Collaborative Research: Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

该奖项是对提交给NSF/美国能源部基础等离子体科学与工程合作伙伴关系联合征集NSF 08-589的提案的回应。该奖项为本科生参与整体研究工作提供资金，该研究工作由美国能源部单独资助，合同号为DE-FG02-09ER55022。该研究旨在通过操纵磁化实验室等离子体设备中的流动轮廓，调查对不稳定波动的主动控制，包括充分发展的湍流和相关的跨场粒子传输。波动和粒子传输将由一组静电探头监测，并通过一组偏置的同心环电极控制流型，这些电极终止等离子体柱。这项拟议研究的目标有三个。1.开发一个预测代码，以模拟新墨西哥大学(UNM)线性HELCAT(螺旋-阴极)等离子体设备中的等离子体传输，拟议研究的实验部分将在那里进行。2.确定利用先进的基于模型的控制算法，通过适当处理径向等离子体流分布来控制跨场湍流驱动的粒子输运的可行性。3.研究湍流和传输物理的基本非线性动力学：拟议的研究结果虽然侧重于基本等离子体物理，但将对使核聚变成为可行的能源所需的科学进步产生重大影响，因此将对一个对社会福利极为重要的领域产生深远影响。拟议中的研究将在促进教学的同时促进发现。由于其多学科性质，建议的研究计划结合了等离子体物理、计算方法和控制的概念，重点是对建议的建模和控制解决方案进行实验验证。研究生和本科生将从这种独特的多学科体验中受益，这将增强他们进行高级研究、创造性思维、利用独特设施充分利用协作安排、以个人身份和团队成员的身份工作的能力。每个合作机构的研究和学习基础设施都将得到加强。这项合作将允许研究生和本科生进入HELCAT实验设施，在那里他们可以进行实验，以验证他们的研究产生的建模和控制解决方案，并将使每个参与的学生接触新的研究领域。本科生的参与通过向学生介绍科学研究作为一条可能的职业道路，通过早期培训增加了更广泛的教育影响。

This award is made in response to a proposal submitted to and reviewed under the NSF/DoE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering joint solicitation NSF 08-589. The award provides funds to support undergraduate participation in the overall research effort, which is being funded separately by the DoE under contract number DE-FG02-09ER55022.This research aims to investigate active control of unstable fluctuations, including fully developed turbulence and the associated cross-field particle transport, via manipulation of flow profiles in a magnetized laboratory plasma device. Fluctuations and particle transport will be monitored by an array of electrostatic probes, and flow profiles controlled via a set of biased concentric ring electrodes that terminate the plasma column. The goals of the proposed research are threefold. 1. to develop a predictive code to simulate plasma transport in the linear HELCAT (HELicon-CAThode) plasma device at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where the experimental component of the proposed research will be carried out. 2. to establish the feasibility of using advanced model-based control algorithms to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles. 3. to investigate the fundamental nonlinear dynamics of turbulence and transport physics.The outcome of the proposed research, although focused on basic plasma physics, will have a strong impact on the scientific advancements that are needed to make nuclear fusion a viable source of energy, and will therefore produce a profound impact on an area of immense importance to the welfare of society. The proposed research will advance discovery while promoting teaching and learning. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, the proposed research plan brings together concepts from plasma physics, computational methods, and controls, with emphasis on experimental validation of the proposed modeling and control solutions. Graduate and undergraduate students will benefit from this unique multidisciplinary experience that will enhance their ability to conduct advanced research, think creatively, take advantage of unique facilities making good use of collaborative arrangements, and work in an individual capacity and as members of a team. The infrastructure for research and learning will be enhanced in each one of the collaborating institution. This collaboration will grant access to graduate and undergraduate students to the HELCAT experimental facility, where they can conduct experiments to validate the modeling and control solutions that result from their research, and will expose each one of the participating students to new research areas.The undergraduate participation adds a broader educational impact through the early-year training of students by introducing them to scientific research as a possible career path.