Laboratory plasma physics experiments using merging supersonic plasma jets. (10th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hsu, S. C.; Moser, A. L.; Merritt, E. C.; Adams, C. S.; Dunn, J. P.; Brockington, S.; Case, A.; Gilmore, M.; Lynn, A. G.; Messer, S. J.; Witherspoon, F. D.
• Is Part Of: Journal of plasma physics. Volume 81:Number 2(2015:Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2014-12-10
• Subjects: Plasma (Ionized gases) -- Periodicals; 530.4405
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022377814001184
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3778

Abstract

Abstract : We describe a laboratory plasma physics experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory that uses two merging supersonic plasma jets formed and launched by pulsed-power-driven railguns. The jets can be formed using any atomic species or mixture available in a compressed-gas bottle and have the following nominal initial parameters at the railgun nozzle exit: ne ≈ ni ~ 10 16 cm −3, Te ≈ Ti ≈ 1.4 eV, V jet ≈ 30–100 km/s, mean charge $\bar{Z}$ ≈ 1, sonic Mach number Ms ≡ V jet / Cs > 10, jet diameter = 5 cm, and jet length ≈20 cm. Experiments to date have focused on the study of merging-jet dynamics and the shocks that form as a result of the interaction, in both collisional and collisionless regimes with respect to the inter-jet classical ion mean free path, and with and without an applied magnetic field. However, many other studies are also possible, as discussed in this paper.