This research paper presents the results of experiments and simulations investigating the nonlinear interaction between spinning magnetized plasma pressure filaments. The experiments, conducted in a large linear magnetized plasma device, used controlled, skin depth-sized plasma pressure filaments in close proximity to observe how they interacted. The researchers found that when the filaments were separated by a distance of approximately five times the size of a single filament or less, a significant transfer of charge and energy occurred, leading to the generation of inter-filament electric fields. This resulted in the rotation of the filaments and influenced their merging dynamics. These results were confirmed by nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations, which revealed unstable drift-Alfvén modes driven by the steep electron temperature gradient. The study also explored the impact of filament separation on the mode structure and found that closer filaments resulted in more complex mode patterns. The insights gained from this study have implications for understanding the dynamics of plasma filaments in various environments, including fusion reactors and space plasmas.

URLS:

Basic Plasma Science Facility: https://plasma.physics.ucla.edu

Article being discussed: R. D. Sydora, T. Simala-Grant, S. Karbashewski, F. Jimenez, B. Van Compernolle, M. J. Poulos; Experiments and gyrokinetic simulations of the nonlinear interaction between spinning magnetized plasma pressure filaments. Phys. Plasmas 1 August 2024; 31 (8): 082304. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0213345

The Basic Plasma Science Facility is a Collaborative Research Facility that is primarily funded by the US Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences program, with additional funding from the National Science Foundation.