Finite conductivity and the interface filamentation instability in railgun arcs

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

OSTI ID:5522802

Huerta, M A; Bourouis, M ^[1]

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1. Miami Univ., Coral Gables, FL (United States). Dept. of Physics

The authors of this paper use a first order perturbation expansion of the MHD equations to study the filamentation instability on the plasma-vacuum interface of plasma arcs accelerated by magnetic fields. The authors model the arc in the same way as Decker, including the effects of finite conductivity {sigma}, but consider perturbations with wave vector k parallel to the magnetic field B. A fourth order mode equation is derived and solved numerically. The authors find complicated unstable modes, but largely in a region of very small k, beyond the limit of interest in railguns. This instability is therefore much less disrupting than the interchange instability in the parameter ranges we have explored.

• OSTI ID: 5522802
• Report Number(s): CONF-9004136-; CODEN: IEMGA; TRN: 92-009565
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 27:1; Conference: 5. IEEE symposium on electromagnetic launcher technology, Destin, FL (United States), 1-5 Apr 1990; ISSN 0018-9464
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PLASMA FLUID EQUATIONS
RAILGUN ACCELERATORS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PARAMETRIC INSTABILITIES
PLASMA EXPANSION
PLASMA FILAMENT
ACCELERATORS
EXPANSION
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
MECHANICS
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
700340* - Plasma Waves
Oscillations
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700430 - Fusion Technology- Magnet Coils & Fields- (1992-)