Electrical properties of plasmas and introduction to controlled fusion

Higher education teachers: Gyergyek Tomaž
Collaborators: Čerček Milan

Subject description

Prerequisits:

• Enrollment into the program.
• Positive result from a seminar or a homework necessary to enter the oral exam.

Content (Syllabus outline):

• Definitions of the Debye length, plasma parameter, plasma frequency.
• Motion of a charged particle in electric and magnetic field.
• Diffusion in a plasma and plasma conductivity.
• Kinetic and hydrodynamic description of a plasma.
• Basic MHD equations and some fusion oriented examples.
• Plasma waves.
• Binary interactions (collisions.
• Introduction to fusion, fusion reactions, power balance, magnetic and inertial confinement.
• Nonlinear phenomena: sheaths, electric probes.
• Introduction to particle-in-cell computer simulations of bounded plasma systems.

Objectives and competences:

Objectives: Gaining basic theoretical and practical knowledge of processes in gaseous plasmas.

Competences: Knowledge of fundamental areas of plasma physics and technology and understanding of the challenges in the fusion reactor development.

Intended learning outcomes:

Knowledge and understanding:

Understanding of the physical in plasmas, ability to use physical models andanalytical methods for determination and evaluation of key parameters of a plasma in a given plasma device.

Application:

Acquired knowledge should help the the student in following of the development in various plasma technologies and better integration in possible scientific work related to either plasma technology or energy production based on nuclear fusion.

Reflection:

Understanding of the role of gaseous plasmas in technology and energy production.

Transferable skills:

Comprehensive knowledge in electromagnetic interactions between charged particles, charged particle motion in electric and magnetic field, radiofrequency waves, interaction between a plasma and a solid material, solving transport and wave equations.

Learning and teaching methods:

• Lectures,
• seminars,
• visits of some laboratories at the Jozef Stefan Institute.

Study materials

1. J. A. Bittencourt, Fundamentals of plasma physics, 3rd edition, Springer 2004
2. U. S. Inan and M. Golkowski, Principles of plasma physics for engineers and scientists, Cambridge University Press, 2011
3. J. Friedberg, Plasma Physics and Fusion energy, Cambridge University Press, 2007
4. J. Wesson, Tokamaks, 4th edition, Oxford University Press, 2011
5. A. Piel, Plasma physics – An introduction to laboratory space and fusion plasmas, Springer 2010
6. F. F. Chen, Introduction to plasma physics and controlled fusion, 2nd edition, Plenum Press, 1984
7. C. K. Birdsall and A. B. Langdon, Plasma physics via computer simulation, IOP publishing 1991 (reprint 1995)
8. R. W. Hockney, J. W. Eastwood, Computer simulation using particles, IOP publishing, 1994