J. Sears

FRC lifetime studies for the Field Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX)

The goal of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) is to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression and thereby provide a low cost approach to high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) studies, which include such topics as magneto-inertial fusion (MIF). A requirement for the field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma is that the trapped flux in the FRC must maintain confinement of the plasma within the capture region long enough for the compression process to be completed, which is approximately 20 microseconds for FRCHX. Current lifetime measurements of the FRCs formed with FRCHX show lifetimes of only 7 ∼ 9 microseconds once the FRC has entered the capture region.

Laboratory observation of magnetic field growth driven by shear flow

Two magnetic flux ropes that collide and bounce have been characterized in the laboratory. We find screw pinch profiles that include ion flow vi, magnetic field B, current density J, and plasma pressure. The electron flow ve can be inferred, allowing the evaluation of the Hall J×B term in a two fluid magnetohydrodynamic Ohms Law. Flux ropes that are initially cylindrical are mutually attracted and compress each other, which distorts the cylindrical symmetry. Magnetic field is created via the ∇×ve×B induction term in Ohms Law where in-plane (perpendicular) shear of parallel flow (along the flux rope) is the dominant feature, along with some dissipation and magnetic reconnection. We predict and measure the growth of a quadrupole out-of-plane magnetic field δBz. This is a simple and coherent example of a shear flow driven dynamo. There is some similarity with two dimensional reconnection scenarios, which induce a current sheet and thus out-of-plane flow in the third dimension, despite the customary picture...

A phenomenological model on the kink mode threshold varying with the inclination of sheath boundary

In nature and many laboratory plasmas, a magnetic flux tube threaded by current or a flux rope has a footpoint at a boundary. The current driven kink mode is one of the fundamental ideal magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in plasmas. It has an instability threshold that has been found to strongly depend on boundary conditions (BCs). We provide a theoretical model to explain the transition of this threshold dependence between nonline tied and line tied boundary conditions. We evaluate model parameters using experimentally measured plasma data, explicitly verify several kink eigenfunctions, and validate the model predictions for boundary conditions BCs that span the range between NLT and LT BCs. Based on this model, one could estimate the kink threshold given knowledge of the displacement of a flux rope end, or conversely estimate flux rope end motion based on knowledge of it kink stability threshold.

Investigating the momentum balance of a plasma pinch: An air-side stereoscopic imaging system for locating probes

The momentum balance of a plasma pinch in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) is examined in three dimensions using several repositionable, insertable probes. A new camera-based system described here triangulates the locations of the probe tips so that their measurements are spatially registered. The optical system locates probes to within ±1.5 mm of their absolute 3D position in the vessel and to within ±0.7 mm relative to other probes, on the order of the electron inertial length (1-2 mm).

Effect of driver impedance on dense plasma focus Z-pinch neutron yield

The Z-pinch phase of a dense plasma focus (DPF) heats the plasma by rapid compression and accelerates ions across its intense electric fields, producing neutrons through both thermonuclear and beam-target fusion. Driver characteristics have empirically been shown to affect performance, as measured by neutron yield per unit of stored energy. We are exploring the effect of driver characteristics on DPF performance using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of a kJ scale DPF. In this work, our PIC simulations are fluid for the run-down phase and transition to fully kinetic for the pinch phase, capturing kinetic instabilities, anomalous resistivity, and beam formation during the pinch. The anode-cathode boundary is driven by a circuit model of the capacitive driver, including system inductance, the load of the railgap switches, the guard resistors, and the coaxial transmission line parameters. It is known that the driver impedance plays an important role in the neutron yield: first, it sets the peak current ach...

Experimental measurements of magnetic field generation from sheared flows

Summary form only given. The generation and destruction of magnetic field is an important feature of solar, magnetosphere and cosmic plasmas, for example during reconnection, dynamo, and turbulent processes. We have experimentally measured spatially resolved profiles of magnetic flux ropes. These data include ion flow, magnetic field, current density, and plasma pressure, which allow us to verify a screw pinch equilibrium and also infer the electron fluid flow in three dimensions. Parallel currents along each flux rope result in a mutual attraction, which compresses and distorts the cylindrically symmetric equilibrium profiles. The electron and ion fluid flows turn out to be different, and we show that sheared axial electron fluid flow v_e generates magnetic field B(t) via the induction term curl X̅v_e X B = -curl X E = dB/dt. Data show a quadrupole out of plane magnetic field signature with four fold symmetry that is driven by flux rope flows with two fold symmetry. This mechanism provides a natural and general mechanism for large scale sheared flows to acquire smaller scale magnetic features, disordered structure, and possibly turbulence.

Field-reversed configuration formation for high energy density plasma experiments

Summary form only given. The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) is a collaborative experiment between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to explore the physics of magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) and other high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) phenomena. In the experiment, a plasma in a field-reversed configuration (FRC), with density 5 × 1016 ions/cm3, total temperature ∼200 eV, poloidal magnetic field ∼1 T, length 15 ∼ 20 cm, and field exclusion radius ∼2 cm is formed via a reversed-field theta discharge and then translated a short distance (∼1 m) into a magnetic mirror that has been established within a 30 cm long, 10 cm diameter, 0.11 cm thick aluminum solid liner. The high energy density state (1019 ions/cm3, multi-keV, MegaGauss fields) will be achieved when a 12 MA axial current, provided by the AFRL Shiva Star capacitor bank, implodes the liner and compresses the FRC within. Conventional FRC formation techniques trap only a small fraction of the initial axial bias field. Guided by extended 2D-MHD simulations, several factors limiting the closed field lifetime of the FRCs to about half that required for good liner compression have been identified, and new experimental hardware has been designed and prepared to increase that lifetime. Results from recent setup experiments will be presented, including a full-scale engineering test shot, along with a description of FRCHXs pulsed power systems and plasma diagnostics.

Application of Stereo Vision to the Reconnection Scaling Experiment

The measurement and simulation of the three-dimensional structure of magnetic reconnection in astrophysical and lab plasmas is a challenging problem. At Los Alamos National Laboratory we use the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) to model 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) relaxation of plasma filled tubes. These magnetic flux tubes are called flux ropes. In RSX, the 3D structure of the flux ropes is explored with insertable probes. Stereo triangulation can be used to compute the 3D position of a probe from point correspondences in images from two calibrated cameras. While common applications of stereo triangulation include 3D scene reconstruction and robotics navigation, we will investigate the novel application of stereo triangulation in plasma physics to aid reconstruction of 3D data for RSX plasmas. Several challenges will be explored and addressed, such as minimizing 3D reconstruction errors in stereo camera systems and dealing with point correspondence problems.

Flux and magnetized plasma compression driven by Shiva Star

The AFRL Shiva Star capacitor bank (1300 microfarads, up to 120 kilovolts) operated typically with 4 to 5 megajoules of electrically stored energy, with axial discharge currents of 10 to 15 megamps, and current rise times of approximately 10 microseconds, has been used to drive metal shell (solid liner) implosions in several geometries, including long cylindrical designs, which are suitable for compression of axial magnetic fields to multi-megagauss levels. Such imploding liners are also suitable for compressing magnetized plasmas to magneto-inertial fusion conditions. Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) approaches take advantage of embedded magnetic field to improve plasma energy confinement by reducing thermal conduction relative to conventional inertial confinement fusion (ICF). MIF reduces required implosion speed and convergence ratio relative to ICF. AFRL, its contractors and collaborating institutions LANL, UNM, and UNR have developed one version of magnetized plasmas at pre-compression densities, temperatures, and magnetic fields that may be suitable for such compression. These are Field Reversed Configurations (FRCs). This effort reliably formed, translated, and captured FRCs in magnetic mirrors inside10 cm diameter, 30 cm long, mm thick metal shells or liners in preparation for subsequent compression by liner implosion; imploded a liner with an interior magnetic mirror field, obtaining evidence for compression of 1.36 T field to approximately 500 T; performed a full system experiment of FRC formation, translation, capture, and imploding liner compression operation; identified by comparison of 2D-MHD simulation and FRC capture experiments factors limiting the closed- field lifetime of FRCs to about half that required for good liner compression of FRCs to multi-keV, 1019 ion/cm3, high energy density plasma (HEDP) conditions; and designed and prepared hardware to increase that closed field FRC lifetime to the required amount. Those lifetime extension experiments have obtained imaging evidence of FRC rotation (which is a phenomenon that limits such closed field lifetimes), and of initial rotation control measures slowing and stopping such rotation. These and the results of subsequent closed field plasma lifetime and compression experiments and related simulations will be discussed.