Theory and measurement of structure formation and chaotic transport in stochastic magnetic fields

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Karl-Heinz Spatschek; Professor Dr. Bernhard Unterberg
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2008 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 53367155

The project concentrates on the analytical, numerical, and experimental analysis of anomalous plasma transport in the presence of experimentally realized stochastic fields. The effects of time-dependent magnetic fields, trapped particles, electrostatic fluctuations, and binary collisions are investigated analytically. Specific applications will be the influence of stochastic fields with given statistical properties on low-dimensional plasma behavior, such as heat and particle losses, edge localized modes, and transport in weak guiding fields with percolative behavior, as appearing in tokamaks and astrophysical systems. The experimental investigations focus on measurements in the tokamak TEXTOR with upgraded diagnostics allowing adequate spatial and temporal resolution to analyze basic mechanisms of transport in the stochastic region caused by the Dynamic Ergodic Divertor (DED). The penetration of magnetic perturbations as well as the development of the radial electric field and its relation to plasma rotation will also be investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants