Actuating shock waves in a completely ionized plasma

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6021117

Liberman, M A

The structure of actuating shock waves in a completely ionized plasma with collisions is calculated. Two limiting cases are considered, that of a magnetized and of an unmagnetized plasma. The processes determining the structure of the front of an actuating shock wave in an unmagnetized plasma are Joule dissipation and Hall currents. The width of the shock wave front in this case is determined by Joule dissipation and is equal to the diffusion length of the magnetic field. The magnetic field vector behind the shock wave front may rotate, but (with an accuracy to ..cap omega..etaue<<1) remains in the plane of the initial direction. In the case of a magnetized plasma, the end of the magnetic field vector at the shock front rotates and describes a cone-like helix which expands behind the wave front. The number of revolutions along the helix is proportional to the degree of magnetization of the plasma. For a magnetized plasma, the processes defining the structure of the shock wave front are the electronic thermal conductivity, the electron-ion temperature relaxation and the dispersion due to the Hall terms and to the thermal emf. Correspondingly, the width of the front of an actuating shock wave in a magnetized plasma is equal to the scale of the electronic thermal conductivity. The values of the critical Mach numbers for which isomagnetic discontinuities arise in the shock wave front are found. The structure of the front is investigated in these cases.

• Research Organization: Institute of Physical Problems, Academy of Sciences USSR
• OSTI ID: 6021117
• Journal Information: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 48:5; ISSN SPHJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
DIFFUSION LENGTH
HALL EFFECT
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
SHOCK WAVES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES