arXiv subjects

N. Sirmas

Publications and source records attributed to N. Sirmas.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The science of compressional heating on the LM26 magnetized target fusion experiment

The Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) at General Fusion has demonstrated compressional heating of a spherical tokamak deuterium plasma as it was compressed by an imploding solid lithium liner. Results from the first 11 compression shots on LM26 are presented, the highest-performing of which show more than a 3x increase in $T_e$, a 10x increase in $n_e$, and a 10x increase in $B_{pol}$ within the plasma driven by 3x radial compression. The experimental device and instrumentation are reviewed in detail, followed by observations about the liner trajectory and evolution of plasma properties, including increases in emission of neutrons, X-rays, and visible radiation. Observations from fast-camera images during compression provide context for interpreting the spatial structure of plasma-wall interaction. Overviews of relevant models and analysis are presented. Diagnostic data are used to reconstruct the experimental equilibrium state in computational framework as a function of time. The results build confidence in the stability and transport analyses that support the primary conclusions. Trends across the full set of 11 compression shots are presented, and detailed examinations of the high-performance shots are given individually. The central conclusions of the integrated physics model specifically indicate that compressional heating was achieved in this set of experiments, as evidenced by the balance of heating power from compression, Ohmic heating from plasma current, and losses to the boundary needed to match the experimental data. A majority of the temperature rise is attributable to compressional heating. An increase in neutron flux is also observed during compression. The results provide a basis for planned improvements to the LM26 facility that will enable the compression of magnetized plasma to increasingly higher densities and temperatures.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Non-equilibrium effects on thermal ignition using hard sphere molecular dynamics simulations

The present study addresses the role of molecular non-equilibrium effects in thermal ignition problems. We consider a single binary reaction of the form A+B -> C+C. Molecular dynamics calculations were performed for activation energies ranging between RT and 7.5RT and heat release of 2.5RT and 10RT. The evolution of up to 10,000 particles was calculated as the system undergoes a thermal ignition at constant volume. Ensemble averages of 100 calculations for each parameter set permitted to determine the ignition delay, along with a measure of the stochasticity of the process. A well behaved convergence to large system sizes is also demonstrated. The ignition delay calculations were compared with those obtained at the continuum level using rates derived from kinetic theory: the standard rate assuming that the distribution of the speed of the particles is the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, and the perturbed rates by Prigogine and Xhrouet [1] for an isothermal system, and Prigogine and Mahieu [2] for an energy releasing reaction, obtained by the Chapman-Enskog perturbation procedure. The molecular results were found in very good agreement with the latter at low temperatures, confirming that non-equilibrium effects promote the formation of energetic particles, that serve as seeds for subsequent reaction events: i.e., hot spots. This effect was found to lower the ignition delay by up to 30%. At high temperatures, the ignition delay obtained from the standard equilibrium rate was found to be up to 60% longer than the molecular calculations. This effect is due to the rapidity of the reactive collisions that do not allow the system to equilibrate. For this regime, none of the perturbation solutions obtained by the Chapman-Enskog procedure were valid. This study thus shows the importance of non-equilibrium effects in thermal ignition problems, for most temperatures of practical interest.

physics.chem-ph↗