Similarity of skeletal structures in laboratory and space and the probable role of self-assembling of a fractal dust in fusion devices

Kukushkin, A. B.; Rantsev-Kartinov, V. A.

Similarity of skeletal structures in laboratory and space and the probable role of self-assembling of a fractal dust in fusion devices

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Description

This papers briefly reviews the progress in studying the long-lived filamentary structures of a skeletal form (namely, tubules and cartwheels, and their simple combinations) in electric discharges in various fusion devices. These include fast Z-pinch, tokamak and laser produced plasmas. We also report on the results of a search for the phenomenon of skeletal structures -- formerly revealed in laboratory data from fusion devices -- at larger and much larger length scales, including the powerful electromagnetic phenomena in the Earth atmosphere and cosmic space. It is found that the similarity of, and a trend toward self-similarity in, the observed skeletal structures more or less uniformly covers the range 10^{-5} cm - 10^{23} cm. These evidences suggest all these skeletal structures, similarly to skeletons in the particles of dust and hail, to possess a fractal condensed matter of particular topology of the fractal. The probable role of the phenomenon of self-assembling of a fractal dust in fusion devices and outside the fusion is discussed briefly.
17 pages, 8 figures. This a shortened version of the paper to be published in "Current Trends in International Fusion Research" (Proc. 5-th Symposium, Washington D. C., USA, March 2003). Eds. C.D. Orth, E. Panarella, and R.F. Post. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada