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Instability-Enhanced Collisional Friction Can Determine the Bohm Criterion in Multiple-Ion-Species Plasmas

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1609 (United States)
A generalized Lenard-Balescu theory that accounts for instability-enhanced collective responses is used to calculate the collisional friction between ion species in the plasma-boundary transition region (presheath). Ion-ion streaming instabilities are shown to cause such a strong frictional force that the relative flow speed between ion species cannot significantly exceed the critical threshold value (DELTAV{sub c}) at which instability onset occurs. When combined with the Bohm criterion, this condition uniquely determines the flow speed of each ion species at the plasma-sheath boundary. For cold ions, DELTAV{sub c}->0 and each ion species leaves the plasma at a common system sound speed c{sub s}.
OSTI ID:
21370836
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 103; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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