Isaac Newton Institute Programme on Gyrokinetics in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas (Urgency Scheme)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
Perhaps the greatest challenge in plasma science is to understand the multiscale interaction between small-scale fluctuations and large-scale plasma dynamics. This is crucial both in fundamental astrophysical and space physics research (e.g., turbulence in the solar wind, accretion onto black holes, and global temperature profiles and local structures in galaxy clusters) and in more practical terrestrial contexts (e.g., the performance of the international fusion reactor, ITER). In the last 25 years, a new mathematical approach, gyrokinetics, has been developed to treat low-frequency fluctuations in plasmas. In this approach, the fast orbital 'gyromotion' is averaged to produce kinetic equations for rings of charge. This is a 5D mathematically rigorous description that is far more tractable than the full kinetic theory. Despite some practical successes in code-building and simulations, the mathematical properties and physical implications of gyrokinetics are insufficiently well understood. In space and astrophysics, the wide applicability and power of the gyrokinetic theory has yet to be fully recognised and exploited. The programme will aim to step beyond the traditional focus on gyrokinetics for fusion plasmas: to confront a broader group of applied mathematicians and numericists with the practical challenges posed by gyrokinetics; to explore applications to space and astrophysical plasmas; and thus to help forge a cross-disciplinary and versatile community of physicists, astrophysicists and mathematicians. The Isaac Newton Institute Programme on Gyrokinetics in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas is organized by Professor W Dorland (Maryland), Professor S Nazarenko (Warwick) and Dr A Schekochihin (Oxford, STFC Advanced Fellow), with Professor S Cowley (Director, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy) as advisor. Approximately 50 leading researchers will attend during the four-week programme, which includes the week-long workshop 'Kinetic-scale turbulence in laboratory and space plasmas: empirical constraints, fundamental concepts and unsolved problems'.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Alexander Schekochihin (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Abel IG
(2013)
Multiscale gyrokinetics for rotating tokamak plasmas: fluctuations, transport and energy flows.
in Reports on progress in physics. Physical Society (Great Britain)
Barnes M
(2011)
Critically balanced ion temperature gradient turbulence in fusion plasmas.
in Physical review letters
Chandran B
(2015)
INTERMITTENCY AND ALIGNMENT IN STRONG RMHD TURBULENCE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chen C
(2010)
INTERPRETING POWER ANISOTROPY MEASUREMENTS IN PLASMA TURBULENCE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chen C
(2011)
Anisotropy of Alfvénic turbulence in the solar wind and numerical simulations Anisotropy of Alfvénic turbulence
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chen C
(2012)
THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chen CH
(2010)
Anisotropy of solar wind turbulence between ion and electron scales.
in Physical review letters
Ghim
(2012)
Local dependence of ion temperature gradient on magnetic configuration, rotational shear and turbulent heat flux in MAST
in arXiv e-prints
Ghim Y
(2014)
Local dependence of ion temperature gradient on magnetic configuration, rotational shear and turbulent heat flux in MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Highcock E
(2011)
Transport bifurcation induced by sheared toroidal flow in tokamak plasmas
in Physics of Plasmas
Highcock EG
(2012)
Zero-turbulence manifold in a toroidal plasma.
in Physical review letters
Howes GG
(2011)
Gyrokinetic simulations of solar wind turbulence from ion to electron scales.
in Physical review letters
Kunz M
(2015)
Inertial-range kinetic turbulence in pressure-anisotropic astrophysical plasmas
in Journal of Plasma Physics
Loureiro N
(2012)
Magnetic reconnection and stochastic plasmoid chains in high-Lundquist-number plasmas
in Physics of Plasmas
Loureiro NF
(2013)
Fast collisionless reconnection and electron heating in strongly magnetized plasmas.
in Physical review letters
Loureiro NF
(2013)
Plasmoid and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in Sweet-Parker current sheets.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Mallet A
(2015)
Refined critical balance in strong Alfvénic turbulence
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Meyer H
(2013)
Overview of physics results from MAST towards ITER/DEMO and the MAST Upgrade
in Nuclear Fusion
NAZARENKO S
(2011)
Critical balance in magnetohydrodynamic, rotating and stratified turbulence: towards a universal scaling conjecture
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Samtaney R.
(2012)
Plasmoid dynamics in 3D resistive MHD simulations of magnetic reconnection
in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Schekochihin AA
(2012)
Weak Alfvén-wave turbulence revisited.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Vaivads A
(2011)
EIDOSCOPE: particle acceleration at plasma boundaries
in Experimental Astronomy
Wicks R
(2010)
Power and spectral index anisotropy of the entire inertial range of turbulence in the fast solar wind
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Wicks R
(2011)
Anisotropy of Imbalanced Alfvénic Turbulence in Fast Solar Wind
in Physical Review Letters
Wicks R
(2013)
CORRELATIONS AT LARGE SCALES AND THE ONSET OF TURBULENCE IN THE FAST SOLAR WIND
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wicks RT
(2013)
Alignment and scaling of large-scale fluctuations in the solar wind.
in Physical review letters
Zocco A
(2011)
Reduced fluid-kinetic equations for low-frequency dynamics, magnetic reconnection, and electron heating in low-beta plasmas
in Physics of Plasmas
Description | The key findings are reflected in the publication list. |
Exploitation Route | Some theories and methods that were developed carry over to bordering disciplines and areas of activity, most importantly magnetic fusion research. |
Sectors | Energy |