Plasma physics and thermonuclear reactors

Description: The course introduces students to the basic concepts of plasma physics and thermonuclear reactors. The problems of the dynamics of establishing the equilibrium distribution function are considered. Requirements for the parameters of hot plasma for controlled thermonuclear fusion. Diagram of the use of thermonuclear energy in an energy reactor. Comparison with a nuclear reactor

Amount of credits: 5

Пререквизиты:

• Physical Principles of Mechanics
• Introduction to engineering

Course Workload:

Component: Component by selection

Cycle: Profiling disciplines

Goal

• The study of the physical foundations of controlled thermonuclear fusion for the acquisition of knowledge and skills required in professional activities, as well as the use of the acquired knowledge in the development of subsequent specialized disciplines.

Objective

• To acquaint the student with modern plasma installations and their design elements. The course introduces students not only to the practical application of the theoretical basic knowledge in mathematics and physics that they acquired earlier, but also allows them to get an idea of the latest achievements in the formulation and conduct of complex physical experiments, as well as in the scientific and technological field (cryogenics, high-voltage technology, computer control systems, etc.).

Learning outcome: knowledge and understanding

• - about plasma physics as a branch of physics, its problems and methods of solving them; - on the main processes of transport in plasma in a magnetic field and without it - on the types of drift motion of particles in plasma; - about the chain reaction of nuclear fission; - about the methods of heating and retaining plasma; - about the devices used to receive and retain plasma; - about wave processes in plasma.

Learning outcome: applying knowledge and understanding

• - calculate the characteristics of the plasma according to the specified parameters; - make estimates of the velocity of the drift motion of particles in the plasma; - explain the effect of magnetic fields of a simple configuration on the behavior of the plasma.

Learning outcome: formation of judgments

• Formation of physical ideas about the laws of plasma behavior in a magnetic field for the application of this knowledge in various fields of science and technology.

Learning outcome: communicative abilities

• To deepen the students ' system of concepts and concepts in the field of equipment and plasma technology.

Learning outcome: learning skills or learning abilities

• To study theoretical and practical issues in the field of equipment and thermonuclear reactors.

Teaching methods

When conducting training sessions, the following educational technologies are provided: - interactive lecture (using the following active forms of learning: guided discussion or conversation; moderation; demonstration of slides or educational films; brainstorming; motivational speech); - building scenarios for various situations based on the specified conditions; - information and communication technology (for example, classes in a computer class using professional software packages); - search and research (independent research activity of students in the learning process); - the solution of educational tasks.

Assessment of the student's knowledge

Teacher oversees various tasks related to ongoing assessment and determines students' current performance twice during each academic period. Ratings 1 and 2 are formulated based on the outcomes of this ongoing assessment. The student's learning achievements are assessed using a 100-point scale, and the final grades P1 and P2 are calculated as the average of their ongoing performance evaluations. The teacher evaluates the student's work throughout the academic period in alignment with the assignment submission schedule for the discipline. The assessment system may incorporate a mix of written and oral, group and individual formats.

The evaluating policy of learning outcomes by work type

Evaluation form

The student's final grade in the course is calculated on a 100 point grading scale, it includes:

• 40% of the examination result;
• 60% of current control result.

The final grade is calculated by the formula:

 

Where Midterm 1, Midterm 2are digital equivalents of the grades of Midterm 1 and 2;

E is a digital equivalent of the exam grade.

Final alphabetical grade and its equivalent in points:

The letter grading system for students' academic achievements, corresponding to the numerical equivalent on a four-point scale:

Topics of lectures

• Plasma, plasma quasineutrality, spatial scale of charge separation, Debye radius, time scale of charge separation, plasma frequency, Debye shielding of charge in plasma, plasma oscillations
• Thermodynamics of an ideal gas, plasma temperature, thermal and Coulomb energy of the plasma, Coulomb corrections to the free energy and pressure of the plasma, equilibrium ionization, and the Saha formula
• The distribution function of plasma particles in phase space, the kinetic equation, the Vlasov equation, the Boltzmann equation and the Crook model, the Maxwell distribution function and the mean values
• Frequency and cross-section of collisions, free path length, the concept of "collision" for charged particles, transport cross-section
• Drift motion, drift in crossed electromagnetic fields, drift in an inhomogeneous magnetic field, gradient drift, centrifugal drift, drift in an alternating electric field, polarization drift
• Adiabatic invariants of motion, trajectories of particle motion in the probcotron, the Earth's magnetosphere, examples of violations of adiabatic conditions, magnetic plasma pumping, cyclotron heating
• Transfer phenomena, two problems of the transfer theory
• Plasma conductivity, classical diffusion, Bohm diffusion, ambipolar diffusion, diffusion in a magnetized plasma of finite dimensions, Simon effect
• Equations of motion, equation of continuity, equation of state, complete system of hydrodynamic equations for plasma, Maxwell's equations, approximations of magnetic hydrodynamics, equation for the magnetic field strength in plasma
• Nuclear fusion reactions, Coulomb barrier, Lawson criterion
• Devices based on the pinch effect, linear Z-pinch and-pinch, pinch equilibrium condition, pinch plasma heating mechanism, pinch instabilities and techniques for their stabilization
• Phase and group velocities, wave equation, dispersion equation, two problems about the wave process, field equation for an electromagnetic wave in a plasma
• The reactor period
• The influence of temperature on the physical parameters of the reactor
• Reactor kinetics in energy modes of operation

Key reading

• 1. Л.А. Арцимович. Управляемые термоядерные реакции. М.. ГИФМЛ. 1961. 2. Д. Роуз, М. Кларк. Физика плазмы и управляемые термоядерные реакции.М.. Госатомиздат. 1963. 3. Д.А. Франк-Каменецкий. Лекции по физике плазмы.М.. Атомиздат. 1968. 4. Н. Кролл, А. Трайвелпис. Основы физики плазмы. М.. Мир, 1975. 5. Ф. Чен. Введение в физику плазмы. М.. Мир, 1987. 6. И.А.Котельников, Г.В. Ступаков. Лекции по физике плазмы. Новосибирск,1996

Further reading

• 1. Л.А. Арцимович. Что каждый физик должен знать о плазме. М.. Атомиздат. 1976. 2. С.Д. Коровин, В.В. Рыжов. Азбука физики плазмы. Учебное пособие, ТПУ, 2001.