Laser Induced Fluorescence Studies of Anomalous Ion Heating on the Encore Toroidal Plasma Facility (Physics)

先前的研究表明，在加州理工学院的Encore环形等离子体装置中，发生了波诱导的异常离子加热。波诱导的反常离子加热还不是很清楚，但在许多领域都适用于等离子体，从实验室到天体物理。下一个实验将使用先进的等离子体诊断技术来确定这一基本过程背后的物理现象。这种方法的特点是：(I)等离子体具有没有端壁的受限几何形状，在很大的参数范围内具有高度的重复性，并且具有独特的高重复率；和(Ii)先进的诊断系统(包括激光诱导荧光)现已面世，具有卓越的空间和时间分辨率、完全的计算机自动化以及以所需的细节跟踪粒子和波的演变的能力。这个项目试图利用技术和物理的这种结合来获得对等离子体的两个基本方面--粒子和波--如何相互作用的基本理解。

Preceding studies have shown that wave-induced anomalous ion heating is occuring in the Caltech Encore toroidal plasma facility. Wave-induced anomalous ion heating is not well understood and yet has applicability to plasmas in many domains, ranging from laboratory to astrophysical. The next experiment will use advanced plasma diagnostic techniques to determine the physical phenomena underlying this basic process. The special features of this approach are the following: (i) the plasma has a confined geometry free of end-walls, is highly reproducible over a large range of parameters, and has a unique high repetition rate; and (ii) an advanced diagnostic system (including Laser Induced Fluorescence) is now available with exceptional space and time resolution, full computer automation, and the ability to follow the evolution of particle and waves with the required detail. This program seeks to exploit this conjunction of technology and physics to obtain a fundamental understanding of how two basic aspects of plasmas -- particle and wave -- interact.