focused p-polarized laser pulse is developed. The spectral, angular and energy characteristics of the THz signal are studied as functions of the focusing degree and the incidence angle of laser radiation, as well as the density and thickness of the plasma slab. It is shown that the extremely strong increase in the energy of the THz signal (up to millijoule level) and conversion rate (up to 10 %) occurs at the almost normal incidence of the ultra-short, tightly focused p-polarized laser pulse on the thin plasma slab with the near-critical density and rare electron collisions.

A new approach for constructing polar-like boundary-conforming coordinates inside a toroid with strongly shaped cross-sections is presented. A coordinate mapping is obtained through a variational approach, which involves identifying extremal points of a proposed action in the mapping space from $[0, 2{\rm \pi} ]^2 \times [0, 1]$ to a toroidal domain in $\mathbb {R}^3$. This approach employs an action built on the squared Jacobian and radial length. Extensive testing is conducted on general toroidal boundaries using a global Fourier–Zernike basis via action minimisation. The results demonstrate successful coordinate construction capable of accurately describing strongly shaped toroidal domains. The coordinate construction is successfully applied to the computation of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equilibria in the GVEC code where the use of traditional coordinate construction by interpolation from the boundary failed.

This paper is based on a report at the 2nd International Fusion Plasma Conference & 13th International Conference on Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement (iFPC & OS 2023), August 21–25, 2023, Busan, Korea and provides a brief overview of the status of work at the Budker Institute on the study of hot plasma confinement in open-type magnetic traps with a linear axisymmetric configuration. The main attention is paid to key problems: magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) stability in regimes with extremely high relative pressure, longitudinal electronic thermal conductivity, stability with respect to the development of kinetic modes and transverse transport. This paper provides an overview of the methods we are developing to address these problems, the experimental and theoretical results achieved and plans for future development. The last section of the article provides brief information about the preliminary design of the gas-dynamic multiple-mirror trap device, the development of which has been completed.

BOUT++ turbulence simulations were performed to investigate the impact of turbulence spreading on the edge localized mode (ELM) size and divertor heat flux width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening in small ELM regimes. This study is motivated by EAST experiments. BOUT++ linear simulations of a pedestal radial electric field (Er) scan show that the dominant toroidal number mode (n) shifts from high-n to low-n, with a narrow mode spectrum, and the maximum linear growth rate increases as the pedestal Er well deepens. The nonlinear simulations show that as the net E × B pedestal flow increases, the pressure fluctuation level and its inward penetration beyond the top of the pedestal both increase. This leads to a transition from small ELMs to large ELMs. Both inward and outward turbulence spreading are sensitive to the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma profiles. The inward turbulence spreading increases for the steep SOL profiles, leading to increasing pedestal energy loss in the small ELM regime. The SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ is significantly broadened progressing from the ELM-free to small ELM regime, due to the onset of strong radial turbulent transport. The extent of the SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening depends strongly on outward turbulence spreading. The fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the separatrix can be enhanced by increasing either pedestal Er flow shear or local SOL pressure gradient. The ${\lambda _q}$ is broadened as the fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the last close flux surface (LCFS) increases. Local SOL E × B flow shear will restrain outward turbulence spreading and the associated heat flux width broadening. Operating in H-mode with small ELMs has the potential to solve two critical problems: reducing the ELM size and broadening the SOL width.

Young stellar objects (YSOs) are protostars that exhibit bipolar outflows fed by accretion disks. Theories of the transition between disk and outflow often involve a complex magnetic field structure thought to be created by the disk coiling field lines at the jet base; however, due to limited resolution, these theories cannot be confirmed with observation and thus may benefit from laboratory astrophysics studies. We create a dynamically similar laboratory system by driving a $\sim$1 MA current pulse with a 200 ns rise through a $\approx$2 mm-tall Al cylindrical wire array mounted to a three-dimensional (3-D)-printed, stainless steel scaffolding. This system creates a plasma that converges on the centre axis and ejects cm-scale bipolar outflows. Depending on the chosen 3-D-printed load path, the system may be designed to push the ablated plasma flow radially inwards or off-axis to make rotation. In this paper, we present results from the simplest iteration of the load which generates radially converging streams that launch non-rotating jets. The temperature, velocity and density of the radial inflows and axial outflows are characterized using interferometry, gated optical and ultraviolet imaging, and Thomson scattering diagnostics. We show that experimental measurements of the Reynolds number and sonic Mach number in three different stages of the experiment scale favourably to the observed properties of YSO jets with $Re\sim 10^5\unicode{x2013}10^9$ and $M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}10$, while our magnetic Reynolds number of $Re_M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}15$ indicates that the magnetic field diffuses out of our plasma over multiple hydrodynamical time scales. We compare our results with 3-D numerical simulations in the PERSEUS extended magnetohydrodynamics code.

Experimental research into the control of particle charge in dusty plasmas conducted at Auburn University indicates that photocurrents generated by exposing dust to intense, near-ultraviolet light can provide a reliable and novel method of independently controlling dust charge without radically altering the background plasma; the experiment also showed that some particles may respond differently to this photo-discharge, with some exhibiting highly periodic responses to the discharge and others exhibiting chaotic behaviour. Since the dust particles in the experiment were a polydisperse sample of different sizes and shapes, particle geometry may play a role in explaining this difference. Simulations of particle discharge and dynamics are used in an attempt to reproduce experimental results and investigate a possible correlation between particle symmetry and dynamic periodicity.

Recently, stochastic motion of 3.5-MeV alpha particles with orbits that vary between locally trapped and locally passing states (transitioning particles) in a Helias reactor was observed numerically. This validated the theoretical predictions that (i) the stochastic diffusion represents a mechanism of considerable delayed loss of fast ions in quasi-isodynamic stellarators and (ii) it is possible to prevent the escape of particles to the wall by closing the separatrix between the locally trapped and passing states. It was concluded that, in principle, the separatrix could be made closed, resulting in a reduction of fast ion losses, by compensating for the effect of the helical component of the magnetic field $(1, 1)$ with an enhanced ‘anti-helical’ harmonic $(1, -1)$; the enlargement of this harmonic was proposed previously for other reasons. This possibility is explored in this work. Equations of previous relevant works were generalised to include the $(1, -1)$ harmonic. Calculations were carried out for several magnitudes of the ratio of anti-helical to helical magnetic field harmonics. Positive effects were found already at the smallest anti-helical harmonic considered: when the latter ratio is 0.25, transitioning particles with the smallest and intermediate pitch parameters are confined and, moreover, their fraction decreased. When the ratio is 0.85, almost all transitioning particles are confined and their fraction is minimal; well-confined localised orbits dominate at the smallest pitch parameters.

On the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), the electron cyclotron wave (ECW) and lower hybrid wave (LHW) are actively used to achieve a high-performance plasma. Turbulence associated with the combined heating experiment is studied numerically based on the gyrokinetic toroidal code (GTC). The linear simulation results show that the unstable mode peaks at $k_{\theta }\rho _{s}\approx 0.65$ and $k_{\theta }\rho _{s}\approx 1.42$. Meanwhile, all of the frequencies of these instabilities are positive, which suggests that the collisionless trapped electron mode (CTEM) is the dominant instability. In the process of nonlinear simulations, a higher transport level is locally achieved during the two waves combined heating due to a formation of a steeper electron temperature gradient. In addition, a low-frequency geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) is observed in the nonlinear stage. Effects of the electron beta, the dimensionless ratio of $T_e/T_i$ and $R/L_{T_e}$ on the growth rate of instability, are also discussed in the paper.

Laser-driven ion acceleration is well established using solid targets mainly in the target normal sheath acceleration regime. To follow the increasing repetition rate available on high-intensity lasers, the use of high-density gas targets has been explored in the past decade. When interacting with targets reaching densities close to the critical one, the laser pulse can trigger different acceleration mechanisms such as Collisionless Shock Acceleration (CSA) or hole boring. Particle-in-cell simulations using ideal target profiles show that CSA can accelerate a collimated, narrow energy spread and few hundreds of megaelectronvolts ion beam on the laser axis. Nevertheless, in real experiments, the laser will not only interact with an overcritical, thin plasma slab with sharp density gradients, but also with lower density regions surrounding the core of the gas jet, extending to several hundreds of micrometres. The interaction of the laser with these lower density wings will lead to nonlinear effects that will reduce the available energy to drive the shock in the high-density region of the target. Optically tailoring this target could mitigate that issue. Recent experiments conducted on different laser facilities aimed at testing several tailoring configurations. We first tested a scheme with a copropagating picosecond prepulse to create a lower density plasma channel to facilitate the propagation of the main pulse, while the second one was a transverse tailoring driven by nanosecond laser pulses to generate blast waves and form a high-density plasma slab. The main results will be presented here and the methods compared.

It is known that a nonlinear Schrödinger equation describes the self-modulation of a large amplitude circularly polarized wave in relativistic electron–positron plasmas in the weakly and strongly magnetized limits. Here, we show that such an equation can be written as a modified second Painlevé equation, producing accelerated propagating wave solutions for those nonlinear plasmas. This solution even allows the plasma wave to reverse its direction of propagation. The acceleration parameter depends on the plasma magnetization. This accelerating solution is different to the usual soliton solution propagating at constant speed.

The simplification of collision operators is necessary for quasilinear turbulence modelling used with integrated modelling frameworks, such as the gyrokinetic code QuaLiKiz. The treatment of collisions greatly impacts the accuracy of trapped electron mode (TEM) modelling, which is necessary to predict the electron heat flux and the balance between inward and outward particle fluxes. In particular, accurate particle flux predictions are necessary to successfully model density peaking in the tokamak core. We explored two ways of improving collisional TEM model reduction for tokamak core plasmas. First, we carried out linear GENE simulations to study the complex interplay between collisions and trapped electrons. We then used these simulations to define an effective trapped fraction to characterize the collisional TEM based on two key parameters, the local inverse-aspect ratio $\epsilon$ and the collisionality $\nu ^\ast$. One aspect missing from analytical TEM research is that the collisional frequency and the bounce-transit frequency are both velocity dependent; this effective trapped fraction takes both into account. In doing so, we determined that two parameters are not enough to model the collisional TEM, as an additional third free parameter was necessary. We determined that this model, as currently formulated, is not suitable for integrated modelling purposes. Second, we directly improved QuaLiKiz's Krook operator, which relies on two free parameters. We determined that these parameters required adjustments against higher-fidelity collisional models. In order to improve density profile predictions when paired with integrated models, we refined the Krook operator by using GENE simulations as a higher-fidelity point of comparison. We then demonstrate strong improvement of density peaking predictions of QuaLiKiz within the integrated modelling framework JETTO.

We study the tearing instability of a current sheet in a relativistic pair plasma with a power-law distribution function. We first estimate the growth rate analytically and then confirm the analytical results by solving numerically the dispersion equation, taking into account all exact particle trajectories within the reconnecting layer. We found that the instability is suppressed when the particle spectrum becomes harder.

Omnigenity is a desirable property of toroidal magnetic fields that ensures confinement of trapped particles. Confining charged particles is a basic requirement for any fusion power plant design, but it can be difficult to satisfy with the non-axisymmetric magnetic fields used by the stellarator approach. Every ideal magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium previously found to approximate omnigenity has been either axisymmetric, quasi-symmetric or has poloidally closed contours of magnetic field strength $B$. However, general omnigenous equilibria are a much larger design space than these subsets. A new model is presented and employed in the DESC stellarator optimization suite to represent and discover the full parameter space of omnigenous equilibria. Although exact omnigenity aside from quasi-symmetry is impossible, these results reveal that excellent particle confinement can be achieved in practice. Examples far from quasi-symmetry with poloidally, helically and toroidally closed $B$ contours are attained with DESC and shown to have low neoclassical collisional transport and fast particle losses.

Influence of the local-ionization-induced neutral depletion on the thrust imparted by the magnetic nozzle plasma thruster is discussed by simply considering reduction of the neutral density due to the ionization in the thruster model combining the global source model and the one-dimensional magnetic nozzle model. When increasing the rf power, it is shown that the increase rate of the plasma density is reduced, while the electron temperature continues to increase due to a decrease in the neutral density. Since the major components of the thrust are originated from the electron pressures in the source and in the magnetic nozzle, the increase in the electron temperature contributes to the increase in the thrust in addition to the gradual density increase by the rf power. The model qualitatively predicts the reduction of the thruster efficiency by the neutral depletion for the high-power condition, compared with the constant neutral density model.

Optimising stellarators for quasisymmetry leads to strongly reduced collisional transport and energetic particle losses compared with unoptimised configurations. Although stellarators with precise quasisymmetry have been obtained in the past, it remains unclear how broad the parameter space is where good quasisymmetry may be achieved. We study the range of aspect ratios and rotational transform values for which stellarators with excellent quasisymmetry on the boundary can be obtained. A large number of Fourier harmonics is included in the boundary representation, which is made computationally tractable by the use of adjoint methods to enable fast gradient-based optimisation and by the direct optimisation of vacuum magnetic fields, which converge more robustly compared with solutions from magnetohydrostatics. Several novel configurations are presented, including stellarators with record levels of quasisymmetry on a surface, three field period quasiaxisymmetric stellarators with substantial magnetic shear, and compact quasisymmetric stellarators at low aspect ratios similar to tokamaks.