Self-similar neutral-plasma isothermal expansion into a vacuum

Journal Article · Mon Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2008 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2837455· OSTI ID:21016285

Yongsheng, Huang; Yuanjie, Bi ^[1]; Xiaojiao, Duan; Xiaofei, Lan; Naiyan, Wang; Xiuzhang, Tang ^[1]; Yexi, He ^[2]

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1. High Power Excimer Laser Laboratory, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413 (China)
2. Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

The self-similar solutions are obtained for isothermal expansions of neutral plasmas into a vacuum. The classic solution given by Mora [Phys. Fluids 22, 12 (1979)] corresponds to a special case of our solution. Some special solutions have been pointed out by Gurevich et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 42, 769 (1979)] and observed by a lot of experiments. The formulation of ion velocity with respect to the acceleration time is proposed for the general solution, and the numerical result can be obtained easily. The electric field and ion velocity at the ion front have been achieved.

• OSTI ID: 21016285
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 92, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2837455; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
EXPANSION
IONS
PLASMA
SOUND WAVES
VELOCITY