Spheromaks : a practical application of magnetohydrodynamic dynamos and plasma self-organization / Paul M. Bellan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bellan, Paul Murray, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plasma confinement.

Magnetohydrodynamics.

Magnetic reconnection.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (357 p.)

Place of Publication:

London : Imperial College Press, c2000.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Spheromaks are easily formed, self-organized magnetized plasma configurations that have intrigued plasma physicists for over two decades. Sometimes called magnetic vortices, magnetic smoke rings, or plasmoids, spheromaks first attracted attention as a possible controlled thermonuclear plasma confinement scheme, but are now known to have many other applications.This book begins with a review of the basic concepts of magnetohydrodynamics and toroidal magnetic configurations, then provides a detailed exposition of the 3D topological concepts underlying spheromak physics, namely magnetic helicity,

Contents:

CONTENTS; PREFACE; CHAPTER 1 Introduction; 1.1 Brief description of spheromaks; 1.2 History and time-line; 1.2.1 Pre-1970: Antecedents of the spheromak; 1.2.2 Advances in theory: Taylor relaxation and development of the theoretical model for the spheromak; 1.2.3 The 1980's: The spheromak investigated as a fusion confinement scheme; 1.2.4 The 1990's: Search for the other applications and renaissance in confinement efforts; CHAPTER 2 Basic Concepts; 2.1 Vacuum magnetic fields; 2.2 Poloidal and toroidal fields; 2.3 Magnetic stress tensor; 2.4 Beta; 2.5 Magnetic flux and symmetry

2.6 Poloidal flux2.7 Poloidal flux and particle confinement; 2.8 Relation between field, field lines, and flux; 2.9 Safety factor; 2.10 The plasma as a magnetic flux conserver; 2.11 The condition for frozen-in flux; 2.12 Tendency of the plasma to maximize its inductance; 2.13 Cowling's theorem; CHAPTER 3 Magnetic Helicity; 3.1 The issue of analyticity in Gauss's and Stokes's theorems; 3.2 Definition of magnetic helicity; 3.3 Helicity, safety factor, and twist of an isolated flux tube; 3.4 Gauge invariance; 3.5 Relative helicity; 3.6 Simply connected volumes v. doubly connected volumes

3.6.1 Relative helicity suitable for doubly connected volumes3.7 Helicity conservation equation; 3.7.1 Fixed volume - simply connected region; 3.7.2 Fixed volume - doubly connected region; 3.7.3 Comparison between helicity injection into simply and double connected volumes; 3.7.4 Time-dependent volume with no open field lines; 3.7.5 Comparison of helicity conservation to energy conservation; 3.8 Single species helicity; 3.9 Magnetic reconnection; 3.10 Geometric interpretation of magnetic helicity; 3.11 Magnetic reconnection and helicity conservation; 3.12 Reconnection and dissipation

CHAPTER 4 Relaxation of an Isolated Configuration to the Taylor State4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Helicity decay rate v. magnetic energy decay rate; 4.3 Derivation of the isolated Taylor state; 4.4 Relationship between helicity, energy, eigenvalue; 4.4.1 Equality of poloidal and toroidal field energies in an isolated axisymmetric spheromak; 4.5 Cylindrical force-free states; 4.6 Comparison of minimum energy states in a long cylinder; 4.7 Spheromaks in spherical geometry; CHAPTER 5 Relaxation in Driven Configurations; 5.1 Taylor relaxation in system with open field lines

5.1.1 Relation between energy and helicity for system with open field lines5.2 Helicity injection; 5.2.1 Bounding surface is an equipotential; 5.2.2 Bounding surface is not an equipotential; 5.3 Impedance of the driven force-free configuration; CHAPTER 6 The MHD Energy Principle, Helicity, and Taylor States; 6.1 Derivation of the MHD Energy Principle; 6.2 Relationship of the energy principle to Taylor states; 6.3 Beta limit; CHAPTER 7 Survey of Spheromak Formation Schemes; 7.1 Magnetized coaxial gun; 7.2 Non-axisymmetric gun method; 7.3 The inductive method; 7.4 Z-Theta pinch method

CHAPTER 8 Classification of Regimes: an Imperfect Analogy to Thermodynamics

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 303-313) and index.

ISBN:

9781848160569

1848160569