4,557 research outputs found
Experimental Divertor Similarity Database Parameters
A set of experimentally-determined dimensionless parameters is proposed for
characterizing the regime of divertor operation. The objective is to be able to
compare as unambiguously as possible the operation of different divertors and
to understand what physical similarities and differences they represent.
Examples from Alcator C-Mod are given.Comment: Plain Tex (8 pages) plus 5 postscipt figure
Non-linear Plasma Wake Growth of Electron Holes
An object's wake in a plasma with small Debye length that drifts
\emph{across} the magnetic field is subject to electrostatic electron
instabilities. Such situations include, for example, the moon in the solar wind
wake and probes in magnetized laboratory plasmas. The instability drive
mechanism can equivalently be considered drift down the potential-energy
gradient or drift up the density-gradient. The gradients arise because the
plasma wake has a region of depressed density and electrostatic potential into
which ions are attracted along the field. The non-linear consequences of the
instability are analysed in this paper. At physical ratios of electron to ion
mass, neither linear nor quasilinear treatment can explain the observation of
large-amplitude perturbations that disrupt the ion streams well before they
become ion-ion unstable. We show here, however, that electron holes, once
formed, continue to grow, driven by the drift mechanism, and if they remain in
the wake may reach a maximum non-linearly stable size, beyond which their
uncontrolled growth disrupts the ions. The hole growth calculations provide a
quantitative prediction of hole profile and size evolution. Hole growth appears
to explain the observations of recent particle-in-cell simulations
Collisional Effects on Nonlinear Ion Drag Force for Small Grains
The ion drag force arising from plasma flow past an embedded spherical grain
is calculated self-consistently and non-linearly using particle in cell codes,
accounting for ion-neutral collisions. Using ion velocity distribution
appropriate for ion drift driven by a force field gives wake potential and
force greatly different from a shifted Maxwellian distribution, regardless of
collisionality. The low-collisionality forces are shown to be consistent with
estimates based upon cross-sections for scattering in a Yukawa (shielded) grain
field, but only if non-linear shielding length is used. Finite collisionality
initially enhances the drag force, but only by up to a factor of 2. Larger
collisionality eventually reduces the drag force. In the collisional regime,
the drift distribution gives larger drag than the shift distribution even at
velocities where their collisionless drags are equal. Comprehensive practical
analytic formulas for force that fit the calculations are provided.Comment: Fig 1. corrected in this versio
Graphene as a Novel Single Photon Counting Optical and IR Photodetector
Bilayer graphene has many unique optoelectronic properties , including a
tuneable band gap, that make it possible to develop new and more efficient
optical and nanoelectronic devices. We have developed a Monte Carlo simulation
for a single photon counting photodetector incorporating bilayer graphene. Our
results show that, conceptually it would be feasible to manufacture a single
photon counting photodetector (with colour sensitivity) from bilayer graphene
for use across both optical and infrared wavelengths. Our concept exploits the
high carrier mobility and tuneable band gap associated with a bilayer graphene
approach. This allows for low noise operation over a range of cryogenic
temperatures, thereby reducing the cost of cryogens with a trade off between
resolution and operating temperature. The results from this theoretical study
now enable us to progress onto the manufacture of prototype photon counters at
optical and IR wavelengths that may have the potential to be groundbreaking in
some scientific research applications.Comment: Conference Proceeding in Graphene-Based Technologies, 201
Electric probes in plasmas
(June 26 - July 2, 2017)
POS515 CALVADOS -
CALabrian arc mud VolcAnoes: Deep
Origin and internal Structure,
June 18 – July 13, 2017,
Dubrovnik - Catani
Experimental and computational characterization of a modified GEC cell for dusty plasma experiments
A self-consistent fluid model developed for simulations of micro- gravity
dusty plasma experiments has for the first time been used to model asymmetric
dusty plasma experiments in a modified GEC reference cell with gravity. The
numerical results are directly compared with experimental data and the
experimentally determined dependence of global discharge parameters on the
applied driving potential and neutral gas pressure is found to be well matched
by the model. The local profiles important for dust particle transport are
studied and compared with experimentally determined profiles. The radial forces
in the midplane are presented for the different discharge settings. The
differences between the results obtained in the modified GEC cell and the
results first reported for the original GEC reference cell are pointed out
Free expansion of two-dimensional condensates with a vortex
We study the free expansion of a pancake-shaped Bose-condensed gas, which is
initially trapped under harmonic confinement and containing a vortex at its
centre. In the case of a radial expansion holding fixed the axial confinement
we consider various models for the interactions, depending on the thickness of
the condensate relative to the value of the scattering length. We are thus able
to evaluate different scattering regimes ranging from quasi-three-dimensional
(Q3D) to strictly two-dimensional (2D). We find that as the system goes from
Q3D to 2D the expansion rate of the condensate increases whereas that of the
vortex core decreases. In the Q3D scattering regime we also examine a fully
free expansion in 3D and find oscillatory behaviour for the vortex core radius:
an initial fast expansion of the vortex core is followed by a slowing down.
Such a nonuniform expansion rate of the vortex core may be taken into account
in designing new experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
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