MHD Simulation of the Inverse Pinch Plasma Discharge

A wall confined plasma in an inverse pinch configuration holds potential as a plasma target for Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) as well as the simple geometry to study wall-confined plasma. An experiment is planned to study the inverse pinch configuration using the Nevada Terawatt Facility (NTF) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The dynamics of the discharge formation have been analyzed using analytic models and numerical methods. Strong heating occurs by thermalization of directed energy when an outward moving current sheet (the inverse pinch effect) collides with the outer wall of the experimental chamber. Two dimensional MHD simulations show Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov -like modes of instability, as expected because of the shock acceleration during plasma formation phase. The instabilities are not disruptive, but give rise to a mild level of turbulence. The conclusion from this work is that an interesting experiment relevant to wall confinement for MTF could be done using existing equipment at UNR.