Um modelo computacional autoconsistente para a cinética da descarga em um plasma frio, fracamente ionizado, do tipo produzido em tubos de descarga, foi desenvolvido. Ele foi utilizado para investigar a dinâmica das várias propriedades do plasma, tais como temperaturas, densidades e fluxos das espécies que o compõe. Em particular, o modelo desenvolvido considera explicitamente a composição do plasma contendo várias espécies em vários estados de excitação eletrônica. Pode-se determinar a dinâmica das populações envolvidas nas transições laser do átomo de cobre, num modelo autoconsistente para lasers operando em altas taxas de repetição (-5KHz). O modelo mais completo construido considera cinco níveis para o gás tampão (Ne) e nove níveis para o átomo de cobre. O laser de cobre apresenta duas transições, uma no verde e outra no amarelo (5106 A e 5782 A), ambas terminando em estados metaestáveis de longa duração ( -270 J.LS), no átomo livre. No caso mais geral foram considerados trinta processos para determinar a dinâmica do plasma. O tratamento considera, primeiramente, somente a variação temporal e foi utilizado para estudar o plasma formado por três combinações diferentes de espécies: o gás de He puro; a mistura de He:Cu e por último a mistura Ne:Cu, correntemente utillizada em lasers a vapor de cobre. A evolução temporal da temperatura de elétrons, temperatura dos átomos e densidades das espécies, em particular a das espécies excitadas nos niveis de transição laser, pode ser determinada e os resultados comparados com resultados experimentais e de simulação reportados na literatura, mostrando boa concordância no comportamento geral. Verificou-se neste modelo que o principal mecanismo de desexcitação do nível metaestável inferior da transição laser são as colisões superelásticas e não a desativação via interação com as paredes (difusão). Após este primeiro tratamento o modelo passou a considerar também a dependência radial do plasma numa simetria cilíndrica (modelo radial). Neste caso, o efeito de penetração do campo elétrico é explicitamente considerado e o modelo pode ser aplicado tanto a tubos de pequeno como de grande diâmetro, uma vez que o diâmetro é uma grandeza fundamental para a obtenção de lasers de alta potência. Demonstrou-se que esse efeito produz uma distribuição de população dos níveis envolvidos nas duas transições laser (verde e amarela) do cobre, temporalmente distintas e crescentes da borda para o centro, o que concorda com resultados da literatura. Assim, o pulso do laser irá se iniciar com a emissão verde na borda do tubo, conforme predições de nosso modelo. Determinou-se também que existe um limite máximo para o comprimento do tubo do laser, decorrente da existência de uma janela temporal de ganho (-100 ns). / A self-consistent computational model was developed to describe the electrical discharge in a cold plasma, weakly ionized, of the kind usually produced in discharge tubes. The various properties of the species of the plasma as temperature of the electrons, its densities and fluxes could then be obtained. In particular, the model explicitly considers the plasma containing different species in different state of electronic excitation. From these quantities, one can determine the dynamics of the populations involved in the copper atomic laser transition, in a self-consistent model for lasers operation in high repetition rates (-5KHz). The most complete model developed takes into account five level for the buffer gas and nine levels for the copper atom. The copper laser shows two transitions, one in the green and other in the yellow, (5106 Å e 5782 Å), both ending in metaestable states of long duration (~270 µs), in the free atom. In the most complete case studied, thirty processes were considered in the calculations of the plasma dynamics. The formalism first considers solely the temporal dependence and it was used to study the plasma formed by three species: pure He; He and Cu; and Ne and Cu, the last one been currently used in copper vapor lasers. The time dependent populations of the electrons temperature, atoms temperature and densities, in particular the excited levels involved in the laser transitions, could be determined and the results were compared with experimental and simulated results of literature, showing a general good agreement. It was verified, in this model, that the main deexcitation mechanism of the lower metastable laser level is superelastic collisions and not deexcitation via interactions with the walls (diffusion). Therefore, the model was extended to take into account the radial dependence of the plasma in a cylindrical symmetry (radial model). In this case, the skin penetration effect of the electrical field was explicitly considered and the model can then be applied to either small and large diameters, as the diameter is a fundamental parameter for obtaining high power lasers. It is shown that this effect produces a temporally distinct population distribution in the levels of the laser transitions (yellow and green) of the copper atoms, that start in the border and goes to the center, in agreement with the literature. Therefore, the laser pulse starts with the green emission in the border, according to the prediction of our model. It was also found that there is a limit for the maximum length of the laser tube due to the existence of a time window for the positive gain of the laser (~100 ns).

Um modelo computacional autoconsistente para a cinética da descarga em um plasma frio, fracamente ionizado, do tipo produzido em tubos de descarga, foi desenvolvido. Ele foi utilizado para investigar a dinâmica das várias propriedades do plasma, tais como temperaturas, densidades e fluxos das espécies que o compõe. Em particular, o modelo desenvolvido considera explicitamente a composição do plasma contendo várias espécies em vários estados de excitação eletrônica. Pode-se determinar a dinâmica das populações envolvidas nas transições laser do átomo de cobre, num modelo autoconsistente para lasers operando em altas taxas de repetição (-5KHz). O modelo mais completo construido considera cinco níveis para o gás tampão (Ne) e nove níveis para o átomo de cobre. O laser de cobre apresenta duas transições, uma no verde e outra no amarelo (5106 A e 5782 A), ambas terminando em estados metaestáveis de longa duração ( -270 J.LS), no átomo livre. No caso mais geral foram considerados trinta processos para determinar a dinâmica do plasma. O tratamento considera, primeiramente, somente a variação temporal e foi utilizado para estudar o plasma formado por três combinações diferentes de espécies: o gás de He puro; a mistura de He:Cu e por último a mistura Ne:Cu, correntemente utillizada em lasers a vapor de cobre. A evolução temporal da temperatura de elétrons, temperatura dos átomos e densidades das espécies, em particular a das espécies excitadas nos niveis de transição laser, pode ser determinada e os resultados comparados com resultados experimentais e de simulação reportados na literatura, mostrando boa concordância no comportamento geral. Verificou-se neste modelo que o principal mecanismo de desexcitação do nível metaestável inferior da transição laser são as colisões superelásticas e não a desativação via interação com as paredes (difusão). Após este primeiro tratamento o modelo passou a considerar também a dependência radial do plasma numa simetria cilíndrica (modelo radial). Neste caso, o efeito de penetração do campo elétrico é explicitamente considerado e o modelo pode ser aplicado tanto a tubos de pequeno como de grande diâmetro, uma vez que o diâmetro é uma grandeza fundamental para a obtenção de lasers de alta potência. Demonstrou-se que esse efeito produz uma distribuição de população dos níveis envolvidos nas duas transições laser (verde e amarela) do cobre, temporalmente distintas e crescentes da borda para o centro, o que concorda com resultados da literatura. Assim, o pulso do laser irá se iniciar com a emissão verde na borda do tubo, conforme predições de nosso modelo. Determinou-se também que existe um limite máximo para o comprimento do tubo do laser, decorrente da existência de uma janela temporal de ganho (-100 ns). / A self-consistent computational model was developed to describe the electrical discharge in a cold plasma, weakly ionized, of the kind usually produced in discharge tubes. The various properties of the species of the plasma as temperature of the electrons, its densities and fluxes could then be obtained. In particular, the model explicitly considers the plasma containing different species in different state of electronic excitation. From these quantities, one can determine the dynamics of the populations involved in the copper atomic laser transition, in a self-consistent model for lasers operation in high repetition rates (-5KHz). The most complete model developed takes into account five level for the buffer gas and nine levels for the copper atom. The copper laser shows two transitions, one in the green and other in the yellow, (5106 Å e 5782 Å), both ending in metaestable states of long duration (~270 µs), in the free atom. In the most complete case studied, thirty processes were considered in the calculations of the plasma dynamics. The formalism first considers solely the temporal dependence and it was used to study the plasma formed by three species: pure He; He and Cu; and Ne and Cu, the last one been currently used in copper vapor lasers. The time dependent populations of the electrons temperature, atoms temperature and densities, in particular the excited levels involved in the laser transitions, could be determined and the results were compared with experimental and simulated results of literature, showing a general good agreement. It was verified, in this model, that the main deexcitation mechanism of the lower metastable laser level is superelastic collisions and not deexcitation via interactions with the walls (diffusion). Therefore, the model was extended to take into account the radial dependence of the plasma in a cylindrical symmetry (radial model). In this case, the skin penetration effect of the electrical field was explicitly considered and the model can then be applied to either small and large diameters, as the diameter is a fundamental parameter for obtaining high power lasers. It is shown that this effect produces a temporally distinct population distribution in the levels of the laser transitions (yellow and green) of the copper atoms, that start in the border and goes to the center, in agreement with the literature. Therefore, the laser pulse starts with the green emission in the border, according to the prediction of our model. It was also found that there is a limit for the maximum length of the laser tube due to the existence of a time window for the positive gain of the laser (~100 ns).

La reconnexion magnétique est un processus qui permet la conversion d'énergie magnétique en énergies cinétique et thermique, et autorise le mélange de plasmas. À la magnétopause terrestre, en particulier, elle est responsable d'un transfert d'énergie et de matière du vent solaire vers la magnétosphère. L'importance de ce transfert dépend du taux de reconnexion, qui lui-même varie en fonction des conditions locales du plasma. La présence fréquente à la magnétopause de populations froides d'origine ionosphérique est donc susceptible d'influer sur les propriétés et l'efficacité du processus. Cette thèse cherche à déterminer à l'aide de simulations numériques cinétiques quels sont les effets de ces populations froides sur la reconnexion magnétique asymétrique. La première partie de ce travail s'intéresse à la structure de la couche de courant et prouve, en se servant d'un équilibre cinétique récemment développé, que l'équilibre initial n'a en fait pas d'impact sur le développement de la reconnexion magnétique. Cette dernière ne dépend que du plasma reconnectant à un moment donné. Une deuxième partie de cette thèse montre que lorsque ce plasma contient des ions froids, ces derniers peuvent modifier des signatures observationelles des sites de reconnexion. La reconnexion magnétique chauffe et accélère également les ions froids. La troisième partie de ce travail prédit des signatures observationnelles inédites liées à cette dynamique et propose un modèle analytique pour expliquer l'une d'elles. Ces résultats pourront être confrontés aux données dans le cadre de la récente mission MMS, dont l'objectif est l'étude des sites de reconnexion à petite échelle. / Magnetic reconnection is a process allowing the conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic and thermal energies. It also leads to the mixing of plasmas. At the Earth's magnetopause, in particular, it allows the transfer of energy and matter from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. The importance of this transfer depends on the reconnection rate, which is itself dependent on local plasma conditions. The recurrent presence of cold plasma populations of ionospheric origin at the magnetopause is proposed to impact the properties and efficiency of the process. This thesis looks into the effects of such cold populations on asymmetric magnetic reconnection using the state-of-the-art numerical kinetic simulations. The first part of this work is interested in the current sheet structure and demonstrates, using a recently developed kinetic equilibrium, that the initial equilibrium in fact does not impact the properties of the ensuing magnetic reconnection growth. The latter only depends on the instantaneously reconnecting plasma. A second part of this thesis shows that when this plasma contains cold ions, these latter modify expected observational signatures of reconnection sites. Magnetic reconnection heats and accelerates cold ions. The third part of this work predicts original signatures due to this dynamics and offers an analytical model to explain one of them. These results are being confronted with data from the recent MMS mission, which is targeted at studying reconnection sites at small scales.

La capacité à libérer l’énergie stockée dans le champ magnétique et à briser le théorème du gel font de la reconnexion magnétique un des phénomènes les plus importants de la physique des plasmas. Lorsqu’elle se produit dans un environnement non-collisionel comme la magnétosphère terrestre, une modélisation cinétique est à priori nécessaire. Cependant la plupart de notre compréhension du phénomène se base sur un interprétation fluide, plus intuitive. Dans quelle mesure ces deux interprétations d’un même phénomène sont-elles reliées ? C’est la problématique à laquelle cette thèse s’intéresse, dans le cas de la reconnexion antiparallèle et pour la population ionique du plasma. La première partie de ce travail s’intéresse à l’accélération fluide et cinétique des protons au sein de la région de reconnexion. Il est montré comment le mouvement individuel des particules joue un rôle du point de vue fluide via la force de pression, jusqu’alors négligée dans les modèles. Ces résultats ont également mené dans une seconde partie à des prédictions et vérifications observationnelles basées sur les données des satellites Cluster. Dans un troisième temps, nous montrons le rôle important joué par le flux d’énergie thermique dans le transfert d’énergie au cours du processus de reconnexion, dans le cas symétrique et asymétrique. Enfin la dernière partie de ce manuscrit propose une solution au problème fondamental consistant décrire une couche de courant tangentielle asymétrique dans un état d’équilibre cinétique / Because of its ability to transfer the energy stored in magnetic field together with the breaking of the flux freezing constraint, magnetic reconnection is considered as one of the most important phenomena in plasma physics. When it happens in a collision less environment such as the terrestrial magnetosphere, it should a priori be modelled with in the framework of kinetic physics. The evidence of kinetic features has incidentally for a long time, been shown by researchers with the help of both numerical simulations and satellite observations. However, most of our understanding of the process comes from the more intuitive fluid interpretation with simple closure hypothesis which do not include kinetic effects. To what extent are these two separate descriptions of the same phenomenon related? What is the role of kinetic effects in the averaged/fluid dynamics of reconnection? This thesis addresses these questions for the proton population in the particular case of antiparallel merging with the help of 2D Hybrid simulations. We show that one can not assume, as is usually done, that the acceleration of the proton flow is only due to the La place force. Our results show, for symmetric and asymmetric connection, the importance of the pressure force, opposed to the electric one on the separatrices, in the decoupling region. In the symmetric case, we emphasize the kinetic origin of this force by analyzing the proton distribution functions and explain their structure by studying the underlying particle dynamics. Protons, as individual particles, are shown to bounce in the electric potential well created by the Hall effect. The spatial divergence of this well results in a mixing in phase space responsible for the observed structure of the pressure tensor. A detailed energy budget analysis confirms the role of the pressure force for the acceleration ; but, contrary to what is sometimes assumed, it also reveals that the major part of the incoming Poynting flux is transferred to the thermal energy flux rather than to the convective kinetic energy flux, although the latter is generally supposed dominant. In the symmetric case, we propose the pressure tensor to be an additional proxy of the ion decoupling region in satellite data and verify this suggestion by studying a reconnection event encountered by the Cluster spacecrafts. Finally, the last part of this thesis is devoted to the study of the kinetic structure of asymmetric tangential current sheets where connection can develop. This theoretical part consists in finding a steady state solution to the Vlasov-Maxwell system for the protons in such a configuration. We present the theory and its first confrontation to numerical tests.