Theoretical and computational investigations are presented of boundary plasma microturbulence that take into account important effects of the geometry of diverted tokamaks--in particular, the effect of x-point magnetic shear and the termination of field lines on divertor plates. We first generalize our previous 'heuristic boundary condition' which describes, in a lumped model, the closure of currents in the vicinity of the x-point region to encompass three current-closure mechanisms. We then use this boundary condition to derive the dispersion relation for low-beta flute-like modes in the divertor-leg region under the combined drives of curvature, sheath impedance, and divertor tilt effects. The results indicate the possibility of strongly growing instabilities, driven by sheath boundary conditions, and localized in either the private or common flux region of the divertor leg depending on the radial tilt of divertor plates. We re-visit the issue of x-point effects on blobs, examining the transition from blobs terminated by x-point shear to blobs that extend over both the main SOL and divertor legs. We find that, for a main-SOL blob, this transition occurs without a free-acceleration period as previously thought, with x-point termination conditions applying until the blob has expanded to reach the divertor plate. We also derive propagation speeds for divertor-leg blobs. Finally, we present fluid simulations of the C-Mod tokamak from the BOUT edge fluid turbulence code, which show main-SOL blob structures with similar spatial characteristics to those observed in the experiment, and also simulations which illustrate the possibility of fluctuations confined to divertor legs.

Theory and modelling with direct numerical simulation and experimental observations are indispensable in the understanding of the evolution of nature, in this case the theory and modelling of plasma and fluid turbulence. Plasma and Fluid Turbulence: Theory and Modelling explains modelling methodologies in depth with regard to turbulence phenomena a

This textbook begins with a description of the Earth's plasma environment, followed by the derivation of single particle motions in electromagnetic fields, with applications to the Earth's magnetosphere. Also discussed are the origin and effects of collisions and conductivities, formation of the ionosphere, magnetospheric convection and dynamics, and solar wind-magnetosphere coupling.The second half of the book presents a more theoretical foundation of plasma physics, starting with kinetic theory. Introducing moments of distribution function permits the derivation of the fluid equations, followed by an analysis of fluid boundaries, with the Earth's magnetopause and bow shock as examples, and finally, fluid and kinetic theory are applied to derive the relevant wave modes in a plasma.This revised edition seamlessly integrates new sections on magnetopause reconstruction, as well as instability theory and thermal fluctuations based on new developments in space physics. Applications such as the important problems of collisionless reconnection and collisionless shocks are covered, and some problems have also been included at the end of each chapter.

The physics of plasmas is an extremely rich and complex subject as the variety of topics addressed in this book demonstrates. This richness and complexity demands new and powerful techniques for investigating plasma physics. An outgrowth from his graduate course teaching, now with corrections, Tajima's text provides not only a lucid introduction to computational plasma physics, but also offers the reader many examples of the way numerical modeling, properly handled, can provide valuable physical understanding of the nonlinear aspects so often encountered in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Included here are computational methods for modern nonlinear physics as applied to hydrodynamic turbulence, solitons, fast reconnection of magnetic fields, anomalous transports, dynamics of the sun, and more. The text contains examples of problems now solved using computational techniques including those concerning finite-size particles, spectral techniques, implicit differencing, gyrokinetic approaches, and particle simulation.

Market: Students and researchers in chaos, plasma physics, and fluid transport. This superb collection of invited papers offers an excellent overview of the current status and future trends in chaotic dynamics, plasma and fluid physics, nonlinear phenomena and chaos, and transport and turbulence studies.

In the last few years the physics of turbulent plasma has undergone rapid development, beginning with the first works, in which the term "turbulence" was used in various ways, and ending with the fundamental studies which provide a thorough examina tion of the turbulent state of plasma. In physics it is usually found that value is not so much contained in specific results for a partic ular field as it is in the more general outlook and overall view of the problem. Occasionally the older results take on new mean ing after the general view of things is perfected. In the case of the physics of turbulent plasma, this general picture is now com plete, for the most part. The first review devoted to the problem of plasma turbulence was written by B. B. Kadomtsev [in "Problems in Plasma Theory," edited by M. A. Leontovich, Volume 4, Moscow, Atomizdat (1964), p. 188; English Translation: "Plasma Turbulence," Academic Press, London (1965)].