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PRODID:UW-Madison-Physics-Events
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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-9639
DTSTART:20260406T170000Z
DTEND:20260406T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T115244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T024202Z
LOCATION:Engineering Hall - 1227 
SUMMARY:Explosive Instability in Fusion and Astrophysical Plasmas\, P
 lasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar\, Professor Steven Cowley\,
  Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
DESCRIPTION:Magnetized plasmas—whether in nature or in the laborator
 y—often undergo sudden\, dramatic eruptions that release large amoun
 ts of energy and disrupt confinement. Edge localized modes (ELMs) in T
 okamaks are a good example. Why some plasmas erupt while others remain
  limited by turbulence is still not fully understood. In this talk\, I
  will examine the instability mechanisms that drive eruptive behavior 
 and show that many plasmas are metastable\, i.e. stable to small pertu
 rbations but unstable to large perturbations. When triggered\, this me
 tastable state can lead to explosive events. I will highlight how this
  phenomenon manifests in both edge localized modes in fusion devices a
 nd in solar flares. Following such eruptions\, the plasma must settle 
 into a new equilibrium. I will present key examples where these relaxe
 d equilibrium states can be calculated accurately.
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=9639
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