Plasma Physics: An Introduction to Laboratory, Space, and Fusion Plasmas

409 Pages·2010·4.93 MB·English

by  Alexander Piel (auth.)

Plasma Physics

Alexander Piel
Plasma Physics
An Introduction to Laboratory, Space,
and Fusion Plasmas
123
Prof.Dr.AlexanderPiel
Christian-Albrechts-UniversitätKiel
InstitutfürExperimentelleund
AngewandtePhysik
Olshausenstrasse40
24098Kiel
Germany
[email protected]
ISBN978-3-642-10490-9 e-ISBN978-3-642-10491-6
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-10491-6
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2010926920
(cid:2)c Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2010
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ToHannemarie,
ChristophandJohannes

Preface
ThisbookisanoutgrowthofcoursesinplasmaphysicswhichIhavetaughtatKiel
University for many years. During this time I have tried to convince my students
thatplasmasasdifferentasgasdicharges,fusionplasmasandspaceplasmascanbe
describedinaunifiedwaybysimplemodels.
Thechallengeinteachingplasmaphysicsisitsapparentcomplexity.Thewealth
ofplasmaphenomenafoundinsodiversefieldsmakesitquitedifferentfromatomic
physics, where atomic structure, spectral lines and chemical binding can all be
derived from a single equation—the Schrödinger equation. I positively accept the
varietyofplasmasandrefrainfromsubdividingplasmaphysicsintothetraditional,
but artificially separated fields, of hot, cold and space plasmas. This is why I like
toconfrontmystudents,andthereadersofthisbook,withexamplesfromsomany
fields.Bythisapproach,Ibelieve,theywillbeabletobecomediscovererswhocan
seethecommonalitybetweenafallingappleandplanetarymotion.
Asanexperimentalist,Iamconvincedthatplasmaphysicscanbebestunderstood
fromabottom-up approach withmany illustratingexamples thatgive thestudents
confidence in their understanding of plasma processes. The theoretical framework
ofplasmaphysicscanthenbeintroducedinseveralstepsofrefinement.Intheend,
thestudent(orreader)willseethatthereissomethingliketheSchrödingerequation,
namely the Vlasov-Maxwell model of plasmas, from which nearly all phenomena
incollisionlessplasmascanbederived.
Mysecondcredoasexperimentalististhatthereisalackofplasmadiagnostics
in many textbooks. We humans have only an indirect experience of plasmas, we
cannottouch,hear,smellortasteplasma.Eventhevisualimpressionofaplasmais
onlytheradiationfromembeddedatoms.Therefore,wemustuseindirectevidence
to deduce plasma properties, like density, temperature and motion. Each time my
students have grasped the principle of a plasma process, I ask what we can learn
abouttheplasmabystudyingthisprocess.
In preparing this book, I have been supported by many colleagues. My spe-
cial thanks go to John Goree, Thomas Klinger and André Melzer for many fruit-
ful discussions which led to the concept of this book and for critically reading
selected chapters. Holger Kersten commented on Chap. 11 and permitted pho-
tographing some of his gas discharges. Many examples in this book were taken
from papers published together with my PhD students and Post-Docs, which I
vii
viii Preface
gratefully acknowledge (in alphabetical order): Günther Adler, Oliver Arp, Diet-
mar Block, Rainer Flohr, Franko Greiner, Knut Hansen, Axel Homann, Markus
Klindworth, Gerd Oelerich-Hill, Markus Hirt, Iris Pilch, Volker Rohde, Christian
Steigies, Thomas Trottenberg and Ciprian Zafiu. Special thanks go to John Goree
andVladimirNosenkoforthefruitfulcooperationatTheUniversityofIowaduring
my sabbatical leaves in 2001 and 2005. Many recent results were obtained from
collaborationswithintheTransregionalCollaborativeResearchCentreTR-24Fun-
damentals of Complex Plasmas. My special thanks go to Michael Bonitz and his
group.
Several colleagues made their original data available: I thank Tom Woods and
Rodney Viereck for their efforts in providing the WHI Solar Irradiance Reference
Spectrum,andStephanBoschwhomadehisfitfunctionsforthefusioncrosssec-
tionsandfusionratesaccessible.HorstWobigprovidedhistoricdatafromthestel-
laratorsWIIaandW7-AS.MatthiasBorninformedmeaboutthemercuryproblem
inhigh-pressurelamps.PermissiontoreproducefiguresweregivenbyAndréBou-
choule, John R. Brophy, David Criswell, Fabrice Doveil, John Goree, Greg Heb-
ner, Noah Hershkowitz, Rolf Jaenicke, John Lindl, Jo Lister, Salvatore Mancuso,
RichardMarsden,BobMerlino,GregorMorfill,JefOngena,andStevenSpangler.
Ourlibrarian,FrankHohmann,wasindispensibleinretrievingrareliterature.
Thefollowinginstitutionsgavepermissiontouseinformationsfromtheirweb-
sites: NASA Hubble Heritage Team, NASA/JPL-Caltech, NASA/SOHO, NASA/
TRACE,EFDA-JET,ITEROrganizationandNIF/LLNL.IPP/MPGkindlygranted
permissionstousefiguresoftheWendelstein7-Aand7-Xstellarators.
Kiel,Germany AlexanderPiel
November2009
Contents
1 Introduction................................................... 1
1.1 TheRootsofPlasmaPhysics ................................ 2
1.2 ThePlasmaEnvironmentofOurEarth ........................ 4
1.2.1 TheEnergySourceofStars.......................... 4
1.2.2 TheActiveSun.................................... 5
1.2.3 TheSolarWind.................................... 7
1.2.4 Earth’sMagnetosphereandIonosphere ................ 9
1.3 GasDischarges ........................................... 12
1.3.1 Lighting.......................................... 12
1.3.2 PlasmaDisplays ................................... 14
1.4 DustyPlasmas ............................................ 15
1.5 ControlledNuclearFusion .................................. 17
1.5.1 AParticleAcceleratorMakesNoFusionReactor ....... 18
1.5.2 MagneticConfinementinTokamaks .................. 19
1.5.3 ExperimentswithD–TMixtures ..................... 19
1.5.4 TheInternationalThermonuclearExperimentalReactor.. 20
1.5.5 Stellarators ....................................... 22
1.5.6 InertialConfinementFusion ......................... 23
1.6 ChallengesofPlasmaPhysics ............................... 24
1.7 OutlineoftheBook........................................ 25
2 DefinitionofthePlasmaState ................................... 29
2.1 StatesofMatter ........................................... 29
2.1.1 TheBoltzmannDistribution ......................... 30
2.1.2 TheSahaEquation ................................. 32
2.1.3 TheCouplingParameter ............................ 34
2.2 CollectiveBehaviorofaPlasma ............................. 34
2.2.1 DebyeShielding................................... 35
2.2.2 Quasineutrality .................................... 39
2.2.3 ResponseTimeandPlasmaFrequency ................ 39
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