Applications of Lie-Transform Methods in Plasma Physics

Saint Michael'S College, Colchester VT

Investigators

Abstract

Brizard The investigator develops and analyzes low-frequency plasma kinetic and fluid models for studying the long-time-scale transport processes and global magnetohydrodynamic behavior of strongly magnetized imhomogeneous plasmas. He uses Lie transform methods to formulate the models. This provides certain technical advantages, both analytically and computationally, in exposing important features of global nonlinear plasma dynamics. Astrophysical plasmas, space plasmas, and "laboratory" plasmas seen in magnetic and inertial confinement plasma systems share certain fundamental properties that are not well understood. In part this is because a plasma consists of a great many charged particles in motion, and the plasma's collective behavior is the result of interactions between all these particles. These interactions take place on very small length scales and time scales, and show themselves on larger scales. The investigator develops formal methods to produce effective descriptions of the behavior of plasmas across multiple scales. This leads to a better understanding of fundamental properties of plasmas.