Date of Award:
12-2022
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Physics
Committee Chair(s)
Eric D. Held
Committee
Eric D. Held
Committee
Andrew Spencer
Committee
Jeong-Young Ji
Committee
Oscar Varela
Committee
Nghiem Nguyen
Abstract
A ”runaway” electron is an electron that, through a self-reinforcing process, accelerates to relativistic speeds. At multiple points during tokamak discharges, relativistic runaway electron (RE) beams can form. RE beams pose a serious risk in the form of severe damage to plasma facing components in ITER and future burning plasma reactors. Early RE studies used simplified geometric and transport models, but enabled feedback on the overall plasma evolution. This feedback is important for understanding the evolution of the RE current column. The work in this thesis is an important step toward self-consistently evolving an RE distribution in the plasma fluid code NIMROD. While the long-term goal is to predict RE particle and heat loads on plasma facing components in NIMROD simulations of ITER, this work seeks to verify several 2D phase-space benchmarks involving the linear and nonlinear relativistic Coulomb collision operators. In particular, we show successful benchmarking of the NIMROD and NORSE codes for the case of thermodynamic equilibrium.
Checksum
733aeb5c70be784ee5ec58b4f8484f4d
Recommended Citation
Markham, Tyler, "Relativistic, Continuum Drift-Kinetic Capability in the NIMROD Plasma Fluid Code" (2022). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 8683.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8683
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