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Babuska Series: Overview and computational challenges in controlled fusion program

Friday, May 6, 11AM – 12PM
6.304

Herbert Berk, Physics, University of Texas

The basic principles of the controlled magnetic fusion program, where an ionized gas, called a plasma, is confined by magnetic field pressure, will be described with particular emphasis of the most successful direction to date, the development of the 'tokamak' concept. A discussion of the computational challenge of this field will be presented. The principle point is that a plasma is a fluid whose mean free path is long compared to the scale length of the device. The issue becomes whether fluid equations, or completely kinetic equations, or something in between, can be used to describe the dynamics of the system. Some present day results will be presented.

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