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Title:
Turbulent inward pinch of plasma confined by a levitated dipole magnet
Authors:
Boxer, A. C.; Bergmann, R.; Ellsworth, J. L.; Garnier, D. T.; Kesner, J.; Mauel, M. E.; Woskov, P.
Affiliation:
AA(Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA), AB(Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA), AC(Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA), AD(Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA), AE(Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA), AF(Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA), AG(Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA)
Publication:
Nature Physics, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 207-212 (2010).
Publication Date:
03/2010
Origin:
NATURE
DOI:
10.1038/nphys1510
Bibliographic Code:
2010NatPh...6..207B

Abstract

The rearrangement of plasma as a result of turbulence is among the most important processes that occur in planetary magnetospheres and in experiments used for fusion energy research. Remarkably, fluctuations that occur in active magnetospheres drive particles inward and create centrally peaked profiles. Until now, the strong peaking seen in space has been undetectable in the laboratory because the loss of particles along the magnetic field is faster than the net driven flow across the magnetic field. Here, we report the first laboratory measurements in which a strong superconducting magnet is levitated and used to confine high-temperature plasma in a configuration that resembles planetary magnetospheres. Levitation eliminates field-aligned particle loss, and the central plasma density increases markedly. The build-up of density characterizes a sustained turbulent pinch and is equal to the rate predicted from measured electric-field fluctuations. Our observations show that dynamic principles describing magnetospheric plasma are relevant to plasma confined by a levitated dipole.
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