Kinetic Stress and Intrinsic Flow in a Toroidal Plasma

W. X. Ding, L. Lin, D. L. Brower, A. F. Almagri, B. E. Chapman, G. Fiksel, D. J. Den Hartog, and J. S. Sarff

Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 065008 – Published 8 February 2013

Abstract

A new mechanism for intrinsic plasma flow has been experimentally identified in a toroidal plasma. For reversed field pinch plasmas with a few percent $β$ (ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure), measurements show that parallel pressure fluctuations correlated with magnetic fluctuations create a kinetic stress that can affect momentum balance and the evolution of intrinsic plasma flow. This implies kinetic effects are important for flow generation and sustainment.

Received 4 October 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.065008

Authors & Affiliations

W. X. Ding^1,3, L. Lin¹, D. L. Brower^1,3, A. F. Almagri^2,3, B. E. Chapman², G. Fiksel³, D. J. Den Hartog^2,3, and J. S. Sarff^2,3

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
²Physics Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
³Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA