Dr. Dylan P. Brennan
Assistant Professor of Physics and Engineering Physics
University of Tulsa
Office: KEP L161
Email:


Education

The University of Tulsa

University of Manchester, Ph.D. Physics 2001
Columbia University, M.S. Applied Physics 1996
State University of New York at Binghamton, B.S. Physics 1991

Synopsis

Dr. Dylan P. Brennan is currently an Assistant Professor of Physics and Engineering Physics at the University of Tulsa. He is actively involved in research into non-linear aspects of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability theory. The focus of this research is on the effects of extensions to MHD, such as energetic particles, flow shear, thermal anisotropy and two-fluid effects, on equilibrium, stability and transport. The context of this work is in analyses of magnetic confinement systems, such as experimental, solar and astrophysical plasmas, involving the development of analytic and computational theory to explain observations. Before coming to U. Tulsa, Dr. Brennan held a long term visiting collaborator position at General Atomics in the Theory and Computational Science Group, while employed as a staff Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His most important contribution at General Atomics was that he elucidated an onset mechanism for resistive MHD modes in tokamaks, which stems from the approach to the ideal stability boundary in equilibrium parameter space. Before this, he studied the physics of helicity injected low aspect ratio plasmas at the University of Manchester, England, where he developed analytic and numerical models of their ideal MHD equilibrium and stability. His work here explained the theoretical context of an instability ubiquitously observed in experimental data of helicity injected systems. While at Columbia University he worked on computation and modelling at the High Beta Tokamak Extended Pulse experiment and the Collisionless Terrella Experiment, with a focus on understanding the cross-field transport of electrons due to interchange instabilities in the terrella. Earlier in his physics training, he graduated with honors from S.U.N.Y. Binghamton for his work on crystalline deformations and stoichiometric differences as related to their effects on entropy and specific heat in Nickel Zirconium compounds.

Publications/Conference Proceedings

 

Selected Journal Publications

R.J. La Haye, D.P. Brennan, R.J. Buttery, and S.P. Gerhardt, "Islands in the Stream: The Effect of Plasma Flow on Tearing Stability," Phys. Plasmas 17, 056110 (2010).

D.P. Brennan, P.K. Browning, J. Gates, and R.A.M. Van der Linden, "Helicity Injected Current Drive and Open Flux Instabilities in Spherical Tokamaks," Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51, 045004 (2009).

R. Takahashi, D.P. Brennan, and C.C. Kim, "Kinetic Effects of Energetic Particles on Resistive MHD Stability," Phys. Rev. Lett 102, 135001 (2009).

D.P. Brennan, A.D. Turnbull, M.S. Chu, R.J. La Haye, L.L. Lao, T.H. Osborne, and S.A. Galkin, "Resistive Stability of 2/1 Modes Near 1/1 Resonance," Phys. Plasmas 14, 056108 (2007).

D.P. Brennan, S.E. Kruger, D.D. Schnack, C.R. Sovinec, and A. Pankin, "Computing Nonlinear Magnetohydrodynamic Edge Localized Instabilities in Fusion Plasmas," Journal of Physics: Conference Series 46, 63 (2006).

D.P. Brennan and L.E. Sugiyama, "Tearing Mode Stability in a Low Beta Plasma with Sawteeth," General Atomics Report A25221, Phys. Plasmas 13, 052515 (2006).

D.P. Brennan, S.E. Kruger, T.A. Gianakon, and D.D. Schnack, "A Categorization of Tearing Mode Onset in Tokamaks via Nonlinear Simulation," Nucl. Fusion 45, 1178 (2005).

D.P. Brennan, R.J. La Haye, A.D. Turnbull et al., "A Mechanism for Tearing Onset Near Ideal Stability Boundaries," Phys. Plasmas 10, 1643 (2003).

D.P. Brennan, P.K. Browning, and R.A.M. Van der Linden, "A Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Stability Model for Helicity Injected Devices with Open Flux," Phys. Plasmas 9, 3526 (2002).

D.P. Brennan, E.J. Strait, A.D. Turnbull, M.S. Chu, R.J. La Haye, T.C. Luce, T.S. Taylor, S. Kruger, and A. Pletzer, "Tearing Mode Stability Studies Near Ideal Stability Boundaries in DIII-D," Phys. Plasmas 9, 2998 (2002).

A.D. Turnbull, D. Brennan, M.S. Chu et al., "Predictive Capability of MHD Stability Limits in High Performance DIII-D Discharges," Nucl. Fusion 42, 917 (2002).

D. Brennan, P.K. Browning, R.A.M. Van der Linden, A.W. Hood, and S. Woodruff, "Stability Studies and the Origin of the n=1 Mode in the SPHEX Spheromak", Phys. Plasmas 6, 4248 (1999).

H.P. Warren, M. Mauel, D. Brennan, and S. Taormina, "Observations of Wave-Induced Chaotic Radial Transport in a Laboratory Terrella Experiment," Phys. Plasmas 3, 2143 (1996).

Courses Taught

The University of Tulsa

The University of California, San Diego