Collisional Damping Research Articles

Impact of medium anisotropy on quarkonium dissociation and regeneration

Quarkonium production in ultra-relativistic collisions plays a crucial role in probing the existence of hot QCD matter. This study explores quarkonia states dissociation and regeneration in the hot QCD medium while considering momentum anisotropy. The net quarkonia decay width (ΓD\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Gamma _{D}$$\\end{document}) arises from two essential processes: collisional damping and gluonic dissociation. The quarkonia regeneration includes the transition from octet to singlet states within the anisotropic medium. Our study utilizes a medium-modified potential that incorporates anisotropy via particle distribution functions. This modified potential gives rise to collisional damping for quarkonia due to the surrounding medium, as well as the transition of quarkonia from singlet to octet states due to interactions with gluons. Furthermore, we employ the detailed balance approach to investigate the regeneration of quarkonia within this medium. Our comprehensive analysis spans various temperature settings, transverse momentum values, and anisotropic strengths. Notably, we find that, in addition to medium temperatures and heavy quark transverse momentum, anisotropy significantly influences the dissociation and regeneration of various quarkonia states.

Modeling collisional kinetic energy damping, heating, and cooling of ions in mass spectrometers: A tutorial perspective

Many powerful methods in mass spectrometry rely on activation of ions by high-energy collisions with gas particles. For example, multiple Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) has been used for many years to determine structural information for ions ranging from small organics to large, native-like protein complexes. More recently, Collision Induced Unfolding (CIU) has proved to be a very powerful method for understanding high-order protein structure and detecting differences between similar proteins. Quantifying the thermochemistry underlying dissociation/unfolding in these experiments can be quite challenging without reliable models of ion heating and cooling. Established physical models of CID are valuable in predicting ion heating but do not explicitly include mechanisms for cooling, which may play a large part in CID/CIU in modern instruments. Ab initio and Molecular Dynamics methods are extremely computationally expensive for modeling CID/CIU of large analytes such as biomolecular ions. In this tutorial perspective, limiting behaviors of ion kinetic energy damping, heating, and cooling set by “extreme” cases are explored, and an Improved Impulsive Collision Theory and associated software (“Ion Simulations of the Physics of Activation”, IonSPA) are introduced that can model all of these for partially inelastic collisions. Finally, examples of modeled collisional activation of native-like protein ions under realistic experimental conditions are discussed, with an outlook toward the use of IonSPA in accessing the thermochemical information hidden in CID breakdown curves and CIU fingerprints.

Verification of a Monte Carlo binary collision model for simulating elastic and inelastic collisions in particle-in-cell simulations

We present the development and verification of a Monte Carlo binary collision model for simulating elastic and inelastic collisions in particle-in-cell simulations. We apply the corrected binary collision model originally developed for charged-particles collisions to all considered scattering channels, including Coulomb collisions, elastic neutral–neutral and charged–neutral collisions, ionization, excitation, and fusion. The model's implementation is described and verified through a series of simulations, including charged- and neutral-particle thermal equilibration, slowing of electrons in warm solid-density aluminum, collisional damping of a Langmuir wave, helium gas breakdown in an applied electric field, and thermonuclear and beam–target fusion. Then, we demonstrate the model within simulations of hydrogen plasma formation in the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration as well as of the burning of aneutronic fusion fuel p-11B. The latter includes measurement of the fusion power density in a low-density plasma and fusion production due to the stopping of a proton ignitor beam in a compressed boron target.

Influence of electron temperature anisotropy on the <i>m</i> = 1 helicon mode power deposition characteristic

As a core phenomenon in helicon discharge, the plasma temperature anisotropy may play a crucial role in helicon wave power deposition. Under radially inhomogeneous plasma circumstances, by employing the warm plasma dielectric tensor model and considering the finite Larmor radius (FLR) effect and plasma temperature anisotropy effect, under the typical helicon discharge parameter conditions, the helicon wave and Trivelpiece-Gould (TG) wave mode coupling characteristic and influence of electron temperature anisotropy on the helicon wave power deposition induced by collisional and Landau damping mechanism are theoretically investigated. Detailed analysis shows that for typical helicon plasma electron temperature <i>T</i><sub>e </sub>= 3 eV and low magnetic field <i>B</i><sub>0</sub> = 48 G, the electron FLR effect should be considered, while the ion FLR effect can be ignored due to its large inertia effect; compared with the <inline-formula><tex-math id="Z-20240326171950">\begin{document}$| n | < 2 $\end{document}</tex-math><alternatives><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="7-20231759_Z-20240326171950.jpg"/><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="7-20231759_Z-20240326171950.png"/></alternatives></inline-formula> cyclotron harmonics, the contribution of the <inline-formula><tex-math id="Z-20240326171926">\begin{document}$| n | > 1 $\end{document}</tex-math><alternatives><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="7-20231759_Z-20240326171926.jpg"/><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="7-20231759_Z-20240326171926.png"/></alternatives></inline-formula> harmonics in the calculation of plasma dielectric tensor elements can be ignored due to low magnetic field conditions. For the propagation constant, detailed investigation indicates that the phase constant has a maximum value at a certain radial position, near the same position mode coupling between helicon wave and TG wave happens. Full analysis shows that the power deposition of the <i>m</i> = 1 helicon mode peaks at a certain radial position and increases gradually with the increase of the axial electron temperature. Besides, compared with the Landau damping, the collisional damping plays a dominant role in the power deposition under current parameter conditions; importantly, the electron temperature anisotropy exerts a significant influence on the power deposition characteristic, both the increase and decrease of electron temperature anisotropy factor (<i>χ</i> = <i>T</i><sub>e<i>,</i>⊥</sub>/<i>T</i><sub>e,<i>z</i></sub>) can lead the power deposition intensity to change drastically. All these conclusions are very important for us to understand the discharge mechanism of helicon plasma.

Numerical model for linear stimulated Raman scattering in inhomogeneous plasmas

Numerical model for calculating convective gains and absolute thresholds of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in inhomogeneous plasmas is constructed based on the Fourier-space method. The model is valid for arbitrary density profiles and scattering geometries, including both backscattering and side scattering. It is shown that 90 deg side scatter has a lower absolute threshold than other scattering geometries. Backscatter, on the other hand, has a relatively large absolute threshold under conventional direct-drive ignition conditions. For a parabolic density profile, the absolute threshold of backscatter decreases dramatically at the peak of parabola, but is still much larger than that of side scatter. We also discuss the absolute thresholds of side scatter under different density profiles, showing not big differences with the linear density profile as well as the analytic formulas. Convective gains, however, are sensitive to the density profiles and collisional damping. The k-space numerical model is verified via analytic formulas and real-space envelope model, and it offers us new perspective on the scattering angles compared with previous models for SRS.

The Raman gap and collisional absorption

One of the long-standing puzzles observed in many laser-plasma experiments is the gap in the Raman backscattering spectrum. This gap is characterized by the absence of backscattered light between some critical wavelength and twice the incident laser wavelength. The latter is associated with the absolute Raman instability from the quarter-critical density surface. Supported by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, it is suggested that the gap can result from the collisional damping of the backscattered light. A linear analysis of the competition between the Raman growth rate and the damping rate in a non-homogenous plasma predicts the gap's existence and width as a function of the system's parameters. The theory is compared with the PIC simulations and past experiments.

Toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes observed in low power JET deuterium–tritium plasmas

The Joint European Torus recently carried out an experimental campaign using a plasma consisting of both deuterium (D) and tritium (T). We observed a high-frequency mode using a reflectometer and an interferometer in a D-T plasma heated with low power neutral beam injection, . This mode was observed at a frequency and was located at major radii . The observed mode was identified as a toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) using the linear MHD code, MISHKA. Beam ions and fusion-born alpha particles were modelled using the full orbit particle tracking code LOCUST, which produces smooth distribution functions suitable for stability calculations without analytical fits or the use of moments. We calculated the stability of the 21 candidate modes using the HALO code. These calculations revealed that beam ions can drive TAEs with toroidal mode numbers with linear growth rates , while TAEs with n < 8 are damped by the beam ion population. Alpha particles drive modes with significantly smaller linear growth rates, due to the low alpha power generated almost exclusively by beam-thermal fusion reactions. Non-ideal effects were calculated using complex resistivity in the CASTOR code, leading to an assessment of radiative, collisional, and continuum damping for all 21 candidate modes. Ion Landau damping was modelled using Maxwellian distribution functions for bulk D and T ions in HALO. Radiative damping, the dominant bulk damping mechanism, suppresses modes with high toroidal mode numbers. Comparing the drive from energetic particles with damping from thermal particles, we find all but one of the candidate modes are damped. The single net-driven n = 9 TAE with a net growth rate matches experimental observations with a lab frequency and location . The TAE was driven by co-passing particles through the resonance. Both co- and counter-passing alpha particles drive the TAE through the resonance. Additional sideband resonances contribute significant drive for both beam and alpha particles.

Observation of reduced-turbulence regime with tungsten injection in HL-2A edge plasmas

A reduced-turbulence regime has been observed in HL-2A NBI-heated deuterium plasmas. The transition to this regime is achieved by injecting a certain amount of tungsten into the plasma based on the laser blow-off technique. It has been found that the amplitude of geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) zonal flow and turbulent vortex size together with eddy tilting angle are all significantly increased in the edge region after tungsten injection. However, the frequency of GAM zonal flow remains nearly unchanged. Measurement shows the nonlinear coupling degree of turbulence dramatically increases while the collisional damping of GAM zonal flow drops slightly. We conclude that the increased nonlinear coupling is the main cause of the excitation of GAM zonal flow, which consequently results in the reduction in turbulent transport as observed in this experiment. These results indicate that tungsten ions play an active role in turbulence-GAM dynamics through a symmetry-breaking mechanism, which could help us to better understand the inherent physical mechanisms governing turbulent transport in the presence of high-Z impurity ions in fusion plasmas.

Moment-based approach to the flux-tube linear gyrokinetic model

This work reports on the development and numerical implementation of the linear electromagnetic gyrokinetic (GK) model in a tokamak flux-tube geometry using a moment approach based on the expansion of the perturbed distribution function on a velocity-space Hermite–Laguerre polynomials basis. A hierarchy of equations of the expansion coefficients, referred to as the gyro-moments (GMs), is derived. We verify the numerical implementation of the GM hierarchy in the collisionless limit by performing a comparison with the continuum GK code GENE, recovering the linear properties of the ion temperature gradient, trapped electron, kinetic ballooning and microtearing modes, as well as the collisionless damping of zonal flows. An analysis of the distribution functions and ballooning eigenmode structures is performed. The present investigation reveals the ability of the GM approach to describe fine velocity-space-scale structures appearing near the trapped and passing boundary and kinetic effects associated with parallel and perpendicular particle drifts. In addition, the effects of collisions are studied using advanced collision operators, including the GK Coulomb collision operator. The main findings are that the number of GMs necessary for convergence decreases with plasma collisionality and is lower for pressure gradient-driven modes, such as in H-mode pedestal regions, compared with instabilities driven by trapped particles and magnetic gradient drifts often found in the core. The accuracy of approximations often used to model collisions (relative to the GK Coulomb operator) is studied in the case of trapped electron modes, showing differences between collision operator models that increase with collisionality and electron temperature gradient, consistent with the results of Pan et al. (Phys. Rev. E, vol. 103, 2021, L051202). Such differences are not observed in other edge microinstabilities, such as microtearing modes. The importance of a proper collision operator model is also confirmed by analysing the collisional damping of geodesic acoustic modes and zonal flows.

A Comprehensive Perturbative Formalism for Phase Mixing in Perturbed Disks. II. Phase Spirals in an Inhomogeneous Disk Galaxy with a Nonresponsive Dark Matter Halo

We develop a linear perturbative formalism to compute the response of an inhomogeneous stellar disk embedded in a nonresponsive dark matter (DM) halo to various perturbations like bars, spiral arms, and encounters with satellite galaxies. Without self-gravity to reinforce it, the response of a Fourier mode phase mixes away due to an intrinsic spread in the vertical (Ω z ), radial (Ω r ), and azimuthal (Ω ϕ ) frequencies, triggering local phase-space spirals. The detailed galactic potential dictates the shape of phase spirals: phase mixing occurs more slowly and thus phase spirals are more loosely wound in the outer disk and in the presence of an ambient DM halo. Collisional diffusion due to scattering of stars by structures like giant molecular clouds causes superexponential damping of the phase spiral amplitude. The z–v z phase spiral is one-armed (two-armed) for vertically antisymmetric (symmetric) bending (breathing) modes. Only transient perturbations with timescales (τ P) comparable to the vertical oscillation period (τ z ∼ 1/Ω z ) can trigger vertical phase spirals. Each (n, l, m) mode of the response to impulsive (τ P < τ = 1/(nΩ z + lΩ r + mΩ ϕ )) perturbations is power-law (∼τ P/τ) suppressed, but that to adiabatic (τ P > τ) perturbations is exponentially weak () except for resonant (τ → ∞ ) modes. Slower (τ P > τ z ) perturbations, e.g., distant encounters with satellite galaxies, induce stronger bending modes. Sagittarius (Sgr) dominates the solar neighborhood response of the Milky Way (MW) disk to satellite encounters. Thus, if the Gaia phase spiral was triggered by a MW satellite, Sgr is the leading contender. However, the survival of the phase spiral against collisional damping necessitates an impact ∼0.6–0.7 Gyr ago.

Intensity of focused waves near turning points.

A wave near an isolated turning point is typically assumed to have an Airy function profile with respect to the separation distance. This description is incomplete, however, and is insufficient to describe the behavior of more realistic wave fields that are not simple plane waves. Asymptotic matching to a prescribed incoming wave field generically introduces a phase front curvature term that changes the characteristic wave behavior from the Airy function to that of the hyperbolic umbilic function. This function, which is one of the seven classic "elementary" functions from catastrophe theory along with the Airy function, can be understood intuitively as the solution for a linearly focused Gaussian beam propagating in a linearly varying density profile, as we show. The morphology of the caustic lines that govern the intensity maxima of the diffraction pattern as one alters the density length scale of the plasma, the focal length of the incident beam, and also the injection angle of the incident beam are presented in detail. This morphology includes a Goos-Hänchen shift and focal shift at oblique incidence that do not appear in a reduced ray-based description of the caustic. The enhancement of the intensity swelling factor for a focused wave compared to the typical Airy solution is highlighted, and the impact of a finite lens aperture is discussed. Collisional damping and finite beam waist are included in the model and appear as complex components to the arguments of the hyperbolic umbilic function. The observations presented here on the behavior of waves near turning points should aid the development of improved reduced wave models to be used, for example, in designing modern nuclear fusion experiments.

Hot electron scaling for two-plasmon decay in ICF plasmas

We present a parametric scaling of hot electron (HE) generation at quarter critical density from the two-plasmon decay process. The study is conducted with the laser plasma simulation environment code, considering Langmuir decay instabilities (LDI) and laser pump depletion in 2D. The parameter scan is conducted as a function of electron temperature, ion–electron temperature ratio, drive strength, and density scale length. The scaling shows an hot electron (HE) conversion fraction up to 40%, HE fluxes up to 6 × 10 14 W / cm 2, and average temperatures in the range of 30 to 100 keV. The electron angular distributions exhibit two main regions: the plasma “bulk,” characterized by homogeneous emission, up to energies of 30 − 60 keV depending on the individual laser–plasma conditions, and a HE tail after ≃ 50 − 60 keV. The mid-energy electrons are homogeneously emitted toward the end of the plasma bulk and acquire energy through electron plasma wave (EPW) Landau damping from Langmuir wave collapse and LDI cascade. The HE tail has electrons emitted in the forward direction and at low divergence, due to turbulence and EPW Landau damping from multi-staged acceleration. Finally, the laser power transmitted through the quarter critical region reaches values from ∼ 80 % down to ∼ 35 % for increasing HE generation, with absorption due to EPW collisional damping in the range of ∼ 10 % − 35 %.

Halevi's extension of the Euler-Drude model for plasmonic systems

The nonlocal response of plasmonic materials and nanostructures is often described within a hydrodynamic approach, which is based on the Euler-Drude equation. In this paper, we reconsider this approach within an extension proposed by Halevi [Phys. Rev. B 51, 7497 (1995)]. After discussing the impact of this extended model on the propagation of longitudinal volume modes, we reevaluate within this framework the Mie scattering coefficients for a cylinder and the corresponding plasmon-polariton resonances. Our analysis reveals a nonlocal, collisional, and size-dependent damping term, which influences the resonances in the extinction spectrum. A transfer of the Halevi model into the time domain allows to identify a contribution to the current, which shares similarities with Cattaneo-kind diffusive-wavelike dynamics. After a comparison to other approaches commonly used in the literature, we implement the Halevi model into the discontinuous-Galerkin time-domain finite-element Maxwell solver and identify an oscillatory contribution to the current. Such an implementation of the Halevi model in time domain is of particular importance for applications in nanoplasmonics where nanogap structures and other nanoscale features have to be modeled efficiently and accurately.

Hot spots induced by RF-accelerated electrons in the scrape-off layer on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

Preventing impurity emission from hot spots on plasma-facing materials is a critical issue in the maintenance of high-performance plasma on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). In this study, experimental and theoretical analyses were performed to investigate the mechanism of hot spot formation. In the upper single null magnetic configuration of the EAST, two separatrices were connected to the upper (primary) and lower (secondary) X-points. Experiments on plasma configuration control indicated that the reduction in the gap between the lower (secondary) separatrix and lower hybrid antenna is effective in preventing hot spot formation on the lower divertor, which frequently emits impurities in long-duration discharges. This effectiveness was quantitatively confirmed by magnetic field lines tracking simulation and calorimetric measurement of divertors in the experiment. Two-frequency power modulation of the lower hybrid wave (LHW) was conducted to evaluate power deposition on the scrape-off layer (SOL) during propagation from the LHW antenna to the main plasma. This experiment clarified that LHW-accelerated electrons in the SOL via collision damping deliver their energies to hot spots along the magnetic field line. These findings help alleviate or even eliminate the formation of hot spots and maintain the performance of plasma.

An assessment of whistlers generated from tree-like gigantic jets

The characteristics of whistlers generated from an observed gigantic jet (GJ) are assessed and possible locations to detect these waves are deduced. Modeling is based on disturbances in the electric field, as measured by NCKU ELF/VLF station, associated with a tree-like GJ event over typhoon Lionrock. The power spectrum of GJ differs from that of common cloud-to-ground lightning; therefore, this study also investigates differences between GJ-generated signals and common lightning-generated whistlers. Detectability is evaluated by considering the absorption of amplitudes resulted from collisional damping associated with the propagation of generated waves. Our results show that in the ionosphere the waves are subject to greater attenuation as the frequency increases; however, a reversal occurs at lower frequencies of a few hundred Hz. The calculated waveforms show that the whistlers generated by the tree-like GJs are preceded by small fluctuations at high frequencies generated by the initiating lightning. Overall, the amplitudes increase with the passage of time; however, they are more randomly-distributed over time for whistlers generated from common lightning. The amplitudes decrease again when lower-frequency components below a few hundred Hz arrive. The amplitudes drop to the order of 1 mV/m as the waves propagate in the ionosphere, which puts them within a range detectable by the instruments on most satellites. Based on the locations of tree-like GJ events observed by ISUAL (Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning), regions of the western and southeastern Pacific Ocean, as well as northern Africa region are the most likely locations to detect these whistlers.

On the collisional damping of plasma velocity space instabilities

For plasma velocity space instabilities driven by particle distributions significantly deviated from a Maxwellian, weak collisions can damp the instabilities by an amount that is significantly beyond the collisional rate itself. This is attributed to the dual role of collisions that tend to relax the plasma distribution toward a Maxwellian and to suppress the linearly perturbed distribution function. The former effect can dominate in cases where the unstable non-Maxwellian distribution is driven by collisionless transport on a timescale much shorter than that of collisions, and the growth rate of the ideal instability has a sensitive dependence on the distribution function. The whistler instability driven by electrostatically trapped electrons is used as an example to elucidate such a strong collisional damping effect of plasma velocity space instabilities, which is confirmed by first-principles kinetic simulations.

Probing dark matter interactions with 21cm observations

Similarly to warm dark matter which features a cut-off in the matter power spectrum due to free-streaming, many interacting dark matter models predict a suppression of the matter power spectrum on small length scales through collisional damping. Forecasts for 21cm line intensity mapping have shown that an instrument like the SKA will be able to probe a suppression of power in warm dark matter scenarios in a statistically significant way. Here we investigate the implications of these findings on interacting dark matter scenarios, particularly dark matter-neutrino interactions, which we use as an example. Using a suite of cosmological N-body simulations, we demonstrate that interacting scenarios show a suppression of the non-linear power spectrum similar to warm dark matter models. This implies that 21cm line intensity mapping will be able to set the strongest limits yet on dark matter-neutrino scattering, improving the constraints by two orders of magnitude over current Lyman-α bounds, and by four orders of magnitude over cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillations limits. However, to distinguish between warm dark matter and interacting scenarios, our simulations show that percent-level precision measurements of the matter power spectrum at redshifts z ≳ 15 are necessary, as the key features of interacting scenarios are washed out by non-linear evolution at later times.

Stability Analysis of Alfvén Eigenmodes in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

The stability of Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) driven by fast ions is investigated in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). It is demonstrated that all AEs found in toroidal AE gaps are stable and that the least stable mode is a reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode (RSAE) with . The calculation results show that collisional damping is the main damping mechanism for toroidal mode number . The excitation threshold for the RSAE is about β crit,b = 3.33%, bigger than the value of the central beam ion beta β b = 1.01%. The results show that AEs driven by fast ions are stable in EAST, at least for the parameters shown in this work. The effect of beam ion pressure and energy on AE stability is also presented. The drive coming from fast ions increases with the pressure gradient, and the drive mainly comes from 3 resonance.

Marginal stability constraint on runaway electron distribution

High-frequency kinetic instabilities of the strongly anisotropic runaway electrons (RE) can enhance the pitch-angle scattering of the runaways significantly. This wave-induced scattering can easily prevail over runaway scattering on high-Z impurities. In a steady state, collisional damping balances the kinetic drive of the unstable waves, keeping the RE distribution function at marginal stability. The marginal stability constraint limits the achievable RE densities and the shape of the RE distribution function. In this study, we consider whistler and compressional Alfvén waves as the primary source of enhanced elastic scattering of the runaways. By balancing the anomalous Doppler resonance drive with the collisional wave damping, we find the RE distribution function in the ultra-relativistic range of the phase space. We also derive an expression for the spectral energy density of the waves. We show that the power needed to compensate for the wave dissipation is negligible compared to the work of the electric field. The latter is in balance with the synchrotron losses of the runaway electrons.

Damping characteristics of helicon and Trivelpiece–Gould waves in high density and low magnetic field helicon plasma

By employing a warm plasma model and considering a cyclotron harmonic effect in dielectric tensor elements, the power deposition properties of the azimuthally symmetric mode of the helicon and Trivelpiece–Gould (TG) waves due to collisional and kinetic damping in high density (∼1 × 1013 cm−3), low magnetic fields (∼30–50 G), and low to moderate neutral gas pressure (∼0.5–10 mTorr) helicon plasma are investigated. Theoretical calculations indicate that the magnetic field imposed a significant influence on the mode coupling surface properties between the helicon and TG waves; in a typical helicon plasma electron temperature range, Te ∈ (3, 5) eV, there exists the critical neutral gas pressure, below or above which different waves due to different damping mechanisms play the dominant role in the power deposition; meanwhile, in low neutral gas pressure (∼0.5 mTorr) circumstances, TG waves due to Landau damping dominate the power deposition and this dominance gradually becomes intensified as the magnetic field increases.