Nonclassical Transport and Particle-Field Coupling: from Laboratory Plasmas to the Solar Wind

Understanding transport of thermal and suprathermal particles is a fundamental issue in laboratory, solar-terrestrial, and astrophysical plasmas. For laboratory fusion experiments, confinement of particles and energy is essential for sustaining the plasma long enough to reach burning conditions. For solar wind and magnetospheric plasmas, transport properties determine the spatial and temporal distribution of energetic particles, which can be harmful for spacecraft functioning, as well as the entry of solar wind plasma into the magnetosphere. For astrophysical plasmas, transport properties determine the efficiency of particle acceleration processes and affect observable radiative signatures. In all cases, transport depends on the interaction of thermal and suprathermal particles with the electric and magnetic fluctuations in the plasma. Understanding transport therefore requires us to understand these interactions, which encompass a wide range of scales, from magnetohydrodynamic to kinetic scales, with larger scale structures also having a role. The wealth of transport studies during recent decades has shown the existence of a variety of regimes that differ from the classical quasilinear regime. In this paper we give an overview of nonclassical plasma transport regimes, discussing theoretical approaches to superdiffusive and subdiffusive transport, wave–particle interactions at microscopic kinetic scales, the influence of coherent structures and of avalanching transport, and the results of numerical simulations and experimental data analyses. Applications to laboratory plasmas and space plasmas are discussed.     

Basic Physical Mechanism of Fast Reconnection Evolution in Space Plasmas

Large dissipative events, such as solar flares and geomagnetic substorms, may result from sudden onset of fast (explosive) magnetic reconnection. Hence, it is a long-standing problem to find the physical mechanism that makes magnetic reconnection explosive; in particular, how can the fast magnetic reconnection explosively evolve in space plasmas? In this respect, we have proposed the spontaneous fast reconnection model as a nonlinear instability that grows by the positive feedback between plasma microphysics (anomalous resistivity) and macrophysics (global reconnection flow). On the basis of MHD simulations, we demonstrate for a variety of physical situations that the fast reconnection mechanism involving slow shocks in fact evolves explosively as a nonlinear instability and is sustained quasi-steadily on the nonlinear saturation phase. Also, distinct plasma processes, such as large-scale plasmoid propagation, magnetic loop development and loop-top heating, and asymmetric fast reconnection evolution, directly result from the spontaneous fast reconnection model. Obviously, MHD simulations are very useful in understanding the basic physics of explosive fast reconnection evolution in space plasmas. However, they cannot treat the details of microphysics near an X neutral point, which should be precisely studied in the coming 21st century.     

Complexity,Forced and/or Self-Organized Criticality,and Topological Phase Transitions in Space Plasmas

The first definitive observation that provided convincing evidence indicating certain turbulent space plasma processes are in states of ‘complexity’ was the discovery of the apparent power-law probability distribution of solar flare intensities. Recent statistical studies of complexity in space plasmas came from the AE index, UVI auroral imagery, and in-situ measurements related to the dynamics of the plasma sheet in the Earth's magnetotail and the auroral zone. In this review, we describe a theory of dynamical ‘complexity’ for space plasma systems far from equilibrium. We demonstrate that the sporadic and localized interactions of magnetic coherent structures are the origin of ‘complexity’ in space plasmas. Such interactions generate the anomalous diffusion, transport, acceleration, and evolution of the macroscopic states of the overall dynamical systems. Several illustrative examples are considered. These include: the dynamical multi- and cross-scale interactions of the macro-and kinetic coherent structures in a sheared magnetic field geometry, the preferential acceleration of the bursty bulk flows in the plasma sheet, and the onset of ‘fluctuation induced nonlinear instabilities’ that can lead to magnetic reconfigurations. The technique of dynamical renormalization group is introduced and applied to the study of two-dimensional intermittent MHD fluctuations and an analogous modified forest-fire model exhibiting forced and/or self-organized criticality [FSOC] and other types of topological phase transitions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Critical phenomenon,crisis and transition to spatiotemporal chaos in plasmas

In a driven/damped drift-wave system a steady wave induces nonlinear variation of the dispersion of a perturbation wave (PW). Competition between the nonlinear dispersion with self-nonlinearity of the PW results in rich wave dynamic behaviors. In particular, a steady wave at the negative tangency slope of a hysteresis becomes unstable due to a saddle instability. It is found that such saddle steady wave (SSW) plays an important role in the discontinuous transition from a spatially coherent state to spatiotemporal chaos (STC). The transition is caused by a crisis due to a collision of the PW attactor to an unstable orbit of the SSW. In the time evolution, it is a ‘pattern resonance’ of the realized wave with the virtual SSW that triggers the crisis. The transition also displays as a critical phenomenon in parameter space, which is related to the change in the symmetry property of the motion of master mode (k = 1) of the PW with respect to that of SSW. In the spatially coherent state the former is trapped by the SSW partial wave, while in the STC it can become free from the latter, its trajectory crosses two unstable orbits of the SSW frequently, causing very turbulent behavior. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Stability and waves of transonic laboratory and space plasmas

The properties of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities of laboratory and space plasmas are determined by the overall magnetic confinement geometry and by the detailed distributions of the density, pressure, magnetic field, and background velocity of the plasma. Consequently, measurement of the spectrum of MHD waves (MHD spectroscopy) gives direct information on the internal state of the plasma, provided a theoretical model is available to solve the forward as well as the inverse spectral problems. This terminology entails a program, viz. to improve the accuracy of our knowledge of plasmas, both in the laboratory and in space. Here, helioseismology (which could be considered as one of the forms of MHD spectroscopy) may serve as a luminous example. The required study of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities of both laboratory and space plasmas has been conducted for many years starting from the assumption of static equilibrium. Recently, there is a outburst of interest for plasma states where this assumption is violated. In fusion research, this interest is due to the importance of neutral beam heating and pumped divertor action for the extraction of heat and exhaust needed in future tokamak reactors. Both result in rotation of the plasma with speeds that do not permit the assumption of static equilibrium anymore. In astrophysics, observations in the full range of electromagnetic radiation has revealed the primary importance of plasma flows in such diverse situations as coronal flux tubes, stellar winds, rotating accretion disks, and jets emitted from radio galaxies. These flows have speeds which substantially influence the background stationary equilibrium state, if such a state exists at all. Consequently, it is important to study both the stationary states of magnetized plasmas with flow and the waves and instabilities they exhibit. We will present new results along these lines, extending from the discovery of gaps in the continuous spectrum and low-frequency Alfvén waves driven by rotation to the nonlinear flow patterns that occur when the background speed traverses the full range from sub-slow to super-fast. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Wave particle interactions as an energy transfer mechanism between different particle species

Recent improvements in experimental techniques and cooperative data analysis efforts have brought a lot of information on the basic mechanisms by which energy can be exchanged between different particle species in the collisionless magnetospheric or solar wind plasmas. Some of these mechanisms are reviewed. A particular emphasis is put on interactions which occur in the equatorial magnetosphere between energetic protons and electromagnetic ultra low frequency (ULF) waves and which are linked with He⁺ ion trapping and heating as well as with field-aligned suprathermal electron beam generation. The process by which ion conic distributions are produced by electrostatic ion cyclotron waves generated at high altitude along auroral field lines by drifting electrons is also discussed.     

Wave-particle diagnostics for plasma simulation

One important type of problem for particle simulation of plasmas, is one which is bounded and has external sources and sinks. For example, there are problems with antennas for studying RF heating or current drive in fusion plasmas, or problems in space simulation where particles are injected at one boundary with some specified energy or momentum distribution. In understanding such simulation results, it is useful to know how energy and momentum are flowing inside the plasma. This can be accomplished in electrostatic particle simulations on the basis of some theorems for energy and momentum flow. An important application of these theorems occurs when many waves are involved in producing some effect, e.g., generating a current by RF. One can then extract the contribution of each wave to the effect to identify which are most important. Examples of such wave-particle diagnostics will be given.     

Alfvén wave heating

This review discusses Alfvén wave heating in non-uniform plasmas as a possible means for explaining the heating of the solar corona. It focusses on recent analytical results that enable us to understand the basic physics of Alfvén wave heating and help us with the interpretation of results of numerical simulations. First we consider the singular wave solutions that are found in linear ideal MHD at the resonant magnetic surface where the frequency of the wave equals the local Alfvén frequency. Next, we use linear resistive MHD for describing the waves in the dissipative region and explain how dissipation modifies the singular solutions found in linear ideal MHD.     

Small Scale Alfvénic Structure in the Aurora

This paper presents a comprehensive review of dispersive Alfvén waves in space and laboratory plasmas. We start with linear properties of Alfvén waves and show how the inclusion of ion gyroradius, parallel electron inertia, and finite frequency effects modify the Alfvén wave properties. Detailed discussions of inertial and kinetic Alfvén waves and their polarizations as well as their relations to drift Alfvén waves are presented. Up to date observations of waves and field parameters deduced from the measurements by Freja, Fast, and other spacecraft are summarized. We also present laboratory measurements of dispersive Alfvén waves, that are of most interest to auroral physics. Electron acceleration by Alfvén waves and possible connections of dispersive Alfvén waves with ionospheric-magnetospheric resonator and global field-line resonances are also reviewed. Theoretical efforts are directed on studies of Alfvén resonance cones, generation of dispersive Alfvén waves, as well their nonlinear interactions with the background plasma and self-interaction. Such topics as the dispersive Alfvén wave ponderomotive force, density cavitation, wave modulation/filamentation, and Alfvén wave self-focusing are reviewed. The nonlinear dispersive Alfvén wave studies also include the formation of vortices and their dynamics as well as chaos in Alfvén wave turbulence. Finally, we present a rigorous evaluation of theoretical and experimental investigations and point out applications and future perspectives of auroral Alfvén wave physics.     

Understanding the Dynamics of Magnetic Reconnection Layer

We review progress in understanding the dynamics of a typical magnetic reconnection layer by describing the historical development of theory and the recent findings and discoveries in space and laboratory plasmas. The emphasis is on the dynamics of electrons moving with respect to ions in the collision-free neutral sheet. We make a detailed comparison of experimental results from the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) with those from theory and numerical simulations. The collaboration between space and laboratory scientists on reconnection research has recently reached a point where we can compare measurements of the reconnection layer profile in detail with support from numerical simulations. In spite of the large difference in physical scales by 10⁶?C10⁷, we find remarkable commonalities in the features of the magnetic reconnection region in laboratory and magnetospheric plasmas. A newly planned laboratory experiment, in which a current sheet is swept in the way a magnetosphere current sheet crosses space satellites, is also described.     

局部抽吸对边界层流动稳定性的影响和控制研究

在边界层壁面上,设计局部抽吸结构,采用直接数值模拟的方法,获得稳定的三维基本流.在此基础上,研究稳定及最不稳定的二维扰动T-S波的时、空演化机制;进一步探讨了局部抽吸的形式、强度大小及分布结构对二维T-S波的非线性演化影响及其对增长率的贡献大小.结果表明,局部抽吸结构诱导产生的三维基本流是扰动波得以快速增长的一个关键性因素,这是由于平均流剖面的改变及展向速度的出现,增强了流体运动中的不稳定性、扩大了中性曲线的不稳定区域范围.在最不稳定的二维扰动T-S波的非线性演化过程中,由于非线性作用的不断增强,逐渐激发产生出三维扰动波及高次谐波,其三维扰动波的流向波数和频率与二维扰动波的流向波数和频率相同;同时展向速度的大小对二维扰动波的增长、流动的失稳、流向涡的形成等方面都起着激励的作用.随着时、空的不断发展和非线性作用的迅速加强,正、负相间的流向涡逐渐形成,强度逐渐增大,流向涡的影响区域也在不断扩大,涡的形状逐渐拉伸变长,并出现强的剪切层,流动开始失稳等其它机制;这些结论与文献[4、5]的结果相吻合.     

Fundamentals of plasma simulation

With the increasing size and speed of modern supercomputers, the incredibly complex nonlinear properties of plasmas in the laboratory and in space are being successfully explored in increasing depth. Of particular importance have been numerical simulation techniques involving finite size particles on a discrete mesh. After discussing the importance of this means of understanding a variety of nonlinear plasma phenomena, we describe the basic elements of particle-in-cell simulation and their limitations and advantages. The differencing techniques, stability and accuracy issues, data management and optimization issues are discussed by a simple example of a particle-in-cell code. Recent advances in simulation methods allowing large space and time scales to be treated with minimal sacrifice in physics are reviewed. Various examples of nonlinear processes successfully studied by plasma simulation are given.     

An integration method based on a novel combined flow for aerodynamic configuration of strutjet engine

In this paper a novel design method of aerodynamic configuration is proposed to integrate forebody, strut and inlet for strutjet engine, and a model at design point of Mach number 6 is generated to investigate the aerodynamic performance by both simulations and experiments. The basic flow field employed by proposed method is a combined flow named IBB, which is combined by Internal Conical Flow A (ICFA), truncated Busemann flow I (BI) for external section, and truncated Busemann flow II (BII) for internal section. The model configuration is generated by streamline tracing method from basic flow field, in which the forebody section is traced from ICFA and BI flows, and the inlet as well as strut section is traced from BII flow. The simulations in Mach number 4, 5, and 6 demonstrate uniform starting flow fields with relatively high total pressure recovery, which agree well with experiments in wind tunnel. Additionally, in low Mach number cases, this inlet could start at Mach number 3 while it is unstarted at Mach number 2.7; in high Mach number cases, a uniform flow could still exist in Mach number 6.5 while a relatively strong shock wave boundary layer interaction is found in cowl area of Mach number 7 case, indicating the inlet designed by proposed method works in a relatively wide Mach number range.     

Optical Simulation of Radar Ambiguities

Coherent optical systems, because of their basic similarity to coherent radar systems, can be used to simulate many of the characteristics of the latter. This paper discusses the use of a coherent optical system for the simulation of the range and azimuth ambiguities that sometimes occur in radar systems. The optical configurations for implementing these simulations are described in detail, and extensive experimental results are presented.     

Non-Linear Growth of Trapped Particle Modes in Linearly Stable, Current-Carrying Plasmas – A Fundamental Process in Plasma Turbulence and Anomalous Transport

The two-stream instability as a fundamental process in a current-carrying plasma is reconsidered. Its well-established linear version, based on kinetic Landau theory, predicts a threshold for the drift velocity between both species below which the plasma should be stable. We report on simulations which, however, show that a plasma as a non-linearly responding medium can be destabilized well below this threshold. Responsible for this unexpected behaviour are coherent, electrostatic, trapped particle structures such as phase space vortices or holes which can grow non-linearly out of thermal noise receiving their energy from the net imbalance of loss of electron kinetic energy and gain of ion kinetic energy. The birth of predominantly zero-energy holes is shown numerically being associated with initial, non-topological fluctuations. The latter are not subject to Landau damping, as they lie outside the realm of linear wave theory. For a pair plasma a typical scenario is presented, which encompasses several regimes such as non-linear growth of multiple holes, saturation and fully developed structural turbulence as well as an asymptotic approach to a new collisionless equilibrium. During the transient, structural state the plasma transport appears to be highly anomalous.     

A Lamb wave signal reconstruction method for high-resolution damage imaging

In Lamb wave-based Structural Health Monitoring(SHM), a high-enough spatial resolution is highly required for Lamb wave signals to ensure the resolution and accuracy of damage detection. However, besides the dispersion characteristic, the signal spatial resolution is also largely restricted by the space duration of excitation waveforms, i.e., the Initial Spatial Resolution(ISR)for the signals before travelling. To resolve the problem of inferior signal spatial resolution of Lamb waves, a Lamb Wave Signal Reconstruction(LWSR) method is presented and applied for highresolution damage imaging in this paper. In LWSR, not only a new linearly-dispersive signal is reconstructed from an original Lamb wave signal, but also the group velocity at the central frequency is sufficiently decreased. Then, both dispersion compensation and ISR improvement can be realized to achieve a satisfying signal spatial resolution. After the frequency domain sensing model and spatial resolution of Lamb wave signals are firstly analyzed, the basic idea and numerical realization of LWSR are discussed. Numerical simulations are also implemented to preliminarily validate LWSR. Subsequently, LWSR-based high-resolution damage imaging is developed. An experiment of adjacent multiple damage identification is finally conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of LWSR and LWSR-based imaging methods.     

High resolution imaging of objects at Ka band

A coherent wideband millimeter wave (mmW) imaging radar which operates in two different imaging modes is briefly described. The principles of two-dimensional (2-D) high resolution imaging are introduced. The image reconstruction algorithm together with image enhancement techniques are discussed. Some experiments imaging on both scaled aircraft model and full-size large scale vehicle are presented     

Understanding Kappa Distributions: A Toolbox for Space Science and Astrophysics

In this paper we examine the physical foundations and theoretical development of the kappa distribution, which arises naturally from non-extensive Statistical Mechanics. The kappa distribution provides a straightforward replacement for the Maxwell distribution when dealing with systems in stationary states out of thermal equilibrium, commonly found in space and astrophysical plasmas. Prior studies have used a variety of inconsistent, and sometimes incorrect, formulations, which have led to significant confusion about these distributions. Therefore, in this study, we start from the N-particle phase space distribution and develop seven formulations for kappa distributions that range from the most general to several specialized versions that can be directly used with common types of space data. Collectively, these formulations and their guidelines provide a “toolbox” of useful and statistically well-grounded equations for future space physics analyses that seek to apply kappa distributions in data analysis, simulations, modeling, theory, and other work.