2,886 research outputs found
A Spherical Plasma Dynamo Experiment
We propose a plasma experiment to be used to investigate fundamental
properties of astrophysical dynamos. The highly conducting, fast-flowing plasma
will allow experimenters to explore systems with magnetic Reynolds numbers an
order of magnitude larger than those accessible with liquid-metal experiments.
The plasma is confined using a ring-cusp strategy and subject to a toroidal
differentially rotating outer boundary condition. As proof of principle, we
present magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the proposed experiment. When a von
K\'arm\'an-type boundary condition is specified, and the magnetic Reynolds
number is large enough, dynamo action is observed. At different values of the
magnetic Prandtl and Reynolds numbers the simulations demonstrate either
laminar or turbulent dynamo action
Excited nucleon electromagnetic form factors from broken spin-flavor symmetry
A group theoretical derivation of a relation between the N --> Delta charge
quadrupole transition and neutron charge form factors is presented.Comment: 4 pages, Proc. of the 12 th Int'l. Workshop on the Physics of Excited
Nucleons, NSTAR 2009, Beijing, April 19-22, 200
Stirring Unmagnetized Plasma
A new concept for spinning unmagnetized plasma is demonstrated
experimentally. Plasma is confined by an axisymmetric multi-cusp magnetic field
and biased cathodes are used to drive currents and impart a torque in the
magnetized edge. Measurements show that flow viscously couples momentum from
the magnetized edge (where the plasma viscosity is small) into the unmagnetized
core (where the viscosity is large) and that the core rotates as a solid body.
To be effective, collisional viscosity must overcome the ion-neutral drag due
to charge exchange collisions
Measurements of the magnetic field induced by a turbulent flow of liquid metal
Initial results from the Madison Dynamo Experiment provide details of the
inductive response of a turbulent flow of liquid sodium to an applied magnetic
field. The magnetic field structure is reconstructed from both internal and
external measurements. A mean toroidal magnetic field is induced by the flow
when an axial field is applied, thereby demonstrating the omega effect.
Poloidal magnetic flux is expelled from the fluid by the poloidal flow.
Small-scale magnetic field structures are generated by turbulence in the flow.
The resulting magnetic power spectrum exhibits a power-law scaling consistent
with the equipartition of the magnetic field with a turbulent velocity field.
The magnetic power spectrum has an apparent knee at the resistive dissipation
scale. Large-scale eddies in the flow cause significant changes to the
instantaneous flow profile resulting in intermittent bursts of non-axisymmetric
magnetic fields, demonstrating that the transition to a dynamo is not smooth
for a turbulent flow.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, invited talk by C. B. Forest at 2005 APS DPP
meeting, resubmitted to Physics of Plasma
Relativistic calculation of the triton binding energy and its implications
First results for the triton binding energy obtained from the relativistic
spectator or Gross equation are reported. The Dirac structure of the nucleons
is taken into account. Numerical results are presented for a family of
realistic OBE models with off-shell scalar couplings. It is shown that these
off-shell couplings improve both the fits to the two-body data and the
predictions for the binding energy.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 1 figure (uses epsfig.sty
Observation of a Turbulence-Induced Large Scale Magnetic Field
An axisymmetric magnetic field is applied to a spherical, turbulent flow of
liquid sodium. An induced magnetic dipole moment is measured which cannot be
generated by the interaction of the axisymmetric mean flow with the applied
field, indicating the presence of a turbulent electromotive force. It is shown
that the induced dipole moment should vanish for any axisymmetric laminar flow.
Also observed is the production of toroidal magnetic field from applied
poloidal magnetic field (the omega-effect). Its potential role in the
production of the induced dipole is discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures Revisions to accomodate peer-reviewer concerns;
changes to main text including simplification of a proof, Fig. 2 updated, and
minor typos and clarifications; Added refrences. Resubmitted to Phys. Rev.
Let
Intermittent magnetic field excitation by a turbulent flow of liquid sodium
The magnetic field measured in the Madison Dynamo Experiment shows
intermittent periods of growth when an axial magnetic field is applied. The
geometry of the intermittent field is consistent with the fastest growing
magnetic eigenmode predicted by kinematic dynamo theory using a laminar model
of the mean flow. Though the eigenmodes of the mean flow are decaying, it is
postulated that turbulent fluctuations of the velocity field change the flow
geometry such that the eigenmode growth rate is temporarily positive.
Therefore, it is expected that a characteristic of the onset of a turbulent
dynamo is magnetic intermittency.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
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