[en] The talk will begin with a review of some basic concepts in chaotic dynamics including attractors, fractal dimension, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, etc. That will be followed by expositions of selected interesting recent developments in chaos including new methods for the analysis of experimental data from chaotic systems and techniques for controlling chaotic processes

[en] The barrel type ion diode with ballistic focusing was designed and tested at the generator MARINA with Microsecond Plasma Opening Switch (MPOS) operating on the level of up to 1 MV voltage and 250--300 kA of stored current. The results of the MPOS-diode circuitry performance tests and ion beam parameters measurement are given

[en] Experimental programs at Los Alamos for intense diagnostic neutral beams and for thin film deposition require efficient operation of extraction geometry B_r-ion diodes. The authors have employed multidimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) calculations to model beam formation and acceleration in the magnetically insulated diodes, as well as beam transport in the extraction section. Beam transport is facilitated by space-limited electron flow due to emission from the extractor walls. The emission is caused by ion beam self-fields. They have studied the effect of magnetic field strength and morphology on ion current and radial profiles. Divertor configurations to control electron sheath characteristics have also been investigated

[en] Calculation of matrix-elements for radiative transition is a demanding test of approximate wave functions. The authors have developed a new relativistic WKB wave-function which exactly reduces to the non-relativistic semiclassical limit, has the analytic properties required for calculation of matrix-elements, and which gives good answers for the relativistic changes in radiative rates. The method can easily be generalized to any screened-Coulomb potential

[en] Screening effects for fusion reactions of hydrogen in a hot dense plasma are investigated with a new two-centers model. This model, free of electronic density divergence at nucleus, allows the authors to explore a wide range of values for the temperature and the electronic parameter r_s. Comparisons are made with other models

[en] Strongly coupled plasmas are of interest to the studies of inertial confinement fusion, hypervelocity impact phenomena, as well as Jovian planets and stellar interiors. One unique way to produce such plasmas in the laboratory is via shock compression and heating of a solid. This would require strong shocks with amplitudes in excess of 1 MBar (10⁶ atmosphere), which is readily accessible by laser-driven ablation. In recent laser-generated shock wave experiment, the authors have obtained silicon plasmas with ion-ion coupling constants in excess of 40. Such plasmas have also allowed the first experimental study of electron-ion equilibrium in a strongly coupled plasma

[en] Two-dimensional cold-start resistive MHD computations of formation and evolution of deuterium-fiber-initiated Z pinches have been extended to include separate ion and electron energy equations and finite-Larmor-radius ordered Hall and diamagnetic pressure terms in the Ohm's Law (magnetic field evolution) equation. Comparison will be made of the results of these computations with previous computations and with experiment

[en] The electrical conductivity of a dense plasma has been the focus of many theoretical and experimental studies. In particular, the a.c. conductivity of a dense aluminum plasma was first probed in reflectivity measurements [A. Ng, D. Parfeniuk, P. Celliers, L. Da Silva, R.M. More, and Y.T. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 1595 (1986)]. This data is reexamined in comparison with the earlier models developed by Lee and More [Phys. Fluids 27, 1273 (1984)], Rinker [Phys. Rev. B31, 4207 (1985); Phys. Rev. B31, 4220 (1985)] as well the most recent calculations by Dharmawardana and Perrot [Phys. Lett. A163, 223 (1992)]. New implications of the experimental result will be discussed

[en] The interaction of a light wave with a relativistic ionization front in the presence of an applied DC magnetic field which is perpendicular or parallel to the incident wave is considered. In both cases, four transmitted modes are generated in the magnetized plasma by an incident linearly polarized wave. The frequency upshifts of the various modes are calculated and compared to the unmagnetized case. The corresponding reflection and transmission coefficients are also obtained. Finally, the density ripple associated with the free streaming mode in a magnetized plasma for the perpendicular case is discussed

[en] In order to focus a heavy ion beam onto an ICF target, the amount of longitudinal momentum spread in the beam must be kept small. One cause of longitudinal momentum spread is errors in the external electric fields needed to confine the beam axially (ear fields). These errors can be amplified by a longitudinal instability which is based on the same principle as ''resistive wall'' amplifiers. In a heavy ion fusion driver, the impedance which drives this instability comes from the induction acceleration modules. The authors are using the electrostatic, axisymmetric WARPrz PIC code to study the longitudinal dynamics of these beams. In WARPrz, they model the impedance of the closely-spaced modules as a continuum of resistors and capacitors in parallel. They are using this code to study perturbations due to errors in the acceleration and ear fields and the growth of these perturbations due to the instability