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Title: Electron flow stability in magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines

Abstract

We evaluate the stability of electron current flow in high-power magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs). A detailed model of electron flow in cross-field gaps yields a dispersion relation for electromagnetic (EM) transverse magnetic waves [R. C. Davidson et al., Phys. Fluids 27, 2332 (1984)] which is solved numerically to obtain growth rates for unstable modes in various sheath profiles. These results are compared with two-dimensional (2D) EM particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of electron flow in high-power MITLs. We find that the macroscopic properties (charge and current densities and self-fields) of the equilibrium profiles observed in the simulations are well represented by the laminar-flow model of Davidson et al. Idealized simulations of sheared flow in electron sheaths yield growth rates for both long (diocotron) and short (magnetron) wavelength instabilities that are in good agreement with the dispersion analysis. We conclude that electron sheaths that evolve self-consistently from space-charged-limited emission of electrons from the cathode in well-resolved 2D EM PIC simulations form stable profiles.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Voss Scientific, LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108 (United States)
  2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21537319
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3567016; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; CURRENT DENSITY; DISPERSION RELATIONS; ELECTRON EMISSION; ELECTRONS; LAMINAR FLOW; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA SIMULATION; SPACE CHARGE; STABILITY; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; EMISSION; FERMIONS; FLUID FLOW; INSTABILITY; LEPTONS; SIMULATION

Citation Formats

Rose, D V, Genoni, T C, Clark, R E, Welch, D R, and Stygar, W A. Electron flow stability in magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3567016.
Rose, D V, Genoni, T C, Clark, R E, Welch, D R, & Stygar, W A. Electron flow stability in magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3567016
Rose, D V, Genoni, T C, Clark, R E, Welch, D R, and Stygar, W A. 2011. "Electron flow stability in magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3567016.
@article{osti_21537319,
title = {Electron flow stability in magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines},
author = {Rose, D V and Genoni, T C and Clark, R E and Welch, D R and Stygar, W A},
abstractNote = {We evaluate the stability of electron current flow in high-power magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs). A detailed model of electron flow in cross-field gaps yields a dispersion relation for electromagnetic (EM) transverse magnetic waves [R. C. Davidson et al., Phys. Fluids 27, 2332 (1984)] which is solved numerically to obtain growth rates for unstable modes in various sheath profiles. These results are compared with two-dimensional (2D) EM particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of electron flow in high-power MITLs. We find that the macroscopic properties (charge and current densities and self-fields) of the equilibrium profiles observed in the simulations are well represented by the laminar-flow model of Davidson et al. Idealized simulations of sheared flow in electron sheaths yield growth rates for both long (diocotron) and short (magnetron) wavelength instabilities that are in good agreement with the dispersion analysis. We conclude that electron sheaths that evolve self-consistently from space-charged-limited emission of electrons from the cathode in well-resolved 2D EM PIC simulations form stable profiles.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3567016},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21537319}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 3,
volume = 18,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}