Exponential Frequency Spectrum and Lorentzian Pulses in Magnetized Plasmas

D. C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales and T. A. Carter

50th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics American Physical Society Dallas, TX Wednesday, November 19, 2008

L A P D
1

Outline and Summary

Two controlled Pe experiments exhibit identical broadband power spectra

Temperature Density

gradient (Temperature Filament Experiment)

gradient (Limiter-Edge Experiment)

Broadband frequency spectrum is exponential.

Outline and Summary

Exponential spectrum results from solitary structures of Lorentzian temporal shape

= Time Width = Time Center

Pulses result from non-linear interactions of drift-Alfvn modes Pulse widths are a fraction of the drift-Alfvn period Pulses of negative and positive polarity are observed; related to blob phenomena in plasma edge

Large Plasma Device (LAPD)

lasma Length 16.6 m P
Typical Parameters Te = 5 eV ne = 1-3 x 1012 cm-3 Ti = 1 eV 70 cm Plasma Diameter tpulse = 10 - 12 ms Rep. Rate = 1 Hz Bo = 500 - 2500 G National User Facility http://plasma.physics.ucla.edu

Barium-Oxide Coated Cathode

4

Temperature Filament Experiment Features a Pure Temperature Gradient as Free Energy Source

70 cm

8-12 m Temperature Filament Cathode Anode Background Plasma

1m Heat Source

Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) crystal emits electrons 16 meters away from main cathode/anode. Afterglow plasma is used as background: ne 1012 cm-3, Te < 1 eV Beam voltage is set below the ionization energy of background neutral helium.
5

Temperature Filament Experiment Exhibits Classical Transport During the Early Times of the Heating Cycle

At early times measured behavior is quantitatively predicted by classical transport theory. (mA) I
sat

For early times, cylindrical symmetry is observed in the temperature prole.

t = 1.0 ms

8 6
Te (eV)

Time Evolution of Electron Temperature (lament center)

Heating

250 150 100 50 10 0

Ibeam (mA)

200

4 2 0 0 2
No Heating Beam Current

t (ms)
6

Temperature Filament Experiment Exhibits Classical Transport During the Early Times of the Heating Cycle

At early times measured behavior is quantitatively predicted by classical transport theory. (mA) I
sat

For early times, cylindrical symmetry is observed in the temperature prole.

Drift-Alfvn Wave Classical Transport
8 6
Heating

t = 1.0 ms

Thermal Wave

Transition to Turbulence
250 150 100 50 10 0
Ibeam (mA)

200

Te (eV)

4 2 0 0 2
No Heating Beam Current

t (ms)
7

Different Radial Regions

Center Gradient Outer Positive Pulses LaB6 3 mm

Te
r (cm) Drift-Alfven Eigenmode 0.5 1 1.5

Thermal Wave

Large amplitude coherent uctuations observed

Drift-Alfvn Eigenmode Isat / Isat > 20%
[Burke, et al. Phys. Plasmas 7, 1397 (2000)]
8

Thermal Wave Te / Te 50%

[Pace, et al. PRL 101, 035003 (2008)]

Coherent Modes are Observed Before the Onset of Pulses and Anomalous Transport
3.5 I sat (arb) 3.0 2.5 2.0 4.0 1.0 0.5 y (cm) 0.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 1.0 0.5 0.0

Thermal wave strongly localized to the lament center. fTW 5 kHz Drift-Alfvn eigenmode peaks in temperature gradient region. fAlf = 20 - 50 kHz Drift-Alfvn eigenmodes are modulated by thermal wave.

Measured Drift-Alfvn Eigenmode (m = 1)

t (ms)

-0.5 -1.0 -1.5

-0.5

-1.0 -1.5

Thermal Wave Region

I sat (arb)

-1.5 6 5 4 3 2 5.0

-1.0

-0.5

0.0 x (cm)

0.5

1.0

1.5

5.1

5.2

t (ms)

5.3

5.4

5.5

R12 (I 2 ) sat

Transition from Coherent to Broadband Spectra

Early in the evolution of the temperature lament, t < 5.5 ms

Coherent

Modes

Classical Transport No

Exponential Spectra
2 4 ln|FFT(I sat )| (arb) 6 8 10 12 14 16 0 20

t (ms)
t = 2.21 ms

After the transition, t > 5.5 ms

Anomalous Transport Exponential

t = 10.73 ms

Spectra

40

10

f (kHz)

60

80

100

Departure from Classical Transport

Classical
Isat (a.u.) Isat (a.u.)

Anomalous
t = 1 ms t = 8 ms

5 4 Te (eV) 3 2 1 0 0.0 0.5 1.0 x (cm)

Te (norm)

Experiment Theory t = 3 ms

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 11

Experiment Theory t = 9 ms

1.5

2.0

0.0

0.5

1.0 x (cm)

1.5

2.0

Exponential Spectra Correspond to Straight-line Behavior in a Semi-log Display

P (Isat /Hz)

Fit to the linear region in the semilog plot provides a measure of the time constant related to the width of the individual pulses.

10 10 10 10 10 10

00 1 2 3 4 5 6

0.05 0.11 0.16 0.21 0.26 0.32 0.37 0.42 0.47 0.53
Measured Fit

Peaks are the coherent drift-Alfvn mode and its harmonics. exhibits pulses when exponential spectrum is observed.

10 0

20

40

60

80

100 120 140 160 180 200 f (kHz)

8 6
~ I sat (a.u.)

Isat

Typical Pulse Series

4 2 0 2 0 2 4 6 t (ms) 8 10 12

12

Limiter-Edge Experiment Features a Density Gradient

Floating Plate 70 cm

10 m

Cathode

Anode

Background Plasma

Probe
1.0 0.8 cm )
-3

Experiments are performed during the nominal discharge. Electrically oating, aluminum plate is partially closed to create a sharp-edged plasma. Signicantly different length scales:
Limiter-Edge Temperature Filament
13

Center

Gradient

Outer

0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0

ne (10

12

-6

-4

-2

0 2 x (cm)

Pulses are Observed in the Limiter-Edge Experiment

Phys. Plasmas 13, 010701 2006

Positive polarity pulses are observed in the Gradient and Outer regions Negative polarity pulses are observed in the Center region Exponential spectra observed in all spatial regions No classical transport phase, turbulence is always fully developed

Center Region

Gradient Region

Outer Region

Fig. 2a T. A. Carter, Phys. Plasmas 13, 010701 (2006)

0 0.04

10 10 P (I sat /Hz) 10 10 10

0.07

0.11

0.14

Center Gradient Outer

10

20

40 f (kHz)

60

80

14

Lorentzian Pulses Give Rise to Exponential Spectra

Lorentzian pulse in time, L(t), given by,
1.0 0.8

0.6

FWHM

to = Initial Time

= Time Width
= FWHM

0.4 0.2 0.0

to
0 2 4 t (arb) 6 8 10

with corresponding Fourier transform, ,

1.0
Log-log

10 10 Semilog 10 10

and resulting power spectrum,

0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

Semi-log

10 10

Linear
0.1 1.0

= Scaling Frequency
15

0.0

0.5

1.0 f (arb)

1.5

10 2.0

Positive Pulses are Observed in the Outer Regions of Both Experiments

Temperature Filament Temperature Filament
0.35 0.30 0.25 I sat (arb) 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 5.8 0.30 0.25 I sat (arb) 0.20 0.15 0.10 5.98 5.99 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 t (ms) 5.9 6.0 t (ms) 6.1 6.2 Pulse Raw Filtered I sat (arb) 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0.16 Filtered Lorentzian Pulse I sat (arb) 0.14 0.12 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 4.94 4.95 4.96 4.97 t (ms) 4.98 4.99 5.00 Pulse Raw Filtered

Limiter-Edge Limiter-Edge

4.8

4.9

t (ms)

5.0

5.1

Filtered Lorentzian Pulse

16

Negative Pulses are Observed in the Center Regions of Both Experiments

Center regions have maximum temperature/density and minimum gradient. Pulses t well to Lorentzian shape.
I sat (arb) 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 5.4 0.54 0.52 I sat (arb) 0.50 0.48 0.46 0.44 0.42 0.40 5.55 5.56 5.57 5.58 t (ms) 5.59 5.60 0.10 3.92 3.94 5.5 5.6 t (ms) Pulse I sat (arb)

Temperature Filament TemperatureFilament

Limiter-Edge Limiter-Edge

0.30 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 5.8 0.00 3.8 Pulse 3.9 4.0 Raw Filtered

Raw Filtered 5.7

t (ms)

4.1

Filtered Lorentzian Pulse

I sat (arb)

0.25 0.20 0.15

Filtered Lorentzian Pulse 3.96 t (ms) 3.98 4.00

17

Narrow Distribution of Pulse Widths Results in an Exponential Spectrum

Model
10 P (arb) 10 10 10 0
3

0.13

0.26

0.39

0.53

Narrow

Ai = Amplitude toi = Time Center tci = Time Width

100 time series featuring Lorentzian pulses Distribution of centers Narrow distribution of time-widths is consistent with data.

Broad 0 50 100 f (kHz) 150 200

10

Narrow Distribution

Broad Distribution

Even distribution between 2.5 - 4.5 s Exponential power spectra across all frequencies

Even distribution between 2.0 - 10.0 s Not exponential at low frequency Exponential is maintained at high frequency

18

Slope of Exponential Power Spectrum is Set by Time Width of Lorentzian Pulses

P (I sat / Hz )

Fits to the exponential spectra result in a value for the expected pulse width, . Pulse width is independently determined from an ensemble of measured pulses.
Temperature Filament
Spectrum Fit = 3.5 s Measured Pulses = 4.0 s

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

00 1 2 3 4 5 6

0.05 0.11

i 0.16 0.21 0.26 0.32 0.37 0.42 0.47 0.53

Measured

Fit

Temperature Filament
20 40 60 80 100 120 f (kHz) 140 160 180 200

Model

10 10 10 10 10 10

0.04

0.07

0.11

0.14

Limiter-Edge
Spectrum Fit = 7.0 s Measured Pulses = 7.2 s
19

P (I 2 /Hz) sat

Measured

10

Model

Limiter-Edge
20 40 f (kHz)

Fit 60 80

10

11

Comparison of Different Pulse Shapes

Lorentzian
P (arb) 10 10 10 10 10
2 0 4 6 8

0.26
2

0.53

0.79

sech Fit Lorentzian Gaussian sech 2 100 200 f (kHz) 300

Gaussian

10 12

10 0

Hyperbolic Secant Squared

Characteristic Pulse Width = tc

20

Exponential Spectra Observed in Other Experiments

Floating potential power
spectra in the helical device, H1.

Parallel electron heat

ux in a tokamak, CCT.

Device demonstrates
Fig. 11: H. Xia and M. G. Shats, Phys. Plasmas 11, 561 (2004)
2272 Phys. Plasmas, Vol. 10, No. 6, June 2003

inverse energy cascade.

J. E. Maggs and G. J. Morales

Radial magnetic eld.

Fig. 1: G. Fiksel, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 3866 (1995).

Ion saturation currents

Fig. 7: J. E. Maggs and G. J. Morales, Physics of Plasmas 10, 2267 (2003)

measured in a linear arc plasma device. the baseline exponential spectrum.

Magnetic eld uctuations in Spontaneously generated,

the edge of the linear device, LAPD. basic turbulence phenomena.

Coherent peaks rise above

Fig. 6b: U. Kauschke, G. Oelerich-Hill, and A. Piel, Physics of Fluids B: Plasma Physics 2, 38 (1990)

21

Exponential Spectrum and Lorentzian Pulses in DIII-D Experiments

Measurements in the DIII-D tokamak (General Atomics, San Diego, CA) at the plasma edge exhibit exponential spectra.

mm-Wave Backscattering

/i ~ 0.06
Ohmic ECH (c)

High-k (~39 power spectra of density uctuations at r/a ~ 1 See T. L. Rhodes [TP6.00010] Thursday 9:30 am.
P(f) (au) 10
7

cm-1)

Intermittent Pulses

Pulse detected by probe array

Adapted from Fig. 7a J. A. Boedo, et al. Phys. Plasmas 8, 4826 (2001)

10

r/a = 1 n /n = 28% 0
126851

400 800 Frequency (kHz)

Lorentzian Shape

Fig. 5c T. L. Rhodes, et al. Plasma Phys. Cont. Fus. 49, B183 (2007)

100 s
22

Summary

Two different Pe experiments exhibit identical broadband power spectra. Temperature gradient (Temperature Filament Experiment) Density gradient (Limiter-Edge Experiment) Broadband frequency spectrum is exponential.

Origin of the spectra is traced to the appearance of Lorentzian shaped pulses. Lorentzian pulses are related to blobs and anomalous transport. Pulse widths are related to nonlinear interactions of drift-Alfvn waves

see M. Shi [UP6.00098],Thursday, 2 pm

23