Simulation of radial expansion of an electron beam injected into a background plasma
A 2-D electrostatic particle code was used to study the beam radial expansion of a nonrelativistic electron beam injected from an isolated equipotential conductor into a background plasma. The simulations indicate that the beam radius is generally proportional to the beam electron gyroradius when the conductor is charged to a large potential. The simulations also suggest that the charge buildup at the beam stagnation point causes the beam radial expansion. From a survey of the simulation results, it is found that the ratio of the beam radius to the beam electron gyroradius increases with the square root of beam density and decreases inversely with beam injection velocity. This dependence is explained in terms of the ratio of the beam electron Debye length to the ambient electron Debye length. These results are most applicable to the SEPAC electron beam injection experiments from Spacelab 1, where high charging potential was observed.
- Research Organization:
- Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6857528
- Report Number(s):
- N-90-15743; NASA-CR-186188; NAS-1.26:186188; TRN: 90-018055
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRON BEAMS
BEAM INJECTION
EXPANSION
PLASMA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLASMA DENSITY
THEORETICAL DATA
BEAMS
DATA
INFORMATION
LEPTON BEAMS
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE BEAMS
SIMULATION
430200* - Particle Accelerators- Beam Dynamics
Field Calculations
& Ion Optics
700103 - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Kinetics