arXiv subjects

Alejandro Mesa Dame

Publications and source records attributed to Alejandro Mesa Dame.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Comprehensive Analytical Model of the Dynamic Z-Pinch

We present an analytical 1D axisymmetric model describing the evolution of the dynamic z-pinch. This model is capable of predicting the trajectories of the imploding sheath's magnetic piston and preceding shock front, along with the velocity, pressure, density, and magnetic field profiles, for any time-dependent current, spatially varying initial density profile, and weak initial axial field. The implosion is divided into stages, with each stage described by a set of coupled ordinary differential equations derived from the ideal MHD equations. Comparisons with experimental data from the COBRA pulsed-power facility are quite promising and imply this model could prove useful in designing and analyzing future pulsed-power experiments.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Wave Topology in Hall MHD

Hall Magnetohydrodynamics (HMHD) extends ideal MHD by incorporating the Hall effect via the induction equation, making it more accurate for describing plasma behavior at length scales below the ion skin depth. Despite its importance, a comprehensive description of the eigenmodes in HMHD has been lacking. In this work, we derive the complete spectrum and eigenvectors of HMHD waves and identify their underlying topological structure. We prove that the HMHD wave spectrum is homotopic to that of ideal MHD, consisting of three distinct branches: the slow magnetosonic-Hall waves, the shear Alfvén-Hall waves, and the fast magnetosonic-Hall waves, which continuously reduce to their ideal MHD counterparts in the limit of vanishing Hall parameter. Contrary to a recent claim, we find that HMHD does not admit any additional wave branches beyond those in ideal MHD. The key qualitative difference lies in the topological nature of the HMHD wave structure: it exhibits nontrivial topology characterized by a Weyl point-an isolated eigenmode degeneracy point-and associated nonzero Chern numbers of the eigenmode bundles over a 2-sphere in k-space surrounding the Weyl point.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Energy Spectrum of Lost Alpha Particles in Magnetic Mirror Confinement

In a magnetic mirror fusion reactor, capturing the energy of fusion-produced alpha particles is essential to sustaining the reaction. However, since alpha particles are born at energies much higher than the confining potential, a substantial fraction are lost due to pitch-angle scattering before they can transfer their energy to the plasma via drag. The energy of lost alpha particles can still be captured through direct conversion, but designing an effective mechanism requires a description of the energies and times at which they become deconfined. Here we present analytical solutions for the loss velocity, energy, and time distributions of alpha particles in a magnetic mirror. After obtaining the Fokker-Planck collision operator, we asymptotically solve for the eigenfunctions of the Legendre operator to reveal a closed-form solution. Our framework applies to any high-energy species, for any applied potential and mirror ratio R > 1, making this work broadly applicable to mirror devices.

physics.plasm-ph↗