Physics of Non-Neutral and Electron-Positron Plasmas Confined on Magnetic Surfaces

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。这个理论程序的主要焦点是纯电子等离子体，特别是低密度电子等离子体平衡的性质。开发的理论现在正在几个设备上进行测试，不仅在哥伦比亚非中性环(CNT)上，而且在日本的两个设备上也是如此。理论上的一些关键预测已经得到了实验验证，但碳纳米管中的许多现象仍然没有得到充分的理解。现有的计算工具将被改进和应用，为实验的下一阶段--创造正电子等离子体做准备。对限制在磁性表面上的非中性等离子体的理解的发展将是对基础等离子体物理学的宝贵补充。这对未来的电子-正电子(对)等离子体实验也具有重要意义。理论上，正电子等离子体是人们可以研究的最简单的准中性等离子体，因此，一对等离子体实验将为我们对基本等离子体物理的理解提供严格的测试。拟议的计划支持一名博士生，它涉及本科生和高中生的大量参与，并将在未来继续这样做。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The primary focus of this theory program is on pure electron plasmas, in particular the properties of low density electron plasma equilibria. The theories developed are now being tested in several devices, not only on the Columbia Nonneutral Torus (CNT) but also on two devices in Japan. Some of the key predictions from theory have been experimentally verified, but many phenomena in CNT are still inadequately understood. The existing computational tools will be refined and applied in preparation for the next phase of the experiment, the creation of electron-positron plasmas.The development of an understanding of non-neutral plasmas confined on magnetic surfaces will be a valuable addition to basic plasma physics. It is also important for the future electron-positron (pair) plasma experiments. Electron-positron plasmas are theoretically the simplest quasi-neutral plasmas that one can study, and hence, a pair plasma experiment would provide a stringent test of our understanding of basic plasma physics. The proposed program supports one doctoral student, and it involves substantial participation by undergraduate students as well as high school students, and will continue to do so in the future.