Memorias de investigación
Artículos en revistas:
Two-dimensional plasma expansion in a magnetic nozzle: Separation due to electron inertia
Año:2012
Áreas de investigación
  • Ingenierías
Datos
Descripción
A previous axisymmetric model of the supersonic expansion of a collisionless, hot plasma in a divergent magnetic nozzle is extended here in order to include electron-inertia effects. Up to dominant order on all components of the electron velocity, electron momentum equations still reduce to three conservation laws. Electron inertia leads to outward electron separation from the magnetic streamtubes. The progressive plasma filling of the adjacent vacuum region is consistent with electron-inertia being part of finite electron Larmor radius effects, which increase downstream and eventually demagnetize the plasma. Current ambipolarity is not fulfilled and ion separation can be either outwards or inwards of magnetic streamtubes, depending on their magnetization. Electron separation penalizes slightly the plume efficiency and is larger for plasma beams injected with large pressure gradients. An alternative nonzero electron-inertia model [E. Hooper, J. Propul. Power 9, 757 (1993)] based on cold plasmas and current ambipolarity, which predicts inwards electron separation, is discussed critically. A possible competition of the gyroviscous force with electron-inertia effects is commented briefly.
Internacional
Si
JCR del ISI
Si
Título de la revista
Physics of Plasmas
ISSN
1070-664X
Factor de impacto JCR
2,147
Información de impacto
Volumen
19
DOI
Número de revista
Desde la página
083501-1
Hasta la página
083501-9
Mes
AGOSTO
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  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Análisis y experimentación en mecánica de fluidos y combustión