Statistical model for intermittent plasma edge turbulence

The Probability Distribution Function of plasma density fluctuations at the edge of fusion devices is known to be skewed and strongly non-Gaussian. The causes of this peculiar behaviour are, up to now, largely unexplored. On the other hand, understanding the origin and the properties of edge turbulence is a key issue in magnetic fusion research. In this work we show that a stochastic fragmentation model, already successfully applied to fluid turbulence, is able to predict an asymmetric distribution that closely matches experimental data. The asymmetry is found to be a direct consequence of intermittency. A discussion of our results in terms of recently suggested BHP universal curve [S.T. Bramwell, P.C.W. Holdsworth, J.-F. Pinton, Nature (London) 396, 552 (1998)], that should hold for strongly correlated and critical systems, is also proposedComment: 13 pages. Physica Review E, accepte

On the mutual effect of ion temperature gradient instabilities and impurity peaking in the reversed field pinch

The presence of impurities is considered in gyrokinetic calculations of ion temperature gradient (ITG) instabilities and turbulence in the reversed field pinch device RFX-mod. This device usually exhibits hollow Carbon/Oxygen profiles, peaked in the outer core region. We describe the role of the impurities in ITG mode destabilization, and analyze whether ITG turbulence is compatible with their experimental gradients.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Plasma Phys. Control. Fusio

Random matrix theory within superstatistics

We propose a generalization of the random matrix theory following the basic prescription of the recently suggested concept of superstatistics. Spectral characteristics of systems with mixed regular-chaotic dynamics are expressed as weighted averages of the corresponding quantities in the standard theory assuming that the mean level spacing itself is a stochastic variable. We illustrate the method by calculating the level density, the nearest-neighbor-spacing distributions and the two-level correlation functions for system in transition from order to chaos. The calculated spacing distribution fits the resonance statistics of random binary networks obtained in a recent numerical experiment.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

The probability density function tail of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation in the strongly non-linear regime

An analytical derivation of the probability density function (PDF) tail describing the strongly correlated interface growth governed by the nonlinear Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation is provided. The PDF tail exactly coincides with a Tracy-Widom distribution i.e. a PDF tail proportional to $\exp( - c w_2^{3/2})$, where $w_2$ is the the width of the interface. The PDF tail is computed by the instanton method in the strongly non-linear regime within the Martin-Siggia-Rose framework using a careful treatment of the non-linear interactions. In addition, the effect of spatial dimensions on the PDF tail scaling is discussed. This gives a novel approach to understand the rightmost PDF tail of the interface width distribution and the analysis suggests that there is no upper critical dimension.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Design of Allosteric Stimulators of the Hsp90 ATPase as New Anticancer Leads

Allosteric compounds that stimulate Hsp90 adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity were rationally designed, showing anticancer potencies in the low micromolar to nanomolar range. In parallel, the mode of action of these compounds was clarified and a quantitative model that links the dynamic ligand-protein cross-talk to observed cellular and in vitro activities was developed. The results support the potential of using dynamics-based approaches to develop original mechanism-based cancer therapeutics

Charge Exchange Processes between Excited Helium and Fully Stripped Ions

We made a classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculation of state selective cross sections for processes between some light ions and excited helium. The results, useful for analysis of spectroscopic data of fusion devices, are in good agreement with theoretical predictions of scaling laws.Comment: LaTex, 8 pages, 4 figures (available on request to the authors), DFPD/94/TH/57, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Multi-parameter generalization of nonextensive statistical mechanics

We show that the stochastic interpretation of Tsallis' thermostatistics given recently by Beck [Phys. Rev. Lett {\bf 87}, 180601 (2001)] leads naturally to a multi-parameter generalization. The resulting class of distributions is able to fit experimental results which cannot be reproduced within the Boltzmann's or Tsallis' formalism.Comment: ReVTex 4.0, 4 eps figure

Derivation of Tsallis statistics from dynamical equations for a granular gas

In this work we present the explicit calculation of Probability Distribution Function for a model system of granular gas within the framework of Tsallis Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics, using the stochastic approach by Beck [C. Beck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 180601 (2001)], further generalized by Sattin and Salasnich [F. Sattin and L. Salasnich, Phys. Rev. E 65, 035106(R) (2002)]. The calculation is self-consistent in that the form of Probability Distribution Function is not given as an ansatz but is shown to necessarily arise from the known microscopic dynamics of the system.Comment: 14 pages. An appendix adde

Coherence-imaging approach to time-resolved charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy in high-temperature plasma

A coherence-based, or interferometric approach to spectral analysis of charge-exchange recombination (CXR) emission radiation from high-temperature plasma probed or heated using energetic neutral beams, offers a number of advantages over wavelength-domain instruments. The spectral-line shift and broadening are obtained from measurements of the spectralcoherence at a given fixed time delay. The coherence is monitored by first approximately isolating the spectral line of interest using an interference filter and subsequently imaging the spectral scene using a field-widened electro-optic path-delay-modulated polarization interferometer.Interferometers have the advantage of high-light throughput (no slit aperture). Moreover, because the spectral information is encoded at harmonics of the electro-optic modulation frequency, a single detector suffices to capture the spectral information, thereby opening the possibility for time-resolved two-dimensional spectralimaging. When unwanted spectral features are passed by the interference filter, the interpretation of the coherence phase and amplitude images can become ambiguous. By modulating the particle beam source, however, we show that coherence imaging using a single-delay modulatable interferometer can distinguish and characterize the Doppler-broadened CXR emission component against a significant background of continuum and intrinsic radiation, or pollution from nearby spectral features