The effect of ion drift on the sheath, presheath, and ion-current collection for cylinders in a collisionless plasma

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1924392· OSTI ID:20764291

McMahon, J C; Xu, G Z; Laframboise, J G ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3 (Canada)

A calculation is presented of the behavior of the sheath and presheath surrounding an infinite cylindrical conducting object, representing a spacecraft or electrostatic probe, which is moving transversely through a collisionless plasma, such as is encountered in the ionosphere. The calculation is done by solving the coupled Vlasov (collisionless Boltzmann) and Poisson equations in an iterative manner. The results show that for some ratios of probe radius to electron Debye length, the ion current collected by the probe in a drifting plasma can be less than that collected in a nondrifting plasma. These changes in the current-collection behavior can be linked to changes that occur in the sheath and presheath with plasma drift, including at large enough drift speeds the disappearance or 'collapse' of the presheath.

• OSTI ID: 20764291
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 12; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
ION DRIFT
ITERATIVE METHODS
PLASMA SHEATH
POISSON EQUATION