Journal article
Understanding how minority relativistic electron populations may dominate charge state balance and radiative cooling of a post-thermal quench tokamak plasma
Physics of Plasmas, Vol.29(1), 012504
18/01/2022
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Minority relativistic electron populations can occur in a range of complex plasmas. Of specific interest is when runaway electrons form among the presence of high-atomic-number ion species in a tokamak plasma discharge. It has been recently demonstrated that ion charge state distributions and radiation losses at low bulk electron temperatures can be dominated by relativistic electrons, even though their density is orders of magnitude lower. This was attributed to the relativistic enhancement of electron impact inelastic cross sections. In this work, we provide a closer inspection of the atomic physics underpinning this effect. We also demonstrate the consequences of runaway enhanced scattering on post-disruption tokamak fusion discharges with neon and argon impurities present. Effects on charge state distributions, radiation and spectral characteristics, and reduced-order modeling considerations are discussed.
Details
- Title
- Understanding how minority relativistic electron populations may dominate charge state balance and radiative cooling of a post-thermal quench tokamak plasma
- Creators
- Nathan A Garland - Los Alamos National LaboratoryHyun-Kyung Chung - Korea Institute of Fusion EnergyMark C Zammit - Los Alamos National LaboratoryChristopher J McDevitt - Los Alamos National LaboratoryJames Colgan - Los Alamos National LaboratoryChristopher J Fontes - Los Alamos National LaboratoryXian-Zhu Tang - Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Publication Details
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol.29(1), 012504
- Publisher
- A I P Publishing LLC
- Number of pages
- 19
- Grant note
- 20200356ER / Los Alamos National Laboratory (https://doi.org/10.13039/100008902) KFE-EN2141-7 / Korea Institute of Fusion Energy US DOE Fusion Theory Program US DOE SciDAC Program - TDS 89233218CNA000001 / Los Alamos National Laboratory (https://doi.org/10.13039/100008902)
- Identifiers
- 991012993398402368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article