Similarity rules in plasma physics

Lacina, Jan

doi:10.1088/0032-1028/13/4/003

Cited by 28 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…10,11 Also, while scale invariance naturally leaves out dimensionless variables that are related to neglected physical processes, dimensional analysis relies on the user to recognize that dimensionless variables that are much less than unity ͑or whose reciprocal is much less than unity͒ are not important. The two methods do have different starting points: dimensional analysis starts with a given set of physical variables, whereas scale invariance begins with the governing equations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sizing up plasmas using dimensionless parameters

Petty

2008

Physics of Plasmas

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This paper reviews the application to magnetic-confinement fusion experiments of dimensional analysis, which holds that the behavior of physical systems can be determined from the scaling of phenomena with the set of dimensionless parameters that embody the governing physics. This paper begins by explaining the two most well-known approaches to dimensional analysis, and shows that the principle of similarity has been demonstrated in high-temperature plasmas of different physical size. Next, the measured dependences of cross-magnetic-field transport and edge plasma characteristics on dimensionless parameters are examined. These dimensionless parameter scans are generally in good agreement with drift wave models of turbulent transport (i.e., microturbulence), although some discrepancies remain. Finally, the benefits of incorporating dimensional analysis into the extrapolation of plasma behavior from present-day experiments to future burning plasma devices are discussed. The experiments reviewed in this paper have greatly improved our understanding of the underlying physics of many plasma phenomena.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sizing up plasmas using dimensionless parameters

Petty

2008

Physics of Plasmas

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“…In order to maintain dynamic similarity (Lacina 1971;Connor 1988;Ryutov et al 2000) with the lunar environment, Figure 2. Geometry of the simulation.…”

Section: The Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

3d Pic Simulations of Collisionless Shocks at Lunar Magnetic Anomalies and Their Role in Forming Lunar Swirls

Bamford

Alves

Cruz

et al. 2016

ApJ

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Investigation of the lunar crustal magnetic anomalies offers a comprehensive long-term data set of observations of small-scale magnetic fields and their interaction with the solar wind. In this paper a review of the observations of lunar mini-magnetospheres is compared quantifiably with theoretical kinetic-scale plasma physics and 3D particlein-cell simulations. The aim of this paper is to provide a complete picture of all the aspects of the phenomena and to show how the observations from all the different and international missions interrelate. The analysis shows that the simulations are consistent with the formation of miniature (smaller than the ion Larmor orbit) collisionless shocks and miniature magnetospheric cavities, which has not been demonstrated previously. The simulations reproduce the finesse and form of the differential proton patterns that are believed to be responsible for the creation of both the "lunar swirls" and "dark lanes." Using a mature plasma physics code like OSIRIS allows us, for the first time, to make a side-by-side comparison between model and space observations. This is shown for all of the key plasma parameters observed to date by spacecraft, including the spectral imaging data of the lunar swirls. The analysis of miniature magnetic structures offers insight into multi-scale mechanisms and kinetic-scale aspects of planetary magnetospheres.

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“…Still, the geometric dimensions of such systems are huge compared to the resolution of PIC simulations, which is of the order of the Debye length. In order to speed up the calculation, a similarity scaling scheme is used [9,10]. Two systems are called similar, if the invariants remain constant.…”

Section: Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

PIC Simulations of the MS4 Thruster

et al. 2022

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Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations are used to model the MS4 test thruster of Thales Deutschland. Given as input the geometric shape, material components, magnetic field and the operating parameters of the experiment, the model is able to reproduce the experimentally observed emission pattern in the plume. This is determined by the magnetic field line structure and the resulting plasma dynamics in the near-field region close to the exit.

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Similarity rules in plasma physics

Cited by 28 publications

References 3 publications

Sizing up plasmas using dimensionless parameters

Sizing up plasmas using dimensionless parameters

3d Pic Simulations of Collisionless Shocks at Lunar Magnetic Anomalies and Their Role in Forming Lunar Swirls

PIC Simulations of the MS4 Thruster

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