Space charge sheath in plasma-neutral gas interaction

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Neutral Gases, Plasma Interactions, Plasma Sheaths, Space Charge, Argon, Charge Exchange, Current Density, Electron Impact, Gas Density, Plasma Diagnostics

Scientific paper

A space charge sheath is found to be formed whenever a high-velocity magnetized plasma stream penetrates a gas cloud. The sheath is always located at the head of the plasma stream, and its thickness is very small compared to the length of the plasma stream. Soon after the sheath is formed it quickly slows down to the Alfven critical velocity. The plasma behind the sheath continues to move at higher velocity until the whole plasma stream is retarded to the critical velocity. In the interaction at gas density of about 10 to the 19th/cu cm, the sheaths are observed to be accompanied by a single loop of current with current density of about 10,000 A/sq m. Maximum potential in the sheath ranges between 50 and 200 V. Presently available models for the sheath may explain the initiation of the sheath formation. Physical processes like heating of the electrons and ionization of the gas cloud which come into play at a later stage of the interaction are not included in these models. These processes considerably alter the potential structure in the sheath region. A schematic model of the observed sheath is presented. Experiments reveal a threshold value of the magnetic field for plasma retardation to occur. This seems to correspond to the threshold condition for excitation of the modified two-stream instability, which can lead to the electron heating. The observed currents are found sufficient to account for the plasma retardation at a gas density of about 10 to the 17th/cu m.

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