Plasma Physics Theory Group
Department of Physics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1150 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608 262-3595
Fax: 608 262-7205
Secretary: Linda Jones

Description

The plasma theory group is part of the Plasma Group in the Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin. The group conducts analytic and numerical research on a wide variety of topics relevant to magnetically confined fusion plasma research and plasma physics in general. Among the topics of research are plasma turbulence and transport, magnetic fluctuations and transport, reversed field pinch theory, astrophysical turbulence, and transport of stratospheric constituents.

Personnel

Professors:


Jim Callen		 *
Chris Hegna
Stewart Prager
Paul Terry

Scientists:

*Renato Gatto

Post-Docs:

Vladimir Svidzinski

Graduate Students:

*Derek Baver
*Fatima Febrahimi
*Cavendish McKay
 

Other Information

Many of the physicists listed above (and more faculty, post-docs, and graduate students doing research in plasma theory) are associated with the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation in the Enginering Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin.

You may also connect to other Research Programs in Plasmas and Fusion Technology at the University of Wisconsin.

Recent Publications

Anomalous Transport Theory for the Reversed Field Pinch, P.W. Terry, C.C. Hegna, C.R. Sovinec, N. Mattor, S.C. Prager, B.A. Carreras, P.H. Diamond, C.G. Gimblett, D.D. Schnack, A. Thyagaraja, and A.S. Ware, Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1996 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1997), Vol. 2, p. 665.

On the Stabilization of Neoclassical MHD Tearing Modes Using Localized Current Drive or Heating, C. C. Hegna and J. D. Callen, Physics of Plasmas 4, 2940 (1997).

Beta Limits in Long Pulse Tokamak Discharges, O. Sauter, R. J. La Haye, Z. Chang, D. A. Gates, Y. Kamada, H. Zohm, A. Bondeson, D. Boucher, J. D. Callen, M. S. Chu, T. A. Gianakon, O. Gruber, R. W. Harvey, C. C. Hegna, L. L. Lao, D. A.  Monticello, F. Perkins, A. Pletzer, A. H. Reiman, M. Rosenbluth, E. J. Strait, T. S. Taylor, A. D. Turnbull, F. Waelbroeck, J. C. Wesley, H. R. Wilson, and R. Yoshino,  Physics of Plasmas 4, 1654 (1997).

Turbulent Heat and Particle Flux Response to Electric Field Shear, A.S. Ware, P.W. Terry, B.A. Carreras, and P.H. Diamond, Physics of Plasmas 5, 173 (1998).

Measuring Delta' From Electron Temperature Fluctuations in TFTR, C. Ren, J. D. Callen, T. A. Gianakon, C. C. Hegna, Z. Chang, E. D. Fredrickson, K. M. McGuire, G. Taylor, and M. C. Zarnstorff, Phyics of Plasmas 5, 450 (1998).

Geometrical Influences on Neoclassical Magnetohydrodynamic Tearing Modes, S. E. Kruger, J. D. Callen and C. C. Hegna, Physics of Plasmas 5, 455 (1998).

?ExB Flow Shear and Enhanced Confinement in the Madison Symmetric Torus Reversed Field Pinch?, B.E. Chapman, A.F. Almagri, J.K. Anderson, C.-S. Chaing, D. Craig, G. Fiksel, N.E. Lanier, S.C. Prager, J.S. Sarff, M.R. Stoneking, and P.W. Terry, Physics of Plasmas 5, 173 (1998).

Self-Consistent Mean Field Forces in Turbulent Plasmas: Current and Momentum Relaxation, C. C. Hegna, Physics of Plasmas 5, 2257 (1998).

The Physics of Neoclassical Magnetohydrodynamic Tearing Modes, C. C. Hegna, Physics of Plasmas 5, 1767 (1998).

On the Stability of Mercier and Ballooning Modes in Stellarators, C. C. Hegna and N. Nakajima, Physics of Plasmas 5, 1336 (1998).

Structure and Dynamics of Current Sheets at Alfven Resonances  in a Differentially Rotating Plasma, X. Wang, A. Bhattacharjee, Z. W. Ma, C. Ren, C. C. Hegna, and J. D. Callen, Physics of Plasmas 5, 2291 (1998).

A Drift Alfvén Model for Interstellar Turbulence, P.W. Terry, E. Fernandez, and A.S. Ware, Astrophysical Journal, 504, 821 (1998).

Tracer Transport by Beta-Plane Turbulence in a Large Scale Jet, A.S. Ware, P.W. Terry, M.H. Hitchman, and D.E. Newman, submitted to Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.

Nonlinear Instability in Collisionless Trapped Electron Turbulence and its Role in Interpretive Analysis Techniques, P.W. Terry, Derek Baver, and Eduardo Fernandez, Eleventh Transport Task Force Workshop, Atlanta, March, 1998.

Understanding Flow Shear-Induced Confinement Regimes in the RFP, P.W. Terry and Cavendish McKay, Eleventh Transport Task Workshop, Atlanta, March, 1998.

Theoretical Studies of the Role of Flows and Currents in the RFP, C. C. Hegna, P. W. Terry, S. C. Prager, et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Research, 1998, in press.

On the Role of Shear on Tracer Transport by beta-Plane Turbulence in a Large Scale Jet, A. S. Ware, P. W. Terry, M. H. Hitchman and D. E. Newman, submitted to Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Sept. 1999.

Suppression of Temperature Fluctuations and Energy Barrier Generation by Velocity Shear, J. A. Boedo, P. W. Terry, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 84, 2630 (2000).

Suppression of Temperature Fluctuations and Energy Barrier Generation by Velocity Shear, J. A. Boedo, P. W. Terry, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., in press.

Does Flow Shear Suppress Turbulence in Non-Ionized Flows?, P. W. Terry, Phys. Plasmas, 7, 5, p1653 (2000).

Nonlinear Instability Driven by Advection of Electron Density in Collisionless Plasmas, D. Baver, P. W. Terry, and E. Fernandez, Phys. Letters A, 267, 188 (2000) .

Nonlinear MHD Alfven Wave Computations in Cylindrical Geometry, J. C. Wright, S. C. Prager and J. A. Tataronis, presented at the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Meeting, UCLA Los Angeles CA, March 27-29, 2000.

Tearing Mode-Induced Reynolds Stress and the Transition to Improved Confinement Regimes, P. W. Terry and R. Gatto, presented at the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Meeting, UCLA Los Angeles CA, March 27-29, 2000.

Anomalous Ion Heating from Ambipolar-Constrained Magnetic Turbulence-Induced Transport, R. Gatto and P. W. Terry, Phys. Plasmas, 8, 3, p.825 (2001).

The dynamics of the spontaneous enhanced confinement regime in the reversed-field pinch, R. Gatto, P. W. Terry and C. C. Hegna, Poster DP1-0.92 of the American Physical Society - Division of Plasma Physics Meeting, October 23-27 2000, Quebec City, Canada.

The effect of equilibrium flow on the stability of tearing modes in the reversed-field pinch, R. Gatto, P. W. Terry and C. C. Hegna, Poster 2D09 of the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Meeting, April 2-4 2001, Santa Fe, NM, USA.

A Comparison of Nonlinear Damping and Shearing in Zonal Flow Reduction of Turbulence, R. Gatto, P.W. Terry and D.A. Baver, Oral presentation, Transport Task Force Meeting, April 2-4 2003, Madison, WI, USA.

Energy exchange between turbulent and zonal modes in collisionless trapped electron mode turbulence, R. Gatto, P.W. Terry and D.A. Baver, Poster LP1-061 of the American Physical Society - Division of Plasma Physics Meeting, October 27-31 2003, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
 


A list of earlier publications is available.

Comments about this page should be directed to Paul Terry.