PIC simulations of EMH and MHD effects in the plasma opening switch

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:163108

Swanekamp, S B ^[1]; Grossmann, J M; Oliver, B V ^[2]; Fruchtman, A ^[3]

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1. JAYCOR, Inc., Vienna, VA (United States)
2. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States). Plasma Physics Div.
3. Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (United States)

Plasma opening switches (POS) are the key components of inductive energy storage (IES) pulsed power systems. In the closed phase an IES system stores magnetic energy in the inductance of a vacuum transmission line. As the POS opens the stored magnetic energy flows past the POS and into a load. To achieve power multiplication the opening time should be much shorter than the conduction time. There are three proposed mechanisms that control the conduction phase of the POS: (1) sheath effects at the electrodes, (2) rapid penetration of magnetic field into the body of the plasma due to EMH effects, and (3) displacement and distortion of the plasma due to J x B (MHD) forces. In this paper, the PIC code, MAGIC, is used to study EMH and MHD effects in a POS. These simulations were performed in negative polarity with a strong radial density gradient. In regimes where EMH is expected to be dominant, the simulations show rapid axial penetration of magnetic field into the plasma in a narrow radial channel along the positive density gradient. No field penetration is observed along the negative portion of the density gradient. In positive polarity, field penetration occurs along the negative gradient and no field penetration is observed along the positive density gradient.

• OSTI ID: 163108
• Report Number(s): CONF-950612--; ISBN 0-7803-2669-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
42 ENGINEERING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CURRENT DENSITY
M CODES
MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA SWITCHES
POWER SUPPLIES