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Title: Ergodic model for the expansion of spherical nanoplasmas

Journal Article · · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics
 [1]; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino (Italy)
  2. GoLP/Centro de Fisica dos Plasmas, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

Recently, the collisionless expansion of spherical nanoplasmas has been analyzed with a new ergodic model, clarifying the transition from hydrodynamiclike to Coulomb-explosion regimes, and providing accurate laws for the relevant features of the phenomenon. A complete derivation of the model is presented here. The important issue of the self-consistent initial conditions is addressed by analyzing the initial charging transient due to the electron expansion, in the approximation of immobile ions. A comparison among different kinetic models for the expansion is presented, showing that the ergodic model provides a simplified description, which retains the essential information on the electron distribution, in particular, the energy spectrum. Results are presented for a wide range of initial conditions (determined from a single dimensionless parameter), in excellent agreement with calculations from the exact Vlasov-Poisson theory, thus providing a complete and detailed characterization of all the stages of the expansion.

OSTI ID:
21075558
Journal Information:
Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, Vol. 75, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.066403; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-651X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English