Observation of whistler instability in the Phaedrus-B tandem mirror plasma

A very large low-frequency whistler mode is excited with magnetic loop antennas in a uniform laboratory plasma. The wave magnetic field exceeds the ambient field causing in one polarity a field reversal, and a magnetic topology resembling that of spheromaks in the other polarity. These propagating "whistler spheromaks" strongly accelerate the electrons and create non-Maxwellian distributions in their toroidal current ring. It is observed that the locally energized electrons in the current ring excite new electromagnetic instabilities and emit whistler modes with frequencies unrelated to the applied frequency. Emissions are also observed from electrons excited in X-type neutral lines around the antenna. The properties of the excited waves such as amplitudes, frequency spectra, field topologies, propagation, polarization, growth, and damping have been investigated. The waves remain linear ͑B wave Ӷ B 0 ͒ and convert a small part of the electron kinetic energy into wave magnetic energy ͑B wave 2 / 2 0 Ӷ nkT e ͒.

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Nonlinear electron magnetohydrodynamics physics. IV. Whistler instabilities

Urrutia

Stenzel

Strohmaier

2008

Physics of Plasmas

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Ion energy analyzer for measurement of ion turbulent transport

Соколов

Sen

2012

Review of Scientific Instruments

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For local measurement of radial ion thermal transport, we developed a novel time-resolved gridded ion energy analyzer. The turbulent thermal flux is obtained by correlating fluctuations of ion temperature, plasma density and plasma velocity. The simultaneous measurement of the ion current fluctuations from an ion energy analyzer Ĩ(IEA)(t) and the fluctuation of ion saturation current from a conventional Langmuir probe Ĩ(LP)(t) allow us to determine local fluctuations of ion temperature T(i)(t). To reduce the effect of plasma potential fluctuations in the energy analyzer measurements, we use special a compensative circuit loop.

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Observation of whistler instability in the Phaedrus-B tandem mirror plasma

Cited by 2 publications

References 10 publications

Nonlinear electron magnetohydrodynamics physics. IV. Whistler instabilities

Nonlinear electron magnetohydrodynamics physics. IV. Whistler instabilities

Ion energy analyzer for measurement of ion turbulent transport

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