Nonlinear magnetic field transport in opening switch plasmas

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860955· OSTI ID:6685000

Mason, R J ^[1]; Auer, P L; Sudan, R N; Oliver, B V; Seyler, C E; Greenly, J B ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

The nonlinear transport of magnetic field in collisionless plasmas, as present in the plasma opening switch (POS), using the implicit multifluid simulation code ANTHEM [J. Comput. Phys. [bold 71], 429 (1987)] is studied. The focus is on early time behavior in the electron--magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) limit, with the ions fixed, and the electrons streaming as a fluid under the influence of [bold v][sub [ital e]][times][bold B] Hall forces. Through simulation, magnetic penetration and magnetic exclusion waves are characterized, due to the Hall effect in the presence of transverse density gradients, and the interaction of these Hall waves with nonlinear diffusive disturbances from electron velocity advection, ([bold v][sub [ital e]][center dot][del])[bold v][sub [ital e]], is studied. It is shown how these mechanisms give rise to the anode magnetic insulation layer, central diffusion, and cathode potential hill structures seen in earlier opening switch plasmas studies.

• OSTI ID: 6685000
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Vol. 5:4; ISSN 0899-8221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PLASMA SWITCHES
TRANSPORT THEORY
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
ELECTRONS
HALL EFFECT
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA SIMULATION
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUIPMENT
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
PLASMA
SIMULATION
SWITCHES
700350* - Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions- (1992-)