Universiẗat, Diss., 2005--Kassel.

Th.--Chim. macromoléculaire--Le Mans, 1987.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-190).

Th.--Pharm.--Paris 5, 1981. N°: 58.

Th.--Math.--Aix-Marseille 2, 1978.

<p> Tokamaks use magnetic fields to confine plasmas to achieve fusion; they are the leading approach proposed for the widespread production of fusion energy. The sawtooth crash in tokamaks limits the core temperature, adversely impacts confinement, and seeds disruptions. Adequate knowledge of the physics governing the sawtooth crash and a predictive capability of its ramifications has been elusive, including an understanding of incomplete reconnection, i.e., why sawteeth often cease prematurely before processing all available magnetic flux. In this dissertation, we introduce a model for incomplete reconnection in sawtooth crashes resulting from increasing diamagnetic effects in the nonlinear phase of magnetic reconnection. Physically, the reconnection inflow self-consistently convects the high pressure core of a tokamak toward the <i>q</i>=1 rational surface, thereby increasing the pressure gradient at the reconnection site. If the pressure gradient at the rational surface becomes large enough due to the self-consistent evolution, incomplete reconnection will occur due to diamagnetic effects becoming large enough to suppress reconnection. Predictions of this model are borne out in large-scale proof-of-principle two-fluid simulations of reconnection in a 2D slab geometry and are also consistent with data from the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST). Additionally, we present simulations from the 3D extended-MHD code M3D-C¹ used to study the sawtooth crash in a 3D toroidal geometry for resistive-MHD and two-fluid models. This is the first study in a 3D tokamak geometry to show that the inclusion of two-fluid physics in the model equations is essential for recovering timescales more closely in line with experimental results compared to resistive-MHD and contrast the dynamics in the two models. We use a novel approach to sample the data in the plane of reconnection perpendicular to the <i>(m,n)</i>=(1,1) mode to carefully assess the reconnection physics. Using local measures of reconnection, we find that it is much faster in the two-fluid simulations, consistent with expectations based on global measures. By sampling data in the reconnection plane, we present the first observation of the quadrupole out-of-plane magnetic field appearing during sawtooth reconnection with the Hall term. We also explore how reconnection as viewed in the reconnection plane varies toroidally, which affects the symmetry of the reconnection geometry and the local diamagnetic effects. We expect our results to be useful for transport modeling in tokamaks, predicting energetic alpha-particle confinement, and assessing how sawteeth trigger disruptions. Since the model only depends on local diamagnetic and reconnection physics, it is machine independent, and should apply both to existing tokamaks and future ones such as ITER.</p>

<p> Magnetic fields at all scales are prevalent in our universe. However, current cosmological models predict that initially the universe was bereft of large-scale fields. Standard magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) does not permit magnetogenesis; in the MHD Faraday&rsquo;s law, the change in magnetic field <i> B</i> depends on <i>B</i> itself. Thus if <i> B</i> is initially zero, it will remain zero for all time. A more accurate physical model is needed to explain the origins of the galactic-scale magnetic fields observed today. In this thesis, I explore two velocity-driven mechanisms for magnetogenesis in 2-fluid plasma. The first is a novel kinematic &lsquo;battery&rsquo; arising from convection of vorticity. A coupling between thermal and plasma oscillations, this non-relativistic mechanism can operate in flows that are incompressible, quasi-neutral and barotropic. The second mechanism results from inclusion of thermal effects in relativistic shear flow instabilities. In such flows, parallel perturbations are ubiquitously unstable at small scales, with growth rates of order with the plasma frequency over a defined range of parameter-space. Of these two processes, instabilities seem far more likely to account for galactic magnetic fields. Stable kinematic effects will, at best, be comparable to an ideal Biermann battery, which is suspected to be orders of magnitude too weak to produce the observed galactic fields. On the other hand, instabilities grow until saturation is reached, a topic that has yet to be explored in detail on cosmological scales. In addition to investigating these magnetogenesis sources, I derive a general dispersion relation for three dimensional, warm, two species plasma with discontinuous shear flow. The mathematics of relativistic plasma, sheared-flow instability and the Biermann battery are also discussed.</p>

Physical vapour deposition technologies have been on the fast track of development for the last two decades due to their ability to meet demands for special materials and performance tools. The ever increasing complexity of the required coating microstructure and chemical composition can be achieved only by the development of PVD technology and in particular plasma sources for vapour generation that can provide the necessary tools. This thesis describes plasma diagnostic studies of plasma discharges, developments of plasma sources and deposition of CrN coatings. Initially the project investigated vacuum arc plasma discharges used in the Hauzer HTC1000/ABS industrially sized coater. The attention was concentrated to the plasma pretreatment by low energy (1200 - 3600 eV) Cr ion implantation into substrates, which contributed to an enhanced adhesion of subsequently deposited TiAIN coatings. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES), electrostatic probes, and time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy were used to study the interactions of the arc plasma with the gas atmosphere in the chamber. It was shown that increasing the pressure of Ar gas had a strong effect on the composition of the generated metal ion flux as the density of highly charged metal species reduced significantly to the benefit of gas ionisation. The mechanisms behind these observations are discussed and supported by further experiments. Based on the plasma diagnostic results, a novel two-stage pretreatment method was developed which allowed an enhanced adhesion due to faster sputter cleaning of the substrate surface and more efficient metal ion incorporation in the substrate material. In the final stages of the project a novel high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) process utilising peak power densities of 3000 Wcm[-2] was investigated. OES studies showed the first evidence of doubly charged Cr and Ti ions generated by the HIPIMS discharge. Peak plasma densities of 10[13] cm[-3] were measured and, in the case of Cr, metal ions were found to constitute 30% of the total deposition flux to substrates. The influence of power on the plasma density, plasma composition and time evolution of the plasma was studied in detail using OES and electrostatic probes. The conditions for glow-to-arc transition were investigated. CrN coatings (thickness 2 mum) were deposited for the first time using HIPIMS of Cr in a nitrogen atmosphere. The microstructure observed in transmission electron microscopy cross sections was highly dense and droplet free and contributed to an excellent corrosion and wear resistance superior to 20 mum thick electroplated hard Cr, and CrN coatings deposited by arc and unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The HIPIMS discharge was used also for pretreatment of substrates with metal ions analogous to the one performed previously with arc discharge. High adhesion was achieved as indicated by the scratch test critical load value Lc = 85 N.Finally, at an intermediate stage of the PhD project, an alternative source providing metal ionisation was studied. It was based on a radio frequency (RF) powered coil that was inductively coupled to a magnetron sputtering discharge. Energy resolved mass spectroscopy and OES in a laboratory-sized version of the plasma source revealed elevated metal ion densities and high ion energies of the order of 60 eV. This source was upscaled, installed, and tested successfully in the industrially sized Hauzer coater. The ion-to-neutral ratio at the substrate position could be increased 5-fold for a similar increase in RF power.

A room temperature water model of a tundish was design, constructed and operated. The model was equipped with a steam heating system that simulates that simulates the tundish plasma heating systems operated by some of the more modem continuous casting plants. Similarity between steam heating in the water model and plasma heating in the tundish has been established. A dimensionless criterion was developed to validate the simulation experiments and its represented by the plasma heating number. Using this similarity criterion plasma heating can be simulated by steam heating in an appropriately designed water model. A theoretical dispersion model has been formulated for the flow through the tundish and the parameters in this model determined from the results obtained from residence time distribution measurements. A conductivity method was used, a highly conducting species being injected at the inlet point and changes in conductivity monitored at the exit. Measurements were also made of the changes in temperature at the exit resulting both from changes in temperature of the inlet stream and from the use of steam heater system. A stable inverse heat conduction method has been developed in which the measured and estimated temperature are analysed in terms of a steady components of short duration. A finite difference method has been used to predict the effect on a thermocouple temperature of the deviatory components of the liquid steel temperature. The incorporation of these predictions into look-up tables has allowed an algorithm to be developed thet can deduce the current deviatory component of the steel temperature from the thermocouple response.

O estudo e desenvolvimento das tecnologias envolvidas nos propulsores eletromagnéticos, os quais são utilizados na propulsão de foguetes e espaçonaves, são recentes e extremamente complexos. Devido a isso, poucas referências atuais foram encontradas para a realização deste trabalho. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo a prospecção de novas tecnologias nos processos de soldagem e corte de materiais metálicos. Essa prospecção realizou-se através da construção e estudo do dispositivo eletromagnético conhecido como propulsor magnetoplasmadinâmico (“Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster – MPDT”), o qual é capaz de ionizar um gás, formando um fluxo de plasma com temperaturas elevadas. Dois dispositivos eletromagnéticos, MPDT-1 e MPDT-2, foram construídos no Laboratório de Soldagem & Técnicas Conexas – LS&TC da UFRGS. Para ambos, foram realizados testes de funcionamento analisando a influência das variáveis físicas (intensidade de corrente elétrica, posição relativa entre os eletrodos, ângulo da extremidade do catodo, entre outras) no jato de plasma expulso para fora da câmara dos dispositivos. Com base nos resultados obtidos para os testes de funcionamento dos dispositivos, os quais apresentaram influências significativas das variáveis físicas no jato de plasma, foram escolhidos os parâmetros que melhor se adequavam na realização de soldagem e corte. As soldagens realizadas com o MPDT-1 apresentaram uma grande oxidação no metal de solda, a qual foi evitada com a adição de um bocal de gás de proteção no MPDT-2 e gás de purga. Os cortes, para ambos os dispositivos, apresentaram falhas devido ao jato de plasma não expulsar o metal fundido. Contudo, o propulsor eletromagnético pode ser aplicado no desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias de soldagem e corte, porém novos estudos devem ser realizados para encontrar melhores parâmetros e assim conseguir soldagem e corte com excelentes qualidades. / The study and development of technologies involved in the electromagnetic thruster, that are used in the propulsion of rockets and spaceships, are new and extremely complex. Due to this, a few present references were found to the accomplishment of this work. This work has as objective the search of new technologies in the process of welding and cutting of metallic materials. This prospection happened through the construction and study of an electromagnetic device known as Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster – MPDT, which is capable to ionize a gas, forming a plasma flow with high temperatures. Two electromagnetic devices, MPDT-1 and MPDT-2, were built at Welding & Related Techniques Laboratory, at Center of Technology of Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). In both, there were carried out functional tests analyzing the influence of the physics variables (electric current intensity, relative position between the electrodes, angle of cathode tip, among other things) on the plasma jet expelled of the device chamber. With base at the results obtained for functional tests of the devices, which had presented significant influences of the physics variables on plasma jet, were chosen the parameters that better adjusted for welding and cutting. The weldings accomplished with the MPDT-1 presented a great oxidation of weld filet, which was avoid with the addition of a nozzle of shielding gas on MPDT-2 and gas of purge. For both devices, the cuts presented imperfections due to plasma jet not to eject the casting metal. However, the electromagnetic device – MPDT could be applied on the development of new technologies of welding and cutting, but news studies must be carried out to find better parameters and then obtain welds and cuts of excellent quality.