Phase Space Studies of Ion Energization in Laboratory Plasmas

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

Historically, the study of plasmas has focused on the evolution of the average properties of the charged particles in the plasma, the ions and electrons, i.e., the density, flow, and temperature of the plasma. In this project, the detailed motion of both ions and electrons will be investigated under conditions that reproduce processes that occur naturally in space or at the interface between plasmas and walls in laboratory magnetized plasma experiments. The in situ measurement of ion and electron velocity distribution functions in space has revolutionized the field of space physics, providing the space physics community an ability to study and understand kinetic-scale processes; test theories and computational models; and to discover new plasma phenomena. Through detailed measurements of the ion velocity distribution function, the group will determine if the observed inverse relationship between ion thermal anisotropy and the ratio of the plasma thermal pressure to magnetic pressure in laboratory plasmas is consistent with theoretical predictions for the ion cyclotron or ion mirror instability threshold. Beyond the scientific contribution that the proposed research could make to the understanding of ion energization in plasmas, the broader impact of the work involves the training of graduate students in a research environment that emphasizes the synergy between basic and applied plasma physics. The infrastructure advancement impact of this work is the development of a novel laser diagnostic to measure transient and steady-state magnetic fields in a low temperature plasma. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.