The role of the nϕ=1 column mode in spheromak formation
| dc.contributor.author | Cohen, B. I. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Romero-Talamás, Carlos | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ryutov, D. D. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hooper, E. B. | |
| dc.contributor.author | LoDestro, L. L. | |
| dc.contributor.author | McLean, H. S. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Stewart, T. L. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Wood, R. D. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-01-24T10:54:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-01-24T10:54:07Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009-04-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Observations in strongly driven spheromak experiments and simulations using a time-dependent, three-dimensional, nonlinear, resistive magnetohydrodynamic code indicate that in the formation phase an nϕ = 1 instability (nϕ is the toroidal Fourier mode) is excited by the current-carrying column injected from the gun region. The growth of the nϕ = 1 column mode terminates in a violent event in which there is significant magnetic reconnection and a topology change. The combined action of the nϕ = 1 kink instability and the reconnection event amplifies the poloidal flux. By means of experimental diagnostics, detailed diagnostics and visualizations in the simulations, and a phenomenological model of the linear perturbations, we investigate the roles of the nϕ = 1 column mode and reconnection in forming the spheromak. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | We are grateful to L. D. Pearlstein, T. K. Fowler, members of the SSPX experimental team at Livermore, C. R. Sovinec, and the NIMROD team for support, helpful discussions, and encouragement. We thank B. Nelson for his Python script to interface NIMROD with VisIt and W. H. Meyer for assistance implementing the Python script at LLNL. The simulations made use of resources at the National Energy Research Supercomputer Center under Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy partly under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. | |
| dc.description.uri | https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-abstract/16/4/042501/934611/The-role-of-the-n-1-column-mode-in-spheromak?redirectedFrom=fulltext | |
| dc.format.extent | 16 pages | |
| dc.genre | journal articles | |
| dc.identifier.citation | B. I. Cohen, C. A. Romero-Talamás, D. D. Ryutov, E. B. Hooper, L. L. LoDestro, H. S. McLean, T. L. Stewart, R. D. Wood; The role of the nϕ=1 column mode in spheromak formation. Phys. Plasmas 1 April 2009; 16 (4): 042501. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3097909 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3097909 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11603/31461 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | AIP | |
| dc.relation.isAvailableAt | The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) | |
| dc.relation.ispartof | UMBC Mechanical Engineering Department Collection | |
| dc.rights | This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law. | |
| dc.rights | Public Domain Mark 1.0 | en |
| dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ | |
| dc.title | The role of the nϕ=1 column mode in spheromak formation | |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dcterms.creator | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6830-3126 |