Advancing Fusion Energy: 5D Gyrokinetic Studies of Magnetic Mirrors and High-Temperature Superconducting Technology

Maxwell Rosen, Princeton University Ph.D. candidate in Plasma Physics

Magnetic mirrors are an exciting plasma confinement device with new studies showing stability due to expanded flux regions at the ends, line-tying, biasing, sloshing ions, and other strategies [1]. Increased stability and enhanced heating have allowed modern mirrors to approach the keV electron temperature milestone, encroaching on the territory of nuclear fusion [1]. Leveraging this knowledge and advancements in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technology, the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) aims to produce a compact device with fusion-relevant energy densities and evaluate the feasibility of mirror-based fusion plants. To study parallel and perpendicular dynamics comprehensively, this talk will examine utilizing the Gkeyll code for 5D gyrokinetic studies of magnetic mirrors [2]. One-dimensional studies have verified parallel dynamics; additional algorithmic work has maintained these dynamics with reduced computational resources [3]. Significant gains include incorporating general geometry, non-uniform spatial and velocity grids, an ad-hoc positivity fix, coupling to CQL3D for initial conditions, and moving Gkeyll to a C-based multi-GPU implementation. This talk will present results from full 5D gyrokinetics of a high-field magnetic mirror, supported by simulations using single field lines and axisymmetric cross-sections to verify algorithmic implementations.

[1] D. D. Ryutov, Phys. Plasmas (2011). [2] https://gkeyll.readthedocs.io. [3] M. Francisquez et al., Phys. Plasmas (2023).

Max Rosen graduated as class valedictorian from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in 2020 with a B.S. in Applied Physics.