Key Issues in Plasma Astrophysics and Relevance of Fusion Research

Bruno Coppi

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The important theoretical concepts and techniques concerning the physics of high energy plasmas have been developed as nuclear fusion research has unfolded over the years. The formulation of these concepts and the use of the relevant techniques (e.g. singular perturbations) have been at times inspired by experimental observations or have preceded and suggested new experiments. The intrinsic connection of space and astrophysics to the general field of fusion research goes back to the origins of this and led to a modern and blossoming discipline that is plasma astrophysics.

These circumstances are illustrated by specific examples that include the issue of angular momentum transport in axisymmetric laboratory plasmas (the phenomenon of spontaneous rotation in particular) and in astrophysical accretion disks, the importance of singular modes in thin accretion disks and the relation of their theory to that of modes involving magnetic reconnection in current carrying plasmas, nonlinear magnetic reconnection processes, anomalous transport of momentum, particle and thermal energies, the role of self organization processes in magnetically confined plasmas and in astrophysics, the principle of profile consistency being a significant example.

In this context, the main basic physics issues associated with fusion burning plasma experiments are discussed.


Sponsored in part by the US Department of Energy