Particle in cell simulation of a radiofrequency plasma jet expanding in vacuum

Journal Article · Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914109· OSTI ID:22412775

Hawkins, R.; Boswell, R. W. ^[1]

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1. Space Plasma, Power and Propulsion Laboratory, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Australia)

The effect of a pressure gradient (∼133 Pa–0.133 Pa) on electron and ion energy distributions in a radiofrequency (rf at 13.56 MHz) argon plasma jet is studied using a 1D-3v Particle In Cell (PIC) simulation. The PIC domain is three times that of the 0.018 m long plasma cavity and the total simulation time is 1 ms. Ion heating and acceleration up to a drift velocity about 2000 m s{sup −1} are measured along the jet's main expansion axis. Elastic and charge exchange ion-neutral collisions histograms computed at equilibrium during 0.74 ms show that charge exchange collisions act as the main neutral heating mechanism.

• OSTI ID: 22412775
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; 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
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
ARGON
CHARGE EXCHANGE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUILIBRIUM
EXPANSION
HEATING
IONS
MHZ RANGE
PLASMA JETS
PLASMA SIMULATION
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
VELOCITY