Stochastic magnetic field driven charge transport and zonal flow during magnetic reconnection

Magnetic fluctuation-induced charge transport, resulting from particle transport that is not intrinsically ambipolar, has been measured in the high-temperature interior of a reversed-field pinch plasma. It is found that global resistive tearing modes and their nonlinear interactions lead to signific...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of plasmas 2008-05, Vol.15 (5)
Main Authors: Ding, W. X., Brower, D. L., Craig, D., Chapman, B. E., Ennis, D., Fiksel, G., Gangadhara, S., Den Hartog, D. J., Mirnov, V. V., Prager, S. C., Sarff, J. S., Svidzinski, V., Terry, P. W., Yates, T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGE TRANSPORT
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
FLUCTUATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
REVERSED-FIELD PINCH DEVICES
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
TEARING INSTABILITY
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Summary:Magnetic fluctuation-induced charge transport, resulting from particle transport that is not intrinsically ambipolar, has been measured in the high-temperature interior of a reversed-field pinch plasma. It is found that global resistive tearing modes and their nonlinear interactions lead to significant charge transport, equivalent to the perpendicular Maxwell stress, in the vicinity of the resonant surface for the dominant core resonant mode during magnetic reconnection. Finite charge transport can result in a zonal flow associated with locally strong radial electric field and electric field shear. In the presence of stochastic magnetic field, radial electric field is expected to be balanced by radial electron pressure gradient. Direct measurement of local density gradient is consistent with the formation of radial electric field and the zonal flow.
ISSN:1070-664X
1089-7674
DOI:10.1063/1.2837047