Influence of fast electrical discharge on expansion of laser produced plasma

For some applications of laser produced plasma it may be advantageous to implement some degree of control on the ion flux and velocity distribution in the plasma expansion. We have shown how a fast, high current discharge in a laser produced plasma leads to a dramatic increase in the plasma ionization and expansion velocity. These observations are consistent with a magnetohydrodynamic discharge model whereby the self-induced magnetic field causes radial compression of an open-ended plasma column.     

基于双向偏振态激光诱导荧光方法的离子速度分布函数测量

为了评估利用发散磁场构型双电层效应的紧凑式螺旋波等离子体推力器的离子加速效果,探索了一种双向偏振态激光诱导荧光测量方法来对螺旋波等离子体源近出口端的离子速度分布函数进行测量。实验中采用Ar作为螺旋波等离子体源工质,中心波长为611.662 nm的激光以轴向方式注入等离子体,以激励一价Ar离子获得波长为461.086 nm的诱导荧光光谱。为了消除磁化等离子体中逆塞曼效应对激光诱导荧光光谱带来的分裂影响,通过四分之一波片将入射激光分别调制为左旋和右旋圆偏振态,并对其诱导光谱进行了分别测量,结果发现不同磁场强度下两次测量结果的偏移值与理论高度吻合,证明了双向偏振态激光诱导荧光测量方法的理论可行性。进一步,采用高斯型滤波器反卷积算法从测量光谱中去除自然展宽和能量饱和效应,再通过对两次相反偏振态测量结果进行平移处理消除逆塞曼效应,从而分离得到实际的多普勒效应。测量了射频能量600 W,不同轴向位置、磁场大小以及气体压力下的螺旋波Ar等离子体激光诱导荧光光谱,结果表明在该实验条件下离子并没有因双电层效应而达到期望值的加速效果,离子速度的形成可能只是一种磁约束作用下的双极电场所导致,并不能产生好的推力性能。     

平行速度剪切驱动湍流引起的粒子输运

通过离子温度梯度及平行速度剪切的准线性湍流理论，得到了由杂质离子及抵频E×B湍流所驱动的径向离子流及相应的输运系数．理论分析表明，主要离子和杂质离子的径向离子流具有相反的方向，并随着平衡流速剪切以及杂质离子的密度梯度的变化而改变．增强平行速度剪切对主要离子的约束可产生有利影响 关键词：     

Measurement of diffusion in the presence of shear flow

We demonstrate here a method whereby molecular diffusion coefficients may be measured in the presence of the deformational flow field of a rheo-NMR cell. The method, which uses a repetitive CPMG train of rf pulses interspersed with magnetic field gradient pulses, allows the anisotropic diffusion spectrum to be directly probed. We focus on the cylindrical Couette cell, for which the radial, tangential, and axial directions correspond to the hydrodynamic velocity gradient, velocity, and vorticity directions. While ideal Couette flow does not perturb the vorticity direction, it does perturb diffusion measurements for the velocity gradient direction, and to a lesser extent, the velocity direction. We show that with closely spaced gradient pulses operating in a flow-compensating mode, there exists a diffusion limit below which one cannot measure, that scales as T(2)gamma(4), where gamma is the shear rate and T the gradient pulse repetition period. For a typical rheo-NMR cell, and for the more challenging velocity gradient direction, diffusion rates above 10(-12) m(2) s(-1) can be accurately measured (to 1% error) at shear rates up to 3s(-1). We demonstrate the use of the method in measuring the diffusion spectrum of a lyotropic lamellar phase under shear.     

Axisymmetric particle-in-cell simulations of diamagnetic-cavityformulation in vacuum

Axisymmetric simulations of the expansion of a hot plasma suddenly introduced into a vacuum containing a weak magnetic field were performed using an electromagnetic particle-in-cell code. Both uniform and gradient fields have been used, with the simulation axis along the principal field direction. The formation of a diamagnetic cavity requires an initial plasma β>1; as the expansion proceeds, β diminishes, and the field eventually recovers. The maximum spatial extent of the cavity and its duration can be obtained from simple dynamical considerations. Field-aligned ion acceleration behind the electron front is observed in all field geometries and strengths. In the case of expansion into a divergent field, the plasma is found to move down the field gradient by ambipolar diffusion. These simulations are relevant to active release experiments in the Earth's magnetosphere, to pellet ablation experiments, and to the naturally occurring diamagnetic bubbles observed at the Earth's foreshock     

Single point measurements of magnetic field gradient waveform

Pulsed magnetic field gradients are fundamental to spatial encoding and diffusion weighting in magnetic resonance. The ideal pulsed magnetic field gradient should have negligible rise and fall times, however, there are physical limits to how fast the magnetic field gradient may change with time. Finite gradient switching times, and transient, secondary, induced magnetic field gradients (eddy currents) alter the ideal gradient waveform and may introduce a variety of undesirable image artifacts. We have developed a new method to measure the complete magnetic field gradient waveform. The measurement employs a heavily doped test sample with short MR relaxation times (T(1), T(2), and T(2)(*)<100 micros) and a series of closely spaced broadband radiofrequency excitations, combined with single point data acquisition. This technique, a measure of evolving signal phase, directly determines the magnetic field gradient waveform experienced by the test sample. The measurement is sensitive to low level transient magnetic fields produced by eddy currents and other short and long time constant non-ideal gradient waveform behaviors. Data analysis is particularly facile permitting a very ready experimental check of gradient performance.     

利用离子声波朗道阻尼测量氧化物阴极放电中的离子温度

作为等离子体重要参数之一, 特别是在低温等离子体中离子温度的测量一直较为困难. 在磁化线性等离子体装置氧化物阴极脉冲放电条件下, 利用栅网激发离子声波, 通过测量波幅在朗道阻尼作用下随空间的演化, 利用阻尼长度是离子温度和电子温度的函数, 计算得到离子温度为0.3 eV. 测量值与国外类似装置利用光谱诊断所得结果基本相同.     

纳秒激光烧蚀固体靶产生的等离子体在外加横向磁场中膨胀时的温度和密度参数演化

利用等离子体光学波段自发光成像、光学光谱和光学探针干涉等诊断手段, 观察了纳秒脉冲激光烧蚀固体靶产生的等离子体在外加横向磁场中的膨胀过程. 根据实验参数特征建立了简化的磁流体物理模型, 结合自发光强度的时间演化, 理论计算了等离子体温度和密度参数的时间演化, 理论计算结果与实验测量结果基本符合, 证实了碰撞磁扩散过程在等离子体演化中发挥了关键作用.     

Magnetic stochasticity in gyrokinetic simulations of plasma microturbulence

Analysis of the magnetic field structure from electromagnetic simulations of tokamak ion temperature gradient turbulence demonstrates that the magnetic field can be stochastic even at very low plasma pressure. The degree of magnetic stochasticity is quantified by evaluating the magnetic diffusion coefficient. We find that the magnetic stochasticity fails to produce a dramatic increase in the electron heat conductivity because the magnetic diffusion coefficient remains small.     

Formation of Suprathermal Particle Fluxes in a Strongly Turbulent Plasma

We consider the problem on the formation of suprathermal particle fluxes by electrostatic structures in strongly turbulent cosmic plasmas. It is shown that regions with a strong plasma turbulence can be large accelerators of charged particles. We give solutions of the stationary kinetic equation in a turbulent layer for different acceleration regimes and estimate the efficiency of diffusion over the longitudinal and transverse velocities of particles with respect to the magnetic field. The transverse diffusion in velocity space is more efficient for ions and leads to strong isotropization of ion fluxes. Electrons move almost along the magnetic field. We reveal the conditions under which the regular force in a nonuniform magnetic field influences the stochastic-acceleration process. The average energy of axial motion of the particles and the particle fluxes at large distances from the injection region are estimated. Ions and electrons can be accelerated up to comparable energies. We analyze the characteristic features of the motion of the relativistic-particle beams. It is shown that strong plasma turbulence can form particle beams with specific energies. The proposed mechanism is useful for explanation of the properties of energetic particles in cosmic plasmas with magnetic-field-aligned currents, e.g., in high-latitude regions of planetary magnetospheres, force-free configurations of the solar corona, and the solar wind.     

磁场调控型离子源的设计与实验

磁场调控型离子源在离子源等离子体扩散空间中引入轴向强脉冲磁场,磁场起两方面的作用,一是形成潘宁放电效应,使原子、气体分子碰撞电离效率增加;二是在脉冲强磁场的作用下,强轴向磁场将质量较轻的离子约束在轴线上,对质量较重的金属离子约束能力较弱,导致其在等离子体膨胀引出通道中碰壁损失,能够提升引出轻离子的比例。开展了磁场调控的离子源放电结构、强脉冲螺线管磁场以及引出束流光学结构的设计;测量分析了引出离子流强和离子打靶束斑形貌。研究结果表明,强轴向磁场通过等离子体对混合离子成分的筛选作用,可有效提高引出离子流强中的轻离子成分比例。     

Jet deflection by very weak guide fields during magnetic reconnection

Previous 2D simulations of reconnection using a standard model of initially antiparallel magnetic fields have detected electron jets outflowing from the x point into the ion outflow exhausts. Associated with these jets are extended "outer electron diffusion regions." New PIC simulations with an ion to electron mass ratio as large as 1836 (an H(+) plasma) now show that the jets are strongly deflected and the outer electron diffusion region is broken up by a very weak out-of-plane magnetic guide field, even though the diffusion rate itself is unchanged. Jet outflow and deflection are interpreted in terms of electron dynamics and are compared to recent measurements of jets in the presence of a small guide field in Earth's magnetosheath.     

Splitting Scheme Integration of the Two-and-One-Half-Dimensional Vlasov Equation

A numerical splitting scheme technique is applied to the integration of the Vlasov equation in two-space and three velocity dimensions. Calculations are performed for a cold, stationary ion, mobile electron plasma in the presence of a constant external magnetic field. Results for Landau damping and the two-stream instability are presented in both one and two velocity dimensions. The Landau damping results show a plateau structure in the electron velocity distribution function in both the parallel and perpendicular directions formed as a result of the damping of a high initial electric field propagating at 45° to the parallel velocity axis. The two-stream velocity distribution function shows pitch angle scattering and velocity diffusion for an electron beam initially propagating at 45° to the magnetic field direction through a low-temperature equal density background. The two-stream distribution function evolves to a stable quasi-isotropic plateau structure similar to that found in auroral sounding rocket data.     

Coaxial Discharge and Transverse Magnetic Field

The study deals with the effect of an applied transverse magnetic field on the dynamics and parameters of the focused and expanded plasma in a coaxial discharge. The experimental results were found with a 3 kJ Plasma focus device of a Mather geometry. The discharge takes place in hydrogen gas with base pressure of 0.5 Torr. The experiments are conducted with a 10 kV bank voltage, which corresponds to 100 kA peak discharge current with rise time 8 μs. Helmholtz magnetic coils are placed outside the expansions chamber to produce a transverse magnetic field with intensity 280 G perpendicular to the plasma expanded from the coaxial electrodes. The investigations have shown that the plasma flow along the expansion chamber axis is restricted when applying the externally transverse magnetic field and the maximum axial velocity of the expanded plasma is decreased by 33%. X-ray probe has been used to measure the focused plasma electron temperature (T_e). The experimental results and the calculations showed that T_e is decreased from 2.2 keV to 800 eV with the application of a transverse magnetic field. The expanded plasma electron temperature and density have been measured by an electric double probe, the results cleared that the expanded plasma electron temperature is decreased by 2.6 times while its density is increased by 9 times, when a transverse magnetic field is applied.     

Comparison of the directional characteristics of swift ion excitation for two small biomolecules: glycine and alanine

The characteristics of ions that enter the plasma sheath with an oblique incident angle have been investigated in the presence of an external magnetic field. The ion dynamics in a collisional and collisionless magnetized plasma sheath have been numerically calculated by using a fluid model. Several values for the ion velocity at the sheath edge, orientation and strength of the magnetic field and the ion-neutral collision frequency have been considered. The results show that in a collisionless magnetized plasma sheath, the behaviour of ions that obliquely enter the sheath with some specific velocities at the sheath edge and at some specific orientations and strengths of magnetic field, is more complicated than that of ions with normal entrance angles. For the oblique entrance of ions, the weak magnetic fields cause some fluctuations in ion velocity around its boundary value, i.e. the ion velocity does not accelerate. However, the numerical calculations show that the ion dynamics in a collisional magnetized plasma sheath are the same for both normal and inclined entrance of ions into the sheath.     

Dynamics of an ion flow in an electron layer

We study the acceleration of an ion flow in the electron layer formed by an electron flow moving in a transverse electric field and confined by the intrinsic magnetic field. The possibility of extraction of heavy ions with velocities lower than the ion sound velocity from the plasma, and the feasibility of their further acceleration by an external field is demonstrated.     

The Application of a Plasma Erosion Opening Switch to a Nanosecond Generator at the Power Level of 1010 W

This paper is devoted to experimental studies of a short-pulse (80 ns) inductive system with a coaxial plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS), operating at the 2-5 × 1010 W level. Scalings of the PEOS and ion diode characteristics with different parameters (PEOS plasma density and velocity, PEOS electrode geometry, load impedance, type and strength of an external magnetic field) were carried out. It was seen that for the most efficient energy and power switching to the load by the PEOS, the following conditions are preferable: high velocity and low density of the plasma flow, negative polarity of the inner PEOS electrode, coincidence of the switch current and injected plasma flow directions, the absence of an external magnetic field, and the presence of an additional self-field in the PEOS region. Power enhancement of a factor of 3 and pulse shortening by a factor of 2 were obtained under optimal conditions.     

The effects of ion-neutral collision frequency on the plasma sheath dynamics for oblique entrance of ions into the sheath

Recently it has been shown that the magnetic field has significant effects on the characteristics of ions which enter the collisionless plasma sheath with an oblique incidence angle. Here, we have investigated these effects in collisional plasma sheath. Considering the ion-neutral collision, the basic equations of fluid model in a plasma sheath have been numerically solved in the presence of an external magnetic field where the ion collision frequency has a power law dependency to the ion flow velocity. The results show that the effects of magnetic field on the plasma sheath dynamics strongly depend on the ion-neutral collision frequency and its dependency to ion flow velocity.     

Anomalous plasma diffusion transverse to high magnetic fields in InSb

Investigations on the ambipolar diffusion of an electron-hole plasma transverse to a magnetic field have been carried out in InSb. A plasma layer, produced at the surface of the sample by a short laser pulse, was moved through the sample in crossed electric and magnetic fields by the Lorentz force. From the broadening of the plasma layer we found at 80K an enhanced diffusion coefficient which decreased proportional to 1/B for magnetic fields higher than 1T, constrary to the expected classical 1/B ² dependence. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficient was strongly dependent on the electric field. The ambipolar drift velocity, measured simultaneously showed a classical behaviour. Together with the enhanced diffusion we observed instabilites in the electric potential. The instability threshold decreased towards the cathode.     

柱面内爆磁通量压缩实验中的磁扩散过程

利用一维磁流体力学程序MC11D,对套筒材料为不锈钢的柱面内爆磁通量压缩实验进行了数值模拟,研究了其中的磁扩散过程。计算结果表明:当套筒空腔中的磁场被压缩到350 T左右时,峭面磁扩散波开始形成,磁扩散波的波前从套筒内壁开始以0.75 km/s的平均速度向外快速推进,给磁场的压缩带来了不利影响;随着套筒内壁温度迅速升高,内壁附近会形成一个电阻率仅有0.3 mcm左右的等离子体保护层,又极大地减缓了空腔磁场向套筒中扩散的速度。在磁压缩过程中,峭面磁扩散波和等离子体层对于空腔磁场的扩散起着相反的作用,两者在发展的过程中相互竞争,在不同的阶段分别起着主导作用。