Physics Department Colloquia |
Events During the Week of December 14th through December 21st, 2008
Monday, December 15th, 2008
- No events scheduled
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
- Magnetic Self-Organization in the Reversed Field Pinch
- Time: 12:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 11:30 am)
- Speaker: John Sarff, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin
- Abstract: Magnetic self-organization in a plasma refers to processes where, for example, gradients in the plasma current and pressure lead to magnetic instabilities, which in turn feedback on the structure of the plasma and its free energy sources. The reversed field pinch (RFP) magnetically confined plasma exhibits a number of self-organizing effects that resemble those observed or believed important in astrophysical plasmas, thus providing an excellent laboratory to help understand the self-organizing processes. The RFP is also a candidate approach to plasma confinement for thermonuclear fusion. In the fusion context, magnetic self-organization is both a challenge and opportunity for achieving a sustained hot plasma. Research from the Madison Symmetric Torus here in the UW physics department will be described to illustrate self-organization physics in the RFP.
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
- No events scheduled
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
- No events scheduled
Friday, December 19th, 2008
- No events scheduled