Numerical Methods for Plasma Astrophysics:
From Particle Kinetics to MHD

CSIC Building (#406), Seminar Room 4122.
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Adaptivity and closures in computer models of magnetically confined plasmas for fusion applications

Dr. Jean-Noel Leboeuf

Physics and Astronomy at UCLA

Abstract:   Adaptivity and closures in computer models of magnetically confined plasmas for fusion applications Jean-Noel Leboeuf and Pierre-Alexandre Gourdain, UCLA, USA Luis Garcia, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain Hiroshi Naitou, Yamaguchi University, Ube,Japan Don Spong, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA The need for and already successful applications of 'adaptivity' and 'kinetic' closures in computer models of plasma equilibrium, stability, and transport in magnetic confinement devices for fusion applications will be discussed. Specific examples such as near-unity plasma beta equilibria, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) which incorporate electron inertia or energetic particles and gyrokinetic particle-in-cell calculations of core microturbulence will be presented. These will serve to illustrate the usefulness of 'adaptive' computational techniques to resolve boundary layers or vastly different time and space scales and the power of 'kinetic' closures to enhance the physics in computationally tractable models.