Relativistic effects on plasma expansion

Journal Article · Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4891880· OSTI ID:22303750

Benkhelifa, El-Amine; Djebli, Mourad ^[1]

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1. USTHB, Faculty of Physics, Theoretical Physics Laboratory, B.P. 32 Bab-Ezzouar, 16079 Algiers (Algeria)

The expansion of electron-ion plasma is studied through a fully relativistic multi-fluids plasma model which includes thermal pressure, ambipolar electrostatic potential, and internal energy conversion. Numerical investigation, based on quasi-neutral assumption, is performed for three different regimes: nonrelativistic, weakly relativistic, and relativistic. Ions' front in weakly relativistic regime exhibits spiky structure associated with a break-down of quasi-neutrality at the expanding front. In the relativistic regime, ion velocity is found to reach a saturation limit which occurs at earlier stages of the expansion. This limit is enhanced by higher electron velocity.

• OSTI ID: 22303750
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ENERGY CONVERSION
PLASMA
PLASMA EXPANSION
POTENTIALS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SATURATION
VELOCITY