An Investigation of Collisionless Plasma Beam Interaction with a Nonhomogeneous Magnetic Field

Author: Lee, Peter Hoong-Yee

Year: 1973

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Kubota, Toshi

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Aeronautics

DOI: 10.7907/XNF6-9D90

Abstract

The interaction between a rarefied flowing plasma and an externally imposed nonhomogeneous magnetic field is studied experimentally in a collisionless plasma wind tunnel, where a collisionless plasma beam is directed through a current loop. The collisionless plasma is generated by an electron bombardment engine. Nominal values of ion flow speed, number density, electron temperature and magnetic induction of the loop are U ~10^4 m/s, N ~5 x 10^7/cc, kT_e ~0.2 eV and B ~10 Gauss, respectively. Due to lack of probe theories in the presence of nonhomogeneous magnetic fields and failure of conventional Langmuir probe methods, a new, simple method of diagnostics is developed. This method employs two probes of different geometry and obtains information on the ion density and flow speed from the ion-saturation region of the probe characteristic. Radial density profiles in the wake of the current loop mapped by the "two-probe" method indicate annular density "peaks" at certain radial positions. In order to understand this non-uniform "pinching" process, a theoretical analysis is attempted. It is found that the experimentally observed phenomenon can be qualitatively described by the collision-less two-fluid equations, but turbulent "friction" is required to improve the two-fluid model. A heuristic turbulent model is used, and evidence of turbulence in the flow field is also obtained through measurements of the fluctuating probe currents.

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