A Plasma, Magnetorotational Instability Experiment

A new experiment is underway at the University of Wisconsin to investigate the magnetorotational instability in a plasma. Magnetorotational instability (MRI) is a likely mechanism that could account for the observed accretion rates in astrophysical objects. The instability occurs when a weak magnetic field is present, so that tension in perturbed field lines transfers angular momentum outward while mass moves towards the center. In the Plasma Dynamo Experiment Prototype, a cylindrical, axisymmetric, ring cusp confinement geometry is used to produce a large unmagnetized plasma, confined by a highly localized magnetic field at the plasma boundary. The plasma is stirred by a novel axisymmetric electrode set that can control the rotation (angular momentum profile). The feasibility of observing the MRI will be discussed and initial results from a protoype experiment will be presented.