Fluctuations, structures and transport in magnetized plasmas

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Physics of plasma is a basic science discipline studying the behavior of ionized gases such as those present in the Sun, the Earth’s ionosphere, interplanetary and interstellar space. Plasma applications are pervasive in microelectronics, material surface modification, waste treatment, light sources, and many other areas. Plasmas are used in electric propulsion devices for deep space missions and long term orbit keeping. Hot plasmas are created in laboratories to imitate Sun conditions and achieve controlled thermonuclear fusion to access a limitless source of clean energy. In nature and laboratories, plasmas are often immersed in electric and magnetic fields, making them unstable and turbulent with highly irregular and unpredictable behavior. Despite the progress, such as in aerodynamics and weather forecasting, turbulence and the related anomalous (turbulent) transport is an unsolved problem and a great challenge for classical physics. Understanding of plasma turbulence is important for fundamental questions, such as the origin and dynamics of magnetic field of the Earth and Sun, solar wind, auroras, violent eruptions on the Sun, and many other phenomena in ionosphere and space. On the other side, progress in many plasma applications, such as controlled thermonuclear fusion and electric propulsion, has been hindered by difficulties caused by plasma turbulence. The long term objective of my research in theoretical plasma physics is to explain and predict the turbulent behavior and transport of magnetically confined plasmas including those for technological and fusion applications. Specifically, this proposal involves two major themes: 1. Development of physical models and numerical simulations to predict anomalous current and heating in turbulent plasma maintained by crossed electric and magnetic fields, which is widely used in various plasma propulsion and processing devices. Improved understanding of turbulent plasmas in these conditions would advance basic knowledge of turbulence as well as satisfy critical needs of electric propulsion technologies and bring better performance and new opportunities for material processing. 2. Electron energy transport associated with magnetic fluctuations, interaction and control of plasma fluctuations in magnetic confinement devices for controlled fusion. This theme addresses the long standing puzzle of electron energy transport in a tokamak and promising possibilities of plasma control with external means, such as external magnetic coils. Progress in these areas would bring us closer to the goal of achieving controlled fusion in the laboratory. This research promotes deep knowledge of physics, analytical and critical analysis, and strong skills in high performance computations and large data set processing. These skills and expertise are vital to maintain Canada’s competitiveness in science and high technology industries.