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A real-time capable core Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) heating model on NSTX and WEST is developed. The model is based on two nonlinear regression algorithms, the random forest ensemble of decision trees and the multilayer perceptron neural network. The algorithms are trained on TORIC ICRF spectrum solver simulations of the expected flat-top operation scenarios in NSTX and WEST assuming Maxwellian plasmas. The surrogate models are shown to successfully capture the multi-species core ICRF power absorption predicted by the original model for the high harmonic fast wave and the ion cyclotron minority heating schemes while reducing the computational time by six orders of magnitude. Although these models can be expanded, the achieved regression scoring, computational efficiency and increased model robustness suggest these strategies can be implemented into integrated modeling frameworks for real-time control applications.

This paper offers a fresh perspective on solar chromosphere heating and plasma outflows, focusing on the contribution of waves generated by solar granulation. Utilizing a 2.5D numerical experiment for the partially ionized lower solar atmosphere, we investigate the dissipation of these waves and their impact on plasma outflows and chromospheric heating via ion-neutral collisions. Employing the JOint ANalytical and Numerical Approach code, we adopt two-fluid model equations, examining partially ionized hydrogen plasma dynamics, including protons+electrons and neutrals, treated as two separate fluids that are coupled through ion-neutral collisions. Our investigation focuses on a quiet solar chromosphere region characterized by gravitational stratification and magnetic confinement by an initially set single magnetic arcade. The primary source of the waves is the solar convection beneath the photosphere. Our results demonstrate that ion-neutral collisions result in the dissipation of such waves, releasing thermal energy that heats the chromosphere plasma. Notably, this is accompanied by upward-directed plasma flows. Finally, we conclude that wave dissipation due to ion-neutral collisions in the two-fluid plasma model induces chromosphere heating and plasma outflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a long device enhancement phase, scientific operation resumed in 2022. The main new device components are the water cooling of all plasma facing components and the new water-cooled high heat flux divertor units. Water cooling allowed for the first long-pulse operation campaign. A maximum discharge length of 8 min was achieved with a total heating energy of 1.3 GJ. Safe divertor operation was demonstrated in attached and detached mode. Stable detachment is readily achieved in some magnetic configurations but requires impurity seeding in configurations with small magnetic pitch angle within the edge islands. Progress was made in the characterization of transport mechanisms across edge magnetic islands: Measurement of the potential distribution and flow pattern reveals that the islands are associated with a strong poloidal drift, which leads to rapid convection of energy and particles from the last closed flux surface into the scrape-off layer. Using the upgraded plasma heating systems, advanced heating scenarios were developed, which provide improved energy confinement comparable to the scenario, in which the record triple product for stellarators was achieved in the previous operation campaign. However, a magnetic configuration-dependent critical heating power limit of the electron cyclotron resonance heating was observed. Exceeding the respective power limit leads to a degradation of the confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European DEMO (EU-DEMO) reactor studies within EUROfusion aim to develop a fusion power plant concept. The large tokamak device needs an auxiliary heating power which, at the present stage, is provided by the Electron Cyclotron (EC) heating system with up to 130 MW foreseen to reach different regions of plasma for heating, suppression of instabilities and the possibility to support ramp-up and ramp-down phases. The present conceptual design of the system is based on 2 MW coaxial-cavity gyrotron sources, a transmission line (TL) using both circular corrugated waveguides and quasi-optical evacuated multi-beam TLs, and mirror antennas located in the Equatorial Port. In order to create a modular system, the sources are grouped in 'clusters', whose powers are combined in the quasi-optical TL, up to the tokamak building, where they are split and routed as single waveguides. In the launcher, they are combined together again on the launching mirrors, to save space for the apertures in the Breeding Blanket. The present EC heating system has a certain flexibility to adapt to changing design guidelines. The development status of the system is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed characterization of a high-power radio frequency (RF) broadband circularly polarized two-arm spiral antenna is designed to operate within the frequency range of 0.1–1.0 GHz. The impedance matching network technique is introduced to optimize its performance. The traditional spiral antenna is excited by a vertical or horizontal balun, whereas the proposed design is directly fed by a coaxial cable featuring a planar feeding section specially optimized to achieve broadband input impedance matching. The spiral antenna is designed as per the steady-state superconducting tokamak (SST-1) port space constraints. The simulated efficiency of the RF power coupling with the hydrogen plasma is ∼70 %. Through simulation, it was evident that the proposed antenna exhibited inherent resonance at 0.5 GHz with a reflection coefficient of −27.94 dB and an axial ratio is 3.39 dB respectively. The obtained outcomes unequivocally demonstrate the circular polarization of the designed antenna. Overall, the findings support the enhancement of plasma heating and current drive techniques in fusion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI) is a large scale convective instability which occurs anywhere the velocity shear between two fluids is large, such as Earth's magnetopause where the fast flowing magnetosheath abuts the relatively stagnant outer magnetosphere. The KHI was initially believed to contribute only to energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere, but was eventually shown to support mass transport and plasma heating. Recent advancements in in-situ observational capabilities and high scale computer modeling have once again shifted our understanding of the KHI from a large scale process, to an active environment which connects the global and kinetic scales through a variety of multi-scale processes and phenomena. In this minireview, we provide an update on the latest findings in Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) related processes at kinetic scales and the effects of the global environment on KH development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subauroral red (SAR) arcs are commonly observed ionospheric red line emissions. They are usually attributed to subauroral electron heating by inner magnetospheric heat flux (IMHF). However, the role of IMHF in changing the ionosphere‐thermosphere (IT) still remains elusive. We conduct controlled numerical experiments with the Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). Coulomb collisional heat flux derived with the Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere Ionosphere (CIMI) model and empirical subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) are implemented in TIEGCM. The heat flux causes electron temperature enhancement, electron density depletion, and consequently SAR arcs formed in the dusk‐to‐midnight subauroral ionosphere region. SAPS cause more substantial plasma and neutral heating and plasma density variations in a broader region. The maximum enhancement of subauroral red line emission rate is comparable to that caused by the heat flux. However, the visibility of SAR arcs also depends on the relative enhancement to the background brightness. Plain Language Summary: The Earth's topside atmosphere is subject to energy inputs from the magnetosphere and solar wind. In addition to the Joule heating generated by high latitude plasma convection and energy flux carried by precipitating magnetospheric particles, magnetospheric energy can be also deposited in the ionosphere‐thermosphere via heat flux, that is, energy flows carried by low‐energy thermal electrons. When hot ions in the ring current collide with the cold plasma in the plasmasphere, heat conduction occurs and the resultant heat flux is transported along geomagnetic field lines to the footprint ionosphere. The additional heating raises the electron temperature in the subauroral ionosphere and modifies the ionosphere‐thermosphere states. This study uses first‐principles inner magnetosphere model and ionosphere‐thermosphere model to illustrate the thermodynamic coupling effects between the topside ionosphere and the magnetosphere, and compare the relative significance between the heat flux and plasma convection due to electrodynamic coupling. The numerical experiments show that the heat flux primarily increases electron temperature while subauroral plasma flow heats up both plasma and neutrals. Despite different physical mechanisms, the heat flux and subauroral plasma convection make comparable contributions to red line emission rates in the subauroral region. Key Points: Inner magnetospheric heat flux increases subauroral ionospheric electron temperature and depletes the density to form subauroral red arcsCompared to subauroral polarization streams, the heat flux heating effects are only confined to electrons in the subauroral regionThe heat flux produces negligible impacts on ions and neutrals compared to subauroral polarization streams [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the plasma dynamic modes of operation of end-type magnetoplasma compressor (MPC) discharges. The characteristic methods used to organize the optical pumping of a photodissociation gas laser using an MPC discharge are briefly described. The kinetic and energy characteristics of photodissociation gas optical quantum generators (OQGs) with optical pumping by an MPC discharge were evaluated. Based on the numerical calculations, an analysis of the radiation–plasma dynamic structures and the spectral brightness characteristics of the MPC discharge in the ohmic mode of plasma heating was carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosive release of energy in the solar atmosphere is driven magnetically, but the mechanisms that trigger the onset of the eruption remain controversial. In the case of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), ideal or non-ideal instabilities usually occur in the corona, but it is difficult to obtain direct observations and diagnostics there. To overcome this difficulty, we analyze observational signatures in the upper chromosphere or transition region, particularly brightening and dimming at the base of coronal magnetic structures. In this paper, we examine the time evolution of spatially resolved light curves in two eruptive flares and identify a variety of tempo-spatial sequences of brightening and dimming, such as dimming followed by brightening and dimming preceded by brightening. These brightening--dimming sequences are indicative of the configuration of energy release in the form of plasma heating or bulk motion. We demonstrate the potential of using these analyses to diagnose the properties of magnetic reconnection and plasma expansion in the corona during the early stages of the eruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the partitioning of turbulent energy between ions and electrons in weakly collisional plasmas is crucial for the accurate interpretation of observations and modelling of various astrophysical phenomena. Many such plasmas are 'imbalanced', wherein the large-scale energy input is dominated by Alfvénic fluctuations propagating in a single direction. In this paper, we demonstrate that when strongly-magnetised plasma turbulence is imbalanced, nonlinear conservation laws imply the existence of a critical value of the electron plasma beta (the ratio of the thermal to magnetic pressures) that separates two dramatically different types of turbulence in parameter space. For betas below the critical value, the free energy injected on the largest scales is able to undergo a familiar Kolmogorov-type cascade to small scales where it is dissipated, heating electrons. For betas above the critical value, the system forms a 'helicity barrier' that prevents the cascade from proceeding past the ion Larmor radius, causing the majority of the injected free energy to be deposited into ion heating. Physically, the helicity barrier results from the inability of the system to adjust to the disparity between the perpendicular-wavenumber scalings of the free energy and generalised helicity below the ion Larmor radius; restoring finite electron inertia can annul, or even reverse, this disparity, giving rise to the aforementioned critical beta. We relate this physics to the 'dynamic phase alignment' mechanism (that operates under yet lower beta conditions and in pair plasmas), and characterise various other important features of the helicity barrier, including the nature of the nonlinear wavenumber-space fluxes, dissipation rates, and energy spectra. The existence of such a critical beta has important implications for heating, as it suggests that the dominant recipient of the turbulent energy, ions or electrons, can depend sensitively on the characteristics of the plasma at large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear Alfvén wave parametric decay instability (PDI) provides a potential path toward significant wave dissipation and plasma heating. However, fundamental questions regarding how PDI is excited in a realistic three-dimensional (3D) open system and how the finite perpendicular wave scale—as found in both laboratory and space plasmas—affects the excitation remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first 3D, open-boundary, hybrid kinetic-fluid simulations of kinetic Alfvén wave PDI in low-beta plasmas. Key findings are that the PDI excitation is strongly limited by the wave damping present, including electron–ion collisional damping (represented by a constant resistivity) and geometrical attenuation associated with the finite-scale Alfvén wave, and ion Landau damping of the child acoustic wave. The perpendicular wave scale alone, however, plays no discernible role: waves of different perpendicular scales exhibit similar instability excitation as long as the magnitude of the parallel ponderomotive force remains unchanged. These findings are corroborated by theoretical analysis and estimates. This new understanding of 3D kinetic Alfvén wave PDI physics is essential for laboratory study of the basic plasma process and may also aid future evaluation of the relevance/role of PDI in low-beta space plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical principles and modern techniques for the formation of spontaneous vacuum ultraviolet radiation are described for three cases: the formation of line spectra of atoms, line spectra of multicharged ions and continuous spectra of excimer molecules. The parameters of the radiation sources are correlated with their applications: real and potential. The following schemes of the formation of vacuum ultraviolet radiation are described: H-type and E-type high frequencies discharges; discharge in a hollow cathode; glow, barrier, and arc discharges; high-voltage nanosecond discharge with a sharply inhomogeneous distribution of electric field strength in a gap; laser, discharge, and hybrid systems for multicharged ions formation; excitation of gas targets under conditions of gyrotron plasma heating. The review covers the state of the art over the last 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic equations of hydrodynamic theory of plasma are presened. The article shows that for transfer processes in liquid and gas, on the one hand, and in plasma, on the other hand, there exist sets of stochastic differential equations for substantial quantities based on the equality of measures between deterministic motion and random motion. It is shown that the application of these stochastic equations makes it possible to obtain new theoretical solutions for the occurrence of turbulence also for a plasma as a result of its heating in an external electric field instead of only for a classical gas, as it was proved previously. Theoretical solutions for the conductivity of turbulent plasma during its heating in an external electric field are considered. At a first time taking into account the turbulence parameters theoretical relations for the electron drift velocity and corresponding relations for electron mobility, for the frequency of electron collisions, and for the Coulomb integral are obtained. All theoretical relations are applied to calculate the conductivity during the turbulent heating of plasma in an electric field. Here experiments with hydrogen plasma are being considered. The theoretical explanation of the cause for the existence of a constant conductivity in the field of strength E = 0.6 - 19 V/cm and its fall at 19 < E < 100 V/cm is given. The calculated dependences of plasma conductivity are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data at the electric-field strength in the turbulent region E = 0.6 - 100 V/cm and in the region E < 0.6 V/cm.The equation for the critical electric-field strength is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collisionless nature of planetary magnetospheres means that electromagnetic forces are fundamental in controlling the flow of energy and momentum through these systems. We use Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) observations to demonstrate that the magnetic pumping process can be active at Venus, in analogy to its recent discovery at Mars. The presented case study demonstrates the framework for how the process can work at Venus, and the results of a statistical analysis show that the ambient plasma conditions support the process being active. Magnetic pumping enables low frequency magnetosonic waves to heat ambient ionospheric electrons and provides a mechanism that couples the solar wind to the Venusian ionosphere. This is the first time the magnetic pumping process has been discussed at Venus. Plain Language Summary: Our Sun emits a stream of particles outward into our solar system, known as the solar wind. When these particles encounter planets and other bodies (such as comets), they either collide with the body (as happens with our Moon) or are deflected around the obstacle, similar to how water in a stream flows around a rock (this happens at most planets, including Earth, Venus and Mars). Understanding the physical forces that control this deflection enable us to understand how the Sun interacts with the planets in our solar system. We use in situ measurements made by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft, which orbited the planet Venus, to investigate one specific process, known as "magnetic pumping." This process allows energy from the solar wind to flow into the Venusian atmosphere. We provide a case study demonstrating how this process can operate at Venus, and show that the average conditions in the near Venus space environment can support this process in a more general sense. Key Points: A case study demonstrates how the magnetic pumping process operates at VenusStatistical analysis of the plasma conditions at Venus support the notion that magnetic pumping can operate thereMagnetic pumping provides an avenue for the solar wind to couple to the Venusian ionosphere and heat ionospheric electrons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-k turbulence (1 < kθρs < 5) spectrograms have been directly measured in density modulation experiments of the EAST tokamak using the collective Thomson scattering diagnostic system. Density-peaking modulation is achieved in Lower Hybrid Wave (LHW) modulation experiments, revealing that the broadband turbulence is sensitive to the power modulation of LHW and the concomitant variation of density-peaking. Additionally, the contributions of 2.45/4.6 GHz LHW to density peaking differ when Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) is on/off, displaying distinct responses of broadband turbulence in low/high frequency ranges. It is found by cross-coherence analysis that the phase angle is negative in cases without NBI, while in NBI cases it can be modulated from negative to positive, indicating a significant transition of radial turbulence propagation. These findings highlight the active control of density-peaking via auxiliary heating in tokamak plasmas and suggest the potential role of high-k turbulence in density-peaking modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model of a force-free magnetic flux rope with a high concentration of electric current on the axis is presented. The general property of axisymmetric force-free magnetic ropes is that with the exit of the top of the magnetic loop-rope into the corona, the external pressure that keeps it from lateral expansion steadily decreases, and with some critical decrease in this pressure, the longitudinal magnetic field of the rope becomes zero on the surface where the electric current changes its sign (it is current inversion surface—CIS). In this case, the force-free parameter and the azimuthal electric current jϕ(r) experience a second-order discontinuity on this surface, so that in the vicinity of CIS their values begin to increase without limit. The current (drift) speed of electrons here will inevitably exceed the speed of ion sound. This serves as a trigger for the heating of non-isothermal plasma (so it turns out Te Ti) and the excitation of plasma ion-acoustic instability of the plasma not only near the CIS, but also in the central region of the rope, on its axis, where the current density is especially high. The appearance of anomalous resistance leads to rapid dissipation of the magnetic field and the generation of a super-Dreicer electric field. The Parker effect, associated with the equalization (with some delay) of the torque along the axis of the rope due to the transfer of the azimuthal field to the region of energy release, leads to quasiperiodic pulsations of hard flare radiation and, ultimately, ensures the flare release of the most part of free magnetic energy accumulated in the rope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic equations of the hydrodynamic theory of plasma are presented in relation to strong external fields. It is shown that the use of these stochastic equations makes it possible to obtain new theoretical solutions for plasma as a result of its heating in a strong external electric field. Theoretical solutions for the conductivity of turbulent plasma when heated in an external electric field of 100 V/cm are considered. Calculated values for the electron drift velocity, electron mobility, electron collision frequency, and the Coulomb logarithm in the region of strong electric fields are obtained. Here we consider experiments on turbulent heating of hydrogen plasma in the range of electric field strength of 100 < E < 1000. The calculated dependences of plasma conductivity are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data for heating plasma in a strong electric field. It is shown that the plasma turbulence in the region of strong electric fields E ~1000 V/cm is close to 100%. For the first time, it is confirmed that the derived dependences for collision frequency, drift velocity, and other values include the degree of turbulence of plasma, which makes it possible to correctly describe experimental data for heating plasma even with strong electric fields. In addition, it was determined that the scatter of experimental data may be associated with the variability of the function in the expression for the heat flux density. For the first time, it is shown theoretically that the experimentally determined fact of the possibility of the existence of an approximate constancy of plasma conductivity in the region E = 100–1000 V/cm can occur with an error of ~30%. The results show significant advantages of the stochastic hydrodynamic plasma theory over other methods that are not yet able to satisfactorily as well as qualitatively and quantitatively predict long-known experimental data while taking into account the degree of turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Earth's magnetosheath (MSH), several processes contribute to energy dissipation and plasma heating, one of which is wave‐particle interactions between whistler waves and electrons. However, the overall impact of whistlers on electron dynamics in the MSH remains to be quantified. We analyze 18 hr of burst‐mode measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, including data from the unbiased magnetosheath campaign during February‐March 2023. We present a statistical study of 34,409 whistler waves found using automatic detection. We compare wave occurrence in the different MSH geometries and find three times higher occurrence in the quasi‐perpendicular MSH compared to the quasi‐parallel case. We also study the wave properties and find that the waves propagate quasi‐parallel to the background magnetic field, have a median frequency of 0.2 times the electron cyclotron frequency, median amplitude of 0.03–0.06 nT (30–60 pT), and median duration of a few tens of wave periods. The whistler waves are preferentially observed in local magnetic dips and density peaks and are not associated with an increased temperature anisotropy. Also, almost no whistlers are observed in regions with parallel electron plasma beta lower than 0.1. Importantly, when estimating pitch‐angle diffusion times we find that the whistler waves cause significant pitch‐angle scattering of electrons in the MSH. Key Points: Whistlers exist throughout the magnetosheath with higher occurrence in the quasi‐perpendicular geometry and in local magnetic field dipsWhistlers are observed in regions with electron beta above 0.1 and are not correlated with electron temperature anisotropyWhistlers cause significant pitch‐angle scattering of magnetosheath electrons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma Depletion Events (PDEs) are characterized by abrupt, localized reductions in ionospheric plasma density at least by an order of magnitude decrease. These events are observed over a limited range of altitudes, typically spanning a few tens of kilometers. We use Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft data to investigate the properties and possible formation mechanism of daytime PDEs, typically observed at altitudes above 250 km. We show, using two example events and statistical analysis, that the depletion events are associated with electrostatic fluctuations and increased electron temperatures. The events are further accompanied by enhanced fluxes of suprathermal electrons and light energetic ions. These are indicative of local plasma heating, possibly mediated by the electrostatic fluctuations. The heated plasma may eventually escape from the depletion region through the ambipolar diffusion. Plain Language Summary: The Martian ionosphere, consisting of ions and electrons, is embedded in the planet's thin atmosphere. Density variations in the ionosphere, occurring on both large and small scales, can significantly impact the atmospheric loss process on Mars. One particular type of these ionospheric anomalies involves sudden reductions in ion density, often by tenfold or more. Although we have a basic understanding of these depletion events, their detailed characteristics and origins are not yet fully understood. We use data from various instruments onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft to investigate these phenomena, particularly on the dayside. We find that these depletion events are accompanied by increased electron temperatures and enhanced electric field fluctuations, while the magnetic field remains virtually unchanged. These observations suggest localized plasma heating within the depleted region. Furthermore, the fluxes of energetic light ions (mostly protons) and electrons are increased during the events. This increase in energetic particles could potentially serve as the energy source driving the heating process. We propose that the depletion events form when the heated ionospheric plasma escapes from the heated region. Key Points: Large scale plasma density depletions in the Martian dayside ionosphere are linked with electrostatic fluctuationsIncreased electron temperatures, enhanced suprathermal electron fluxes, and energetic light ions are observed within the depleted regionsLocal plasma heating possibly drives electron escape, forming an ambipolar field and causing plasma depletions through ambipolar diffusion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a computational study of isochoric heating in multi-layered (ML) targets at ultra-high intensity laser irradiation ( ∼ 10 20 W c m − 2 ). Previous studies have shown enhanced ion heating at interfaces, but at the cost of large temperature gradients. Here, we study ML targets to spread this enhanced interface heating to the entirety of the target and find heating parameters at which the temperature distribution is more homogeneous than at a single interface while still exceeding the mean temperature of a non-layered target. Further, we identify a limiting process of pressure oscillations that causes the layers to alternate between expanding and being compressed and leads to lower ion temperatures. Based on that, we derive an analytical model estimating the oscillation period to find target conditions that optimize heating and temperature homogeneity. This model can also be used to infer the electron energy from the oscillation period which can be measured e.g. by XFEL probing.

Interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) is a massive, coherent magnetic structure emitting from the Sun in interplanetary space and plays an essential role in space weather processes. Here, we focus on determining the turbulent characteristics of magnetic field fluctuations in 358 ICMEs magnetic flux ropes (MFR) at 1 au using Wind spacecraft data. We observed that during injection, inertial, and dissipation scales, the average spectral index of the analysed MFRs is −1.70 ± 0.26, −1.64 ± 0.06, and −2.31 ± 0.40, respectively. It implies that overall the turbulence inside the ICME MFR has a Kolmogorow (f −5/3) type spectrum. We observe the nature of the spectral index to be unaffected by the MFR boundary and the presence of a background magnetic field. Thus, coherent MFRs show some turbulent characteristics. The low compressibility value during injection and the inertial scale indicate that Alfvénic fluctuations may dominate at these scales. We observe spectral break at the dissipation scale, but low normalized magnetic helicity denied the role of wave activity. Therefore, thorough research of the causes of a spectral break during the ICME MFR is necessary. Our results are relevant to exploring the energy cascade process, plasma heating, and energetic particle modulation in low plasma beta structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma was heated at the second harmonic of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) in the L-2M stellarator and the T-10 tokamak. The concept of equivalent tokamak and stellarator discharges was extended to the case of both full and partial absorption of EC power. Comparison of experimental electron temperature profiles with profiles calculated using the canonical profiles transport model allows us to estimate the efficiency of ECR heating in the L-2M discharges without suprathermal electrons, which distort the distribution function, preventing reliable measurements of temperature. The dependence of the ECR heating efficiency on the plasma density was obtained, describing experiments on the L-2M and TJ-II stellarators, and on the T-10 tokamak. The energy characteristics (the stored energy and the confinement time) for L-2M discharges were calculated. Predictions for ECR heating in the T-15MD tokamak are considered. The features of solving the ill-posed transport problem for the L-2M are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the plasma performance and control the density and plasma quality during the flat top phase, wall conditioning techniques are used in large fusion devices like W7-X and in JT60-SA. To study the performance of electron cyclotron wall conditioning, numerous experiments were performed on the TOroidally MAgnetized System, which is operated by LPP-ERM/KMS at the FZ-Jülich. It is a facility designed to study plasma production, wall conditioning, and plasma–surface interactions. The produced electron cyclotron resonance heating plasmas are characterized in various conditions by density and temperature measurements using a movable triple Langmuir probe in the horizontal and the vertical direction, complemented by video and spectroscopic data, to obtain a 2D extrapolation of the plasma parameters in the machine. A way to calibrate the triple Langmuir probe measurements is also investigated. These data can be used to determine the direction of the plasma drift in the vessel and identify the power absorption mechanisms. This will give more insight in the plasma behavior and improve the efficiency of wall conditioning and sample exposure experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot flow anomalies (HFAs) are typical and important foreshock transients characterized by large flow deflection and plasma heating. HFAs can deform the Earth's bow shock by dynamic pressure perturbation resulting in disturbance in the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Traditionally, HFAs are believed to be associated with discontinuities. But recently, HFA‐like structures were simulated by a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model without the discontinuity prerequisite. In this study, three HFA‐like structures are shown to present the MHD formation mechanism. Multi‐points observation by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission tracks the formation of an HFA from a density depletion upstream. HFAs with high‐ or low‐ density cores are observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in the flank region. The comparisons of the observation and their simulation show general agreement, particularly in the presence of a core with strong heating and velocity deflection, and two compression regions (shocks) with clear maxima in the ram pressure with a strongly inclined normal boundary at the leading edge and moderately inclined at the trailing edge. Agreement is better when the MHD simulations used a transient change to quasi‐parallel solar wind magnetic field during the events. Key Points: Hot flow anomalies (HFAs) can form from the reformation of the fast shock geometry by a low‐density flux tubeHFAs with either high‐ or low‐density cores are reproduced by a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) modelThe observations and the corresponding MHD model have good consistencies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed analysis of a high Mach number quasiperpendicular Earth bow shock crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft fleet reveal that lower‐hybrid (LH) whistler waves generated in the shock foot region transport energy predominately along the shock surface and slightly toward the shock ramp in the shock normal incidence frame, where wave energy accumulates and is dissipated into the plasma. This suggests the LH whistlers play an integral role in energy reconfiguration at high Mach number collisionless shocks with ramifications to plasma heating. The multipoint observations are used to quantify the wave characteristic parameters (via interferometry), Poynting fluxes, and energy conversion rates D, and to assess their scale dependencies and spatial and temporal properties. The whistler associated energy transport and conversion are found to depend on scale and location within the layer. High‐frequency electrostatic waves yield largest values of D. However, the dominant net energy exchange contribution is from the LH whistlers. In the foot spatially temporally coherent net energy exchange from the plasma to whistlers is observed, whereas deeper in the ramp net wave energy dissipation to the plasma is observed exhibiting significant space‐time variability. These results are consistent with the modified two stream instability driven by the relative drift between reflected ions and electrons as the mechanism for wave growth in the foot. Owing to strong electron heating, whistler energy dissipation in the ramp is attributed to Landau damping, which out‐competes the destabilizing effect of the reflected ion and electron drift. Key Points: Whistler waves near lower‐hybrid frequencies play an integral role in the reconfiguration of energy at high Mach number collisionless shocksWhistler mediated energy transport and exchange depends on scale and location within the layerWhistlers transport energy along the shock and slightly toward the ramp where it gets dissipated into electron heating via Landau damping [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultralight dark photons constitute a well-motivated candidate for dark matter. A coherent electromagnetic wave is expected to be induced by dark photons when coupled with Standard-Model photons through kinetic mixing mechanism, and should be spatially correlated within the de Broglie wavelength of dark photons. Here we report the first search for correlated dark-photon signals using a long-baseline network of 15 atomic magnetometers, which are situated in two separated meter-scale shield rooms with a distance of about 1700 km. Both the network's multiple sensors and the shields large size significantly enhance the expected dark-photon electromagnetic signals, and long-baseline measurements confidently reduce many local noise sources. Using this network, we constrain the kinetic mixing coefficient of dark photon dark matter over the mass range 4.1 feV-2.1 peV, which represents the most stringent constraints derived from any terrestrial experiments operating over the aforementioned mass range. Our prospect indicates that future data releases may go beyond the astrophysical constraints from the cosmic microwave background and the plasma heating. Nearly a century after dark matter was proposed, yet its nature remains elusive. Here, authors present their dark photon dark matter search results using two atomic magnetometer arrays 1700 km apart in large magnetic shields and offer the strongest terrestrial constraint in this mass range to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the main problems of designing a thermonuclear tokamak reactor, such as the experimental demonstration of quasi-stationary thermonuclear burning, generation of non-inductive quasi-stationary current; development of plasma technologies and materials of the first wall and divertor, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER is being designed, projects of DEMO demonstration reactors are being developed, and a Tokamak with Reactor Technologies TRT is being developed in Russia. The main components of the ITER (superconducting electromagnetic system (EMS) made of Nb3Sn and NbTi, the first wall of W coated with a low-Z material, systems for additional plasma heating, experimental modules of a breeder blanket, plasma control systems, etc.) and TRT (EMS of high-temperature superconductors, first wall options of W with B4C coating, TiB2–AlN composite and liquid metal lithium, additional heating and quasi-stationary non-inductive current drive systems, innovative divertor, experimental breeder and hybrid blanket modules, reactor-compatible diagnostics and remote plasma control systems, etc.) technology platforms are presented. The technological platforms of the ITER being under construction and the TRT being designed contain an almost complete, according to modern understanding, set of technologies for the future thermonuclear reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microflares are energetically smaller versions of solar flares, demonstrating the same processes of plasma heating and particle acceleration. However, it remains unclear down to what energy scales this impulsive energy release continues, which has implications for how the solar atmosphere is heated. The heating and particle acceleration in microflares can be studied through their X-ray emission, finding predominantly thermal emission at lower energies; however, at higher energies it can be difficult to distinguish whether the emission is due to hotter plasma and/or accelerated electrons. We present the first application of nested sampling to solar flare X-ray spectra, an approach that provides a quantitative degree of confidence for one model over another. We analyse Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array X-ray observations of a small active region microflare (A0.02 GOES/XRS class equivalent) that occurred on 2021 November 17, with a new python package for spectral fitting, sunkit-spex , to compute the parameter posterior distributions and the evidence of different models representing the higher energy emission as due to thermal or non-thermal sources. Calculating the Bayes factor, we show that there is significantly stronger evidence for the higher energy microflare emission to be produced by non-thermal emission from flare-accelerated electrons than by an additional hot thermal source. Qualitative confirmation of this non-thermal source is provided by the lack of hotter (10 MK) emission in Solar Dynamic Observatory's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly's extreme ultraviolet data. The nested sampling approach used in this paper has provided clear support for non-thermal emission at the level of 3 × 1024 erg s−1 in this tiny microflare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the ultimate goal of producing long-lasting quasi-stationary discharges required for future fusion power stations, the numerical study of steady-state solutions of equations describing the particle and energy balance rightfully gets ample attention. Transient states may, however, differ significantly from the steady state ultimately reached and will – in practice – impact on the actual fate of the discharge. Using brutally simple models, the present paper highlights a number of aspects to illustrate this dynamics. It e.g. shows the different signature of wave and beam heating, potentially giving room to transiently trigger desirable effects that may allow us to better steer a discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic reconnection is a critically important process in defining the dynamics and energy transport within plasma environments. In near‐Earth space we may track where and when reconnection occurs by identifying associated coherent magnetic structures. On a global scale these structures facilitate the flow of mass and magnetic flux into, within, and out of the magnetospheric system, whilst contributing to local plasma heating. In the Earth's magnetotail there are two similar structures we identify in this work: magnetic flux ropes and loops. We present a robust, automated and model independent method by which encounters with such structures may be identified using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. The magnetic structures are first identified through their magnetic field signatures at a single spacecraft (MMS1), including checks on the local minimum variance coordinate system. Next, the local curvature of the magnetic field is evaluated with all four MMS spacecraft. Finally, the plasma conditions are checked to ensure that the interpretation is fully self‐consistent. We evaluate the data obtained by MMS between 2017 and 2022. In total we find 181 self‐consistent magnetic flux ropes and 263 magnetic loops, which fit an exponentially decaying size distribution with a scale size comparable to the ion gyroradius (∼0.23 RE/1,400 km). If we remove the requirements on the plasma properties of the structure, we locate 648 potential magnetic flux ropes and 1,073 magnetic loops. The magnetic structures are preferentially observed in the pre‐midnight region of the magnetotail, with most identifications occurring beyond 20 RE. All catalogs are provided to the community. Key Points: Automated, model independent method presented to identify ion‐scale magnetotail magnetic flux ropes and loop‐like plasmoidsWe provide comprehensive catalogs of magnetotail structures observed by MMS between 2017 and 2022 (Smith et al., 2023)Structures show a strong dawn‐dusk asymmetry: predominantly observed pre‐midnight, and follow an exponentially decaying size distribution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The collisionless nature of planetary magnetospheres means that electromagnetic forces are fundamental in controlling the flow of energy and momentum through these systems. We use Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) observations to demonstrate that the magnetic pumping process can be active at Venus, in analogy to its recent discovery at Mars. The presented case study demonstrates the framework for how the process can work at Venus, and the results of a statistical analysis show that the ambient plasma conditions support the process being active. Magnetic pumping enables low frequency magnetosonic waves to heat ambient ionospheric electrons and provides a mechanism that couples the solar wind to the Venusian ionosphere. This is the first time the magnetic pumping process has been discussed at Venus.

Three machine learning techniques (multilayer perceptron, random forest and Gaussian process) provide fast surrogate models for lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) simulations. A single GENRAY/CQL3D simulation without radial diffusion of fast electrons requires several minutes of wall-clock time to complete, which is acceptable for many purposes, but too slow for integrated modelling and real-Time control applications. The machine learning models use a database of more than 16Â 000 GENRAY/CQL3D simulations for training, validation and testing. Latin hypercube sampling methods ensure that the database covers the range of nine input parameters (, and) with sufficient density in all regions of parameter space. The surrogate models reduce the inference time from minutes to ms with high accuracy across the input parameter space.

During substructure formation in magnetized astrophysical plasma, dissipation of magnetic energy facilitated by magnetic reconnection affects the system dynamics by heating and accelerating the ejected plasmoids. Numerical simulations are a crucial tool for investigating such systems. In astrophysical simulations, the energy dissipation, reconnection rate, and substructure formation critically depend on the onset of reconnection of numerical or physical origin. In this paper, we hope to assess the reliability of the state-of-the-art numerical codes, pluto and koral by quantifying and discussing the impact of dimensionality, resolution, and code accuracy on magnetic energy dissipation, reconnection rate, and substructure formation. We quantitatively compare results obtained with relativistic and non-relativistic, resistive and non-resistive, as well as two- and three-dimensional set-ups performing the Orszag–Tang test problem. We find sufficient resolution in each model, for which numerical error is negligible and the resolution does not significantly affect the magnetic energy dissipation and reconnection rate. The non-relativistic simulations show that at sufficient resolution, magnetic and kinetic energies convert to internal energy and heat the plasma. In the relativistic system, energy components undergo mutual conversion during the simulation time, which leads to a substantial increase in magnetic energy at 20 per cent and 90 per cent of the total simulation time of 10 light-crossing times – the magnetic field is amplified by a factor of 5 due to relativistic shocks. We also show that the reconnection rate in all our simulations is higher than 0.1, indicating plasmoid-mediated regime. It is shown that in koral simulations more substructures are captured than in pluto simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heating rate of plasma electrons induced by external fields or other processes can be used as an experimental tool to measure fundamental plasma properties such as electrical conductivity or electron–ion collision rates. We have developed a technique that can measure electron heating rates in ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) with $\sim 10\,\%$ precision while simultaneously referencing the measurement to a calibrated amount of heating. This technique uses a sequence of applied electric fields in four sections: to control the ratio of electrons to ions in the UNP; to provide a time for the application of fields that cause electron heating and subsequent thermalization of the electrons after the application of those fields; to extract electrons from the UNP using a method sensitive to electron temperature that allows the measurement of electron heating; and to extract the remaining electrons to measure the total electron (and therefore ion) number. The primary signal used to measure the heating rate is the measurement of the number of electrons that escape in the third section of the experiment as a larger number of escaping electrons indicates a larger amount of heating. We illustrate the use of this technique by measuring electron heating caused by high-frequency radiofrequency (RF) fields. In addition to the main technique, several subtechniques to calibrate the electron temperature, electron density, amount of heating and applied RF field amplitude were developed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) is the main heating mechanism in the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. Although second-harmonic ECRH (X2) has been used routinely for plasma startup, startup at third harmonic (X3) is known to be much more difficult. In this work, we investigate the energy gain of particles during nonlinear wave–particle interaction for conditions relevant to second- and third-harmonic startups in W7-X. We take into account both the beam and the ambient magnetic field inhomogeneities. The latter is shown to significantly increase the mean energy gain resulting from a single wave–particle resonant interaction. In W7-X-like conditions, the improvement in maximum gained energy is up to 4 times the analogous uniform magnetic field case. However, this improvement is not enough to ensure X3 startup. The optimal magnetic field inhomogeneity length scale for average energy gain and start up in W7-X-like conditions is found to be in the range of $1$ to $3\ {\rm km}^{-1}$. A possibility of using multiple beams with neighbouring resonances is also considered. A considerable enhancement of the energy gain is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of laser-induced plasma on a solid target depends strongly on the laser pulse parameters and the ambient conditions. In this work, the characteristics of laser-induced plasma generated in water and in air were investigated with two laser pulse durations of 6 ns and 17 ns. It was shown that the responses of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) signals on the laser pulse duration in water and in air are different. In water, the 17 ns laser induces a brighter plasma and a stronger LIBS signal, whereas in air, the 6 ns laser is better. Such differences were attributed to the different plasma growth mechanisms in water and in air. The plasma growth in air is driven by strong laser-supported absorption waves, where the 6 ns laser with a higher peak irradiance corresponds to a stronger shock wave and more efficient heating on the plasma. Whereas for plasma growth in water, a great amount of laser energy is consumed in the material phase transitions, and in the mechanical effects of bubble expansion and shock wave propagation. The underwater plasma is far less heated by the laser pulse, and more easily suffers from the multiple breakdowns of water producing multiple shock waves and multi-plasmas. By using a longer laser pulse, which has a lower peak irradiance, the underwater plasma can absorb more laser energy over a longer laser pulse duration, and the multiple breakdown phenomenon can be suppressed. This results in a higher quality of underwater LIBS signals. The present work gives insights into the mechanism of plasma growth in water and in air, and provides suggestions for the choice of laser pulses in the relevant LIBS analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical kinetics model was developed to characterise the gas‐phase dynamics of H2 production in nanosecond‐pulsed CH4 plasmas. Pulsed behaviour was observed in the calculated electric field, electron temperature and species densities at all pressures. The model agrees reasonably with experimental results, showing CH4 conversion at 30% and C2H2 and H2 as major products. The underlying mechanisms in CH4 dissociation and H2 formation were analysed, highlighting the large contribution of vibrationally excited CH4 and H2 to coupling energy from the plasma into gas‐phase heating, and revealing that H2 synthesis is not affected by applied pressure, with selectivity remaining unchanged at ~42% in the 1–5 bar range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important problem of modern materials science is to increase the strength and wear resistance of tools and various machine parts. Boriding is one of the promising methods for increasing the surface hardness and wear resistance, resistance to oxidation and corrosion of machine building parts. In this work, boride coatings were obtained using plasma doping technology. It has been established that with an increase in current strength from 120 A to 160 A, the microstructure changes from hypereutectic to hypoeutectic. The maximum hardness was recorded on the sample surface with a current of 120 A and is 1519 HV. After the sliding friction test, it was noted that the boride coating at a current of 120 A has the highest wear resistance.

The paper analyzes the latitudinal distribution of high-temperature plasma (T>4 MK) and microflares on the solar disk during low solar activity in 2009. The distribution of A0.1–A1.0 microflares contains belts typical of ordinary flares of B class and higher. In total, we have registered 526 flares, most of which, about 96 %, occurred at high latitudes. About 4 % of microflares were found near the solar equator. We believe that they were formed by the residual magnetic field of previous solar cycle 23. Ordinary flares were almost not observed near the equator during this period. The number of microflares in the southern hemisphere was slightly higher than in the northern one. This differs from the distribution of ordinary flares for which the northern hemisphere was previously reported to be dominant.

In fast collisionless shocks, the density and magnetic field increase and the plasma is heated. The compression and heating are ultimately determined by the Rankine–Hugoniot relations connecting the upstream and downstream parameters. The standard Rankine–Hugoniot relations take into account only mean upstream and downstream parameters. Observations at the Earth's bow shock show that the downstream magnetic field does not always relax to a uniform state, but large amplitude magnetic oscillations persist. Here, these Rankine–Hugoniot relations are extended to such turbulent shocks where the mean downstream magnetic field is accompanied by magnetic fluctuations. It is shown that the turbulent magnetic field pressure may substantially exceed the pressure of the mean field, while the density compression and heating may be only weakly affected. Thus, strong amplification of the rms magnetic field can be achieved at the expense of a modest reduction of plasma heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the second Deuterium–Tritium Campaign (DTE2) in the JET tokamak with the ITER-Like Wall (ILW) and full tritium campaigns that preceded and followed after the DTE2, a sequence of fuel recovery methods was applied to promote tritium removal from wall components. The sequence started with several days of baking of the main chamber walls at 240 °C and at 320 °C. Subsequently, baking was superimposed with Ion-Cyclotron Wall Conditioning (ICWC) and Glow Discharge Conditioning (GDC) cleaning cycles in deuterium. Diverted plasma operation in deuterium with different strike point configurations, including a Raised Inner Strike Point (RISP) configuration, and with different plasma heating—Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF) and Neutral Beam Injection (NBI)—concluded the cleaning sequence. Tritium content in plasma and in the pumped gas was monitored throughout the experiment. The applied fuel recovery methods allowed reducing the residual tritium content in deuterium NBI-heated plasmas to about 0.1% as deduced from neutron rate measurements. This value is well below the requirement of 1% set by the maximum 14 MeV fusion neutron budget allocated in the ensuing deuterium plasma campaign. The quantified tritium removal over the course of the experiment was 13.4 ± 0.7 × 10 22 atoms or 0.67 ± 0.03 g with ∼58% attributed to baking, ∼12.5% to ICWC, ∼26% to GDC, and ∼3.5% to first low power RISP plasmas. The experimentally estimated amount of removed tritium is in good agreement with long-term tritium accounting by the JET tritium reprocessing plant, in which the unaccounted amount was reduced by 0.71 g after the cleaning experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of experiments carried out with a quasi-stationary L-2M stellarator in the regime of electron cyclotron resonance heating by means of two gyrotrons are presented. The data on increase in the plasma energy lifetime by means of modulation (profiling) of the microwave pulse are obtained. The first gyrotron operating at fixed power was used for ionization and initial heating of plasma, while the second gyrotron initiated a stationary discharge with a duration of 10 ms. It is demonstrated that the lifetime can be increased by varying the second-gyrotron power in the range of 50–200 kW. A fourfold increase in the lifetime was obtained when the second-gyrotron power was reduced to 50 kW. This work is of interest as a method of studying hot plasma confined in the toroidal magnetic system of a stellarator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the electron dynamics and generation of whistler‐mode waves inside a short large‐amplitude magnetic structure (SLAMS) based on Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellite observations and test particle simulations. The buildup of energetic reflected ions caused by the SLAMS's intense magnetic fields favors the resonance condition of solar wind ions of ion‐ion non‐resonant mode. This might further steepen the SLAMS, leading to the Betatron acceleration of electrons and generating the whistler‐mode waves locally ahead of the peak of the magnetic field. In regions behind the peaked magnetic field, electrons are decelerated by the convection electric field during gradient drift and the whistler‐mode waves are rapidly decayed. Our study provides new insights into electron acceleration and the generation of whistler‐mode waves near the quasi‐parallel shock. Plain Language Summary: On the quasi‐parallel side of the bow shock, ultra‐low frequency waves and nonlinear structures such as shocklet and short large‐amplitude magnetic structure (SLAMS) are commonly observed, which are powered by energetic reflected ions and form in different stages during steepening. Solar wind ions are heated significantly inside these nonlinear structures. However, what role electrons played inside these structures is full of mystery. Recent numerical simulations reveal that electron dynamics and whistler‐mode waves inside these structures are responsible for triggering bow shock reconnection on the quasi‐parallel side. In this paper, we focus on electron distributions and acceleration inside SLAMS. Electrons are accelerated/decelerated in regions prior to/after the peaked magnetic field, exciting/decaying whistler‐mode waves locally which well‐regulated the electron distribution. Our work reveals the electron dynamics inside the SLAMS and provides new insights into plasma heating and acceleration near the quasi‐parallel shock. Key Points: Whistler‐mode waves are locally generated through the first‐order resonance of the electrons inside the short large‐amplitude magnetic structure (SLAMS)SLAMS steepening primarily impacts electron acceleration and whistler‐mode wave generationElectron deceleration by the v × B electric field during gradient drift leads to whistler‐mode wave decay at the trailing edge of SLAMS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper derives the one-to-one connecting relationships between plasma heating and its polytropic index, and addresses the consequences through the transport equation of temperature. Thermodynamic polytropic processes are classified in accordance to their polytropic index, the exponent of the power-law relationship of thermal pressure expressed with respect to density. These processes generalize the adiabatic one, where no heating is exchanged between the system and its environment. We show that, in addition to heating terms, the transport equation of temperature depends on the adiabatic index, instead of a general, nonadiabatic polytropic index, even when the plasma follows nonadiabatic processes. This is because all the information regarding the system's polytropic index is contained in the heating term, even for a nonconstant polytropic index. Moreover, the paper (i) defines the role of the polytropic index in the context of heating; (ii) clarifies the role of the nonadiabatic polytropic index in the transport equation of temperature; (iii) provides an alternative method for deriving the turbulent heating through the comparably simpler polytropic index path; and, finally, (iv) shows a one-component plasma proof-of-concept of this method and discusses the implications of such derived connecting relationships in the solar wind plasma in the heliosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Saturn's magnetosphere, the plasma temperature increases with radial distance, requiring a heating mechanism to counteract the adiabatic cooling effect of expanding plasma. To explore potential heating source, we perform a statistical study about intermittent structures and intermittent heating in Saturn's magnetosphere based on the observations from the Cassini spacecraft. Partial Variance of Increments (PVI) technique is used to measure the intermittency of magnetic field and identify the intermittent structures. It is found that the electron temperature has a rising trend as the increase of magnetic field intermittency, implying the occurrence of electron heating in the intermittent structures. Additionally, the turbulence heating rate also exhibits an increasing trend as the increase of probability density of intermittent structures. Our results evidence the effect of intermittent heating in the Saturn's magnetosphere, and suggest that intermittent structures with high magnetic field intermittency play an important role in turbulence heating. Plain Language Summary: In Saturn's magnetosphere, the plasma temperature increases with radial distance, requiring a heating mechanism to counteract the adiabatic cooling effect of expanding plasma. Intermittent structure, which has been widely investigated in solar wind turbulence to explain the solar wind plasma heating, have never been considered in Saturn's magnetosphere. In this work, we investigate the intermittent structures and intermittent heating in Saturn's magnetosphere based on the observations from the Cassini spacecraft. We identify a positive correlation between electron temperature and magnetic field intermittency, as well as a positive correlation between turbulence heating rate and the probability density of intermittent structures. These results suggest that intermittent structures contribute to turbulent heating in Saturn's magnetosphere. Key Points: Intermittent structures are identified in Saturn's magnetosphere based on partial variance of increment techniqueElectron temperature has a rising trend as the intermittency increases, indicating the occurrence of intermittent electron heatingTurbulence heating rate increases as intermittent density rises, implying a contribution of intermittent structure to turbulence heating [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D and 3D simulations of the penetration of neutral particles into the plasma with parameters corresponding to the ohmic heating regime in the L-2M stellarator were performed, and the simulation results were compared. Radial distributions of neutrals density in plasma and model energy spectra of fluxes of charge-exchange atoms escaping from the plasma were obtained. For the conditions of the ohmic heating regime in the L-2M stellarator, the limiting plasma densities were determined, above which it is necessary to take into account the recombination processes when performing simulations. Comparison of the model energy spectra of fluxes of charge-exchange atoms escaping from the plasma with experimental data made it possible to construct the radial distributions of the neutrals density in absolute units. In this case, the calculated density of neutrals at the plasma axis turned out to be ~1015 m–3, which is four orders of magnitude less than the density of charged particles 1019 m–3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]