Plasma rotation induced by biasing in axially symmetric mirrors

Abstract

Physics of the plasma rotation driven by biasing in linear traps is analysed for two limiting cases. The first, relevant for traps with low effective viscosity, considers the line-tying effects to be responsible for the drive as well as for the dissipation of the angular momentum. Meanwhile, in long and thin traps with collisional plasma or developed turbulence, the radial transport of the angular momentum becomes its primary loss channel. The momentum flux goes into the scrape-off layer, which makes conditions there partially responsible for the achievable rotation limits.