Nonequilibrium MHD plasma flow in a high-interaction disk generator

Nonequilibrium MHD plasma flow in a high-interaction disk-type MHD generator is examined by numerical simulations based on the two-temperature model equations. The simulations are performed for the generators driven by working gases: He-Cs and He-K. Homogeneous and inhomogeneous plasma behavior is observed with change of the load resistance, and it is found that the structures of the inhomogeneous plasma differ for different seed materials. The plasma structures associated with both the partial ionization instability and the magnetoacoustic instability are discussed for both plasmas     

Local effect of electric and magnetic fields on the position of an attached shock in a supersonic diffuser

Effective ways for controlling shock wave configurations by means of external actions are sought. One such way is a local effect of electric and magnetic fields. In this paper, the local effect of external fields is implemented by current localization in a limited region of a diffuser. The experiment is carried out in a diffuser providing the complete internal compression of the gas with a Mach number at the inlet M=4.3. As a working medium, a xenon plasma is used. The plasma flow is formed in a shock tube equipped with an accelerating nozzle. Two ways of current localization are tested. In the first one, the diffuser inlet is a short channel of Faraday generator type. In this case, the ponderomotive force basically decelerates or accelerates the flow depending on the direction of the electric field. In the second way, the current flows through a narrow near-wall region between adjacent electrodes. In this case, the ponderomotive force compresses or expands the gas. In both cases, it is shown that the angle of an attached shock due to MHD interaction can be both decreased and increased. The central problem with the MHD control of shock waves is near-electrode and near-wall phenomena.     

Three-dimensional structures of MHD flow in a disk generator

Three-dimensional nonuniform plasmas and boundary layers have been studied numerically under an MHD interaction. The nonuniform plasma of “streamer” owing to weak ionization of seed material has a spiral structure in the r-&thetas; plane, and the plasma becomes almost uniform between the walls in the r-z plane. This structure is almost the same as that in our previous paper (1997), where the gas (heavy particle) properties are assumed to be invariant and steady. In addition to the streamer, the nonuniform plasma of “domain” owing to weak ionization of noble gas is revealed. The domain has the structure perpendicular to the streamer. In a strong MHD interaction case, the static pressure considerably increases in the upstream region of a generation channel, and the pseudo-shock waves appear in the generator, but the plasma is almost uniform along the &thetas; direction. The boundary layer in the strong MHD interaction is considerably thick, and in the broad region near the wall the Hall current flows reversely. In the weak MHD interaction case, the plasma forms a nonuniform structure along the &thetas; direction, and the Hall current does not always flow in the opposite direction even on the insulator wall since the azimuthal electric field is not zero     

Study of MHD dynamo effect at the outlet from plasma accelerator in the presence of longitudinal magnetic field

Properties of compressible flows in the quasi-stationary plasma accelerator have been studied in the presence of an additional longitudinal magnetic field and the arising rotation of plasma flow. Numerical study was carried out within the framework of two-dimensional magnetic hydrodynamics (MHD) model of the axisymmetric plasma flows taking into account the finite conductivity of medium and radiation transport. Dynamics of compressible plasma flows is accompanied by the MHD dynamo effect or generation of magnetic field on a conical shock wave forming at the outlet from the accelerator.     

轴向流对Z箍缩等离子体稳定性的影响

利用理想磁流体力学(MHD)模型对有轴向流参与的Z箍缩等离子体不稳定性进行了分析.对可压缩平板等离子体模型的色散关系进行了推导，讨论了三种不同等离子体状态下的不稳定性增长率.结果显示，等离子体的可压缩性对磁瑞利-泰勒/开尔文-亥姆霍兹(MRT/KH)杂化不稳定性有抑制作用，改善了轴向剪切流对长波长扰动的影响.分析了不同轴向流速度分布对系统稳定性的影响.结果表明，对于峰值相同的不同轴向流，其对不稳定性的抑制效果只依赖于扰动集中区域内速度剪切的大小，与其他位置的速度剪切无关. 关键词： Z箍缩 磁瑞利-泰勒不稳定性 轴向剪切流 MHD方程     

On the shock induced instabilities in collisionless plasma

Firehose, mirror and ion-acoustic instabilities behind MHD shock waves are discussed for collisionless anisotropic plasma with heat fluxes. For the parallel shock wave it has been demonstrated that initially stable plasma can be destabilized by the shock which leads to turbulence generation in the downstream flow. Upstream parameter domains are determined where such destabilization occurs.     

Intermediate shocks in three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic bow-shock flows with multiple interacting shock fronts

Simulation results of three-dimensional (3D) stationary magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) bow-shock flows around perfectly conducting spheres are presented. For strong upstream magnetic field a new complex bow-shock flow topology arises consisting of two consecutive interacting shock fronts. It is shown that the leading shock front contains a segment of intermediate 1-3 shock type. This is the first confirmation in 3D that intermediate shocks, which were believed to be unphysical for a long time, can be formed and can persist for small-dissipation MHD in a realistic flow configuration.     

MHD waves and instabilities in flowing solar flux-tube plasmas in the framework of Hall magnetohydrodynamics

It is well established now that the solar atmosphere, from photosphere to the corona and the solar wind is a highly structured medium. Satellite observations have confirmed the presence of steady flows. Here, we investigate the parallel propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) surface waves travelling along an ideal incompressible flowing plasma slab surrounded by flowing plasma environment in the framework of the Hall magnetohydrodynamics. The propagation properties of the waves are studied in a reference frame moving with the mass flow outside the slab. In general, flows change the waves’ phase velocities compared to their magnitudes in a static MHD plasma slab and the Hall effect limits the range of waves’ propagation. On the other hand, when the relative Alfvénic Mach number is negative, the flow extends the waves propagation range beyond that limit (owing to the Hall effect) and can cause the triggering of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability whose onset begins at specific critical wave numbers. It turns out that the interval of Alfvénic Mach numbers for which the surface modes are unstable critically depends on the ratio between mass densities outside and inside the flux tube.     

Supersonic flow about a body exposed to electric and magnetic fields

The feasibility of using nonmechanical (electrogasdynamic, EGD, and magnetohydrodynamic, MHD) methods to control shock-wave configurations emerging in supersonic flows is investigated. In the EGD method, the flow is heated by a gas discharge; in the MHD one, the flow is influenced by a Lorentz force arising in a gas discharge upon applying a magnetic field. The influence of the gas discharge and MHD interaction on the position of a detached shock wave appearing in a supersonic xenon flow about a semicylindrical body is studied. A discharge is initiated in the immediate vicinity of the leading edge of the body, and the variation of the shock wave position with the intensity of the discharge (discharge current density) is traced when the influence of the EGD action increases and/or an external magnetic field is applied (the influence of the MHD action increases). Preliminary data for a supersonic air flow about a body are presented.     

Plasma heating by discontinuous MHD flows in the vicinity of a magnetic reconnection region

An expression that explicitly describes variations in the internal energy of the plasma that flows through a discontinuity is derived based on the complete system of boundary conditions for the MHD equations on the discontinuity surface. The dependence of the plasma heating on the magnetic field density and configuration in the vicinity of the discontinuity surface (i.e., on the MHD flow type) is studied. The conditions of plasma heating at discontinuities in a self-consistent analytical model of magnetic reconnection are discussed.     

Plasmas in MHD power generation

The plasma found in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator is discussed. An MHD generator is an expansion engine. It delivers electric rather than mechanical power and there are virtually no upper limits to the temperature it can tolerate, the rapidity of its response, or the power a single unit can be designed to deliver. The behavior of the plasma is uncomplicated compared to that encountered in some other devices, and yet complex, because of the precision with which one needs to know it. The topics included are: generator configurations; electron density; electron mobility; mixture rules; the Hall effect; uniformity; two-temperature plasma; ionization growth at a channel inlet; ionization instability; high enthalpy extraction experiments; segmenting; electrode voltage drop; arcs and electrodes; electrical effects of slag; current control; and waves     

Quasi-adiabatic compression of a plasma column by a longitudinal magnetic field

Approximate 1.5-dimensional MHD equations are derived that describe the quasi-adiabatic compression of a thin plasma column by a longitudinal magnetic field. The parameters of the compressed plasma are obtained analytically as functions of the initial conditions and longitudinal field. The stability of plasma compression against the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is investigated. It is shown that, in the Z-Θ-pinch geometry, increasing the longitudinal magnetic field makes it possible to achieve radial compression ratios of 20–30 without violating the cylindrical symmetry of the column. The possibility of thermonuclear ignition in a thin plasma column in a Z-Θ-pinch configuration is studied. The ranges of the initial plasma densities and temperatures and the initial lengths of the plasma column that are needed to achieve ignition in a plasma compressed by a factor of 20–30 are determined. The parameters of the electromagnetic energy source required to achieve such a high plasma compression are estimated.     

Local plasma parameters and integral characteristics of a magnetogasdynamic channel under conditions of ionization instability

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of the onset of ionization instability in a disk-shaped Faraday magnetogasdynamic channel attached to a shock tube. The experiments were carried out in a pure inert gas (xenon) without alkaline additives. A relation is found between the integral plasma characteristics of a nonequilibrium magnetogasdynamic channel and the local parameters of a plasma that is unstable against the ionization instability. Mechanisms for amplifying perturbations and increasing the effective conductivity are revealed. It is concluded that these effects stem mainly from the features of three-body recombination in rare gases.     

Dynamics of the interaction between plasma flows generated by a miniature magnetoplasma compressor and a target

Spectroscopic studies of compression plasma flows generated by a miniature magnetoplasma compressor and of the shock compressed plasma layer formed near a target surface exposed to these flows are reported. The peak electron temperature and density are found to be 3 eV and 1.2⋅10¹⁶ cm⁻³, respectively, in the compressor flow and 4.5 eV and 6.7⋅10¹⁶ cm⁻³ in the shock compressed layer.     

Nonlinear theory of magnetohydrodynamic flows of a compressible fluid in the shallow water approximation

Shallow water magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory describing incompressible flows of plasma is generalized to the case of compressible flows. A system of MHD equations is obtained that describes the flow of a thin layer of compressible rotating plasma in a gravitational field in the shallow water approximation. The system of quasilinear hyperbolic equations obtained admits a complete simple wave analysis and a solution to the initial discontinuity decay problem in the simplest version of nonrotating flows. In the new equations, sound waves are filtered out, and the dependence of density on pressure on large scales is taken into account that describes static compressibility phenomena. In the equations obtained, the mass conservation law is formulated for a variable that nontrivially depends on the shape of the lower boundary, the characteristic vertical scale of the flow, and the scale of heights at which the variation of density becomes significant. A simple wave theory is developed for the system of equations obtained. All self-similar discontinuous solutions and all continuous centered self-similar solutions of the system are obtained. The initial discontinuity decay problem is solved explicitly for compressible MHD equations in the shallow water approximation. It is shown that there exist five different configurations that provide a solution to the initial discontinuity decay problem. For each configuration, conditions are found that are necessary and sufficient for its implementation. Differences between incompressible and compressible cases are analyzed. In spite of the formal similarity between the solutions in the classical case of MHD flows of an incompressible and compressible fluids, the nonlinear dynamics described by the solutions are essentially different due to the difference in the expressions for the squared propagation velocity of weak perturbations. In addition, the solutions obtained describe new physical phenomena related to the dependence of the height of the free boundary on the density of the fluid. Self-similar continuous and discontinuous solutions are obtained for a system on a slope, and a solution is found to the initial discontinuity decay problem in this case.     

Development of ionization in nonequilibrium inert-gas plasmas in magnetogasdynamic channels

Effects accompanying the interaction of a flow of preionized inert gas with a magnetic field are studied: selective electron heating, the development of nonequilibrium ionization, and the onset of the ionization instability. Local and average densities and temperatures of the electrons are measured and the average ionization rate is determined. It is found that the average electron density increases as the magnetic induction is raised, in both stable and ionization unstable plasmas. The difference in the rates at which ionization develops in these two states is revealed. The mechanism for the coupling between the average ionization rate in an ionization unstable plasma and the spatial-temporal characteristics of the plasma inhomogeneities is established. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 56–61 (November 1999)     

A new approach of a limiting process for multi-dimensional flows

An enhanced Multi-dimensional Limiting Process (e-MLP) is developed for the accurate and efficient computation of multi-dimensional flows based on the Multi-dimensional Limiting Process (MLP). The new limiting process includes a distinguishing step and an enhanced multi-dimensional limiting process. First, the distinguishing step, which is independent of high order interpolation and flux evaluation, is newly introduced. It performs a multi-dimensional search of a discontinuity. The entire computational domain is then divided into continuous, linear discontinuous and nonlinear discontinuous regions. Second, limiting functions are appropriately switched according to the type of each region; in a continuous region, there are no limiting processes and only higher order accurate interpolation is performed. In linear discontinuous and nonlinear discontinuous regions, TVD criterion and MLP limiter are respectively used to remove oscillation. Hence, e-MLP has a number of advantages, as it incorporates useful features of MLP limiter such as multi-dimensional monotonicity and straightforward extensionality to higher order interpolation. It is applicable to local extrema and prevents excessive damping in a linear discontinuous region through application of appropriate limiting criteria. It is efficient because a limiting function is applied only to a discontinuous region. In addition, it is robust against shock instability due to the strict distinction of the computational domain and the use of regional information in a flux scheme as well as a high order interpolation scheme. This new limiting process was applied to numerous test cases including one-dimensional shock/sine wave interaction problem, oblique stationary contact discontinuity, isentropic vortex flow, high speed flow in a blunt body, planar shock/density bubble interaction, shock wave/vortex interaction and, particularly, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) cloud-shock interaction problems. Through these tests, it was verified that e-MLP substantially enhances the accuracy and efficiency with both continuous and discontinuous multi-dimensional flows.     

Low-frequency potential structures in a nonuniform dusty magnetoplasma

The linear and nonlinear properties of a modified convective cell (MCC) in a nonuniform dusty magnetoplasma with a perpendicular plasma flow are investigated. It is shown that the free energy of the equilibrium plasma flow can drive the MCC at nonthermal levels. By choosing some specific profiles for the sheared plasma flow and the dust number density, we analyze the eigenvalue equation for deducing the growth rate and the threshold of a convective mode instability which arises due to its interaction with the shear plasma flows. Our analytical results show that a Rayleigh-type instability sets in provided that the characteristic width of the flow does not exceed a certain value. On the other hand, the nonlinear equation, which governs the dynamics of the nonlinearly interacting convective modes, admits stationary solutions in the form of a vortex chain associated with zonal flows, as well as tripolar and global vortices. The relevance of our investigation to a laboratory experiment is discussed.     

Nanosecond volume gas discharge in a flow with gasdynamic discontinuities

Experimental results concerning the interaction of pulsed volume ionization with the supersonic gas flow in a shock tube are described. The spatiotemporal and spectral characteristics of a nanosecond volume discharge plasma with ultraviolet preionization from plasma electrodes are presented. It is shown that the ionization region can be localized using gasdynamic discontinuities. The coincidence of the glow region with the discharge energy release region is discussed.     

Structure of an extended plasma jet in a vacuum arc in an axial magnetic field

The motion, heating, and ionization of a plasma in a ring anode vacuum arc in an axial magnetic field are studied using a quasi-one-dimensional MHD model. The region between the cathode and anode (a current-carrying plasma jet), as well as the region behind the anode (a current-free plasma jet), is considered. It is shown that, over a long portion of a current-free plasma jet, the electron density and temperature remain high and the ion charge increases substantially due to electron-impact ionization.