Demonstrating Data-Driven Capabilities for use in Plasma Physics

The time-dependent, dynamical nature of plasma devices has been well-documented by the community. The existence of different dynamical behaviors dependent on operating conditions indicates that the dynamics should hold a wealth of knowledge related to performance characteristics if the dynamics can be captured. While high-speed data acquisition has enabled time-resolved measurement signals in recent years, time-averaged quantities continue to be used in analysis, discussion, and comparison to simulations, inadvertently causing significant uncertainties or loss of critical information when trying to understand plasma device degradation, lifetime, or anomalies. This presentation will discuss various avenues for the use of time-dependent dynamics in plasma physics, focused on the information contained in phase-space reconstructions of measurement signals. Covered efforts include understanding the repeatability of a particular operating condition, optimization of model parameters using experimental results, the correlation of one signal to another measured signal, and robustness in the face of sparse measurements.

Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited. PA# AFRL-2024-3377