Computer simulation of nonlinear phenomena in plasmas

Simulation Science is explored by developing Man-machine Interactive System for Simulation (MISSION), in which an advanced virtual reality visualization system is an important element. plasma is an exemplar of a medium governed by complexity, and plasma physics research is evolving from a "static science" into a "dynamic science". In this paper, a topic in Simulation Science on nonlinear behavior of plasma physics is picked up, specifically, energy relaxation phenomena. Three-dimensional simulations are executed to clarify physical mechanisms of relaxation activities that are observed in the spherical tokamak experiments. The simulation results predict an occurrence of self-organizing transition from an axisymmetric state to a stable n = 2 helical state. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.