Glow-discharge contraction in a transverse gas flow due to thermal instability

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6061412

Galich, N E

A theoretical study has been made on glow-discharge contraction in a transverse gas flow due to thermal instability. The study incorporates heat transfer by convection, which gives rise to large-scale inhomogeneity in the temperature pattern, and also by conduction along the flow, which produced positive feedback between the small-scale temperature perturbations due to the thermal instability and the convective heating. Thermal instability is preceded or accompanied by the formation of a filamentary thermal structure in the moving medium: the flow determines the optimum instability scale. The contraction (instability) thresholds have been determined for laminar and turbulent flows. There is a monotone decrease in the threshold as the chamber size increases but a nonmonotone one (with a maximum) for the instability threshold as a function of flow speed in a turbulent flow. Comparison with measurements confirms that the theory can evaluate the qualitative features and contraction thresholds.

• Research Organization: Kalinin Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (USSR)
• OSTI ID: 6061412
• Journal Information: High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 26:1; ISSN HITEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CONTRACTION
CONVECTION
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GAS FLOW
GASES
GLOW DISCHARGES
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
INSTABILITY
IONIZATION
IONIZED GASES
LAMINAR FLOW
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA FILAMENT
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TURBULENT FLOW