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Nathaniel M. Ferraro

Publications and source records attributed to Nathaniel M. Ferraro.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Hybrid simulation of energetic particles interacting with magnetohydrodynamics using a slow manifold algorithm and GPU acceleration

The hybrid method combining particle-in-cell and magnetohydrodynamics can be used to study the interaction between energetic particles and global plasma modes. In this paper we introduce the M3D-C1-K code, which is developed based on the M3D-C1 finite element code solving the magnetohydrodynamics equations, with a newly developed kinetic module simulating energetic particles. The particle pushing is done using a new algorithm by applying the Boris pusher to the classical Pauli particles to simulate the slow-manifold of particle orbits, with long-term accuracy and fidelity. The particle pushing can be accelerated using GPUs with a significant speedup. The moments of the particles are calculated using the $δf$ method, and are coupled into the magnetohydrodynamics simulation through pressure or current coupling schemes. Several linear simulations of magnetohydrodynamics modes driven by energetic particles have been conducted using M3D-C1-K, including fishbone, toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes and reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes. Good agreement with previous results from other eigenvalue, kinetic and hybrid codes has been achieved.

physics.plasm-ph

Finite Larmor Radius Effects on the Magnetorotational Instability

The linear dispersion relation for the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is derived including finite Larmor radius (FLR) effects. In particular, the Braginskii form of the ion gyroviscosity, which represents the first-order FLR corrections to the two-fluid equations, is retained. It is shown that FLR effects are the most important effects in the limit of weak magnetic fields, and are much more important than the Hall effect when beta >> 1, where beta is the ratio of the ion thermal pressure to the magnetic pressure. FLR effects may completely stabilize even MRI modes having wavelengths much greater than the ion Larmor radius. Some implications for astrophysical accretion disks are discussed.

astro-ph