Fast-electron dynamics in the presence of weakly ionized impurities
Paper i proceeding, 2017

Runaway electrons constitute a significant threat to tokamak experiments. To minimize the risk of damage, it is crucial to understand the runaway-electron dynamics, which during runaway mitigation can be heavily influenced by the interaction with partially ionized atoms. Experiments have shown that mitigation via heavy-impurity injection is more effective than would be expected from standard collisional theory, highlighting the need for more accurate kinetic models. To achieve this, partial screening of the nuclei by the bound electrons must be taken into account. In this contribution, we analyze the dynamics of fast electrons in plasmas containing partially ionized impurity atoms. A generalized collision operator is derived from first principles using quantum-mechanical models. We obtain analytical expressions for the deflection and slowing-down frequencies, and show that they are increased by more than an order of magnitude compared to the results obtained with complete screening, already at sub-relativistic electron energies. Moreover, we implement the generalized collision operator in the continuum kinetic equation solver CODE and demonstrate that interaction with partially ionized atoms greatly affects fast-electron dynamics by enhancing the rates of angular deflection and energy loss. This has important implications, not only for the efficacy of mitigation strategies for runaway electrons in tokamak devices, but also for example for energy loss during relativistic breakdown in lightning discharges.

Författare

Linnea Hesslow

Chalmers, Fysik, Subatomär fysik och plasmafysik

Ola Embréus

Nukleär teknik

George Wilkie

Chalmers, Fysik, Subatomär fysik och plasmafysik

Timothy Dubois

Chalmers, Fysik, Subatomär fysik och plasmafysik

Gergely Papp

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Tünde Fülöp

Nukleär teknik

44th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2017

O4.118

44th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2017
Belfast, United Kingdom,

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Styrkeområden

Energi

Fundament

Grundläggande vetenskaper

Ämneskategorier

Atom- och molekylfysik och optik

Fusion, plasma och rymdfysik

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Senast uppdaterat

2024-01-03