Simulation of the plume of a magnetically enhanced plasma thruster with SPIS

2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Di Fede ◽  
Mirko Magarotto ◽  
Shaun Andrews ◽  
Daniele Pavarin
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Plasma Plume ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Plasma Thruster ◽  
Simulation Strategy

A three-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation strategy has been implemented to simulate the acceleration stage of a magnetically enhanced plasma thruster (MEPT). The study has been performed with the open-source code Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software (SPIS). The tool has been copiously modified to simulate properly the dynamics of a magnetized plasma plume. A cross-validation of the methodology has been done with Starfish, a two-dimensional open-source PIC software. Two configurations have been compared: (i) in the absence of a magnetic field and (ii) in the presence of a magnetic field generated by a coil with maximum intensity of 300 G at the thruster outlet. The results show a reduction of the plume divergence angle, an increase of ion speed and an increase of the specific impulse in the presence of the magnetic nozzle. The simulations presented in this study are representative of the operative conditions of a 50 W MEPT. Nonetheless, the methodology adopted can be extended to handle the magnetized plasma plume of several other types of thrusters such as electron cyclotron resonance and applied field magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters.

scholarly journals Lepton-driven Nonresonant Streaming Instability

2021 ◽  
Vol 923 (2) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Siddhartha Gupta ◽  
Damiano Caprioli ◽  
Colby C. Haggerty
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Ion Current ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Streaming Instability ◽  
Electrons And Positrons ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract A strong super-Alfvénic drift of energetic particles (or cosmic rays) in a magnetized plasma can amplify the magnetic field significantly through nonresonant streaming instability (NRSI). While the traditional analysis is done for an ion current, here we use kinetic particle-in-cell simulations to study how the NRSI behaves when it is driven by electrons or by a mixture of electrons and positrons. In particular, we characterize the growth rate, spectrum, and helicity of the unstable modes, as well the level of the magnetic field at saturation. Our results are potentially relevant for several space/astrophysical environments (e.g., electron strahl in the solar wind, at oblique nonrelativistic shocks, around pulsar wind nebulae), and also in laboratory experiments.

scholarly journals Harmonic generation in the interaction of laser with a magnetized overdense plasma

2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Srimanta Maity ◽  
Devshree Mandal ◽  
Ayushi Vashistha ◽  
Laxman Prasad Goswami ◽  
Amita Das
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Harmonic Generation ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Plasma Region ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Incident Laser Intensity ◽  
Overdense Plasma ◽  
The Magnetic Field

The mechanism of harmonic generation in both O- and X-mode configurations for a magnetized plasma has been explored here in detail with the help of particle-in-cell simulations. A detailed characterization of both the reflected and transmitted electromagnetic radiation propagating in the bulk of the plasma has been carried out for this purpose. The efficiency of harmonic generation is shown to increase with the incident laser intensity. A dependency of harmonic efficiency has also been found on magnetic field strength. This work demonstrates that there is an optimum value of the magnetic field at which the efficiency of harmonic generation maximizes. The observations are in agreement with theoretical analysis. For the O-mode configuration, this is compelling as the harmonic generation provides for a mechanism by which laser energy can propagate inside an overdense plasma region.

An Electro-Jet Rocket Engine With Big Thrust At Helical Corrugated Magnetic Field

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-118
Author(s):  
Andrey Arzhannikov ◽  
Alexey Beklemishev
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Rocket Engine ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Analytical Description ◽  
Radial Electric Field ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Plasma Stream ◽  
Jet Engines ◽  
Stream Flows ◽  
Drift Motion

A fundamentally new electro-jet rocket engine having a big thrust with a high specific impulse is described in this paper. The acceleration mechanism of magnetized plasma along the axis of a cylindrical chamber with a helical corrugated magnetic field is put in the basis of such engine. The plasma acceleration is achieved during its drift motion by applying a radial electric field. The analytical description of the plasma motion process gives a visual representation of how the diamagnetic forces provide the process of the continuous acceleration of plasma ions along the axis of the helical corrugated magnetic field. As the result of this process, the accelerated plasma stream flows through the expanding cross section of a magnetic nozzle and the thrust of the rocket engine is created. Estimated calculations showed the ability of the new electro-jet rocket engine to achieve the big trust (in the range 102 –104 Newton) with the high specific impulse (from the level 3·104 to 103 seconds, respectively) at a reasonable efficiency. This set of parameters is fundamentally unattainable for another jet engines operating on the basis of other physical mechanisms.

Pseudo-three-dimensional convective cell motion in a magnetized plasma

1984 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Shukla ◽  
M. Y. Yu
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
External Magnetic Field ◽  
Mode Coupling ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Convective Cell ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Space Plasmas ◽  
Linear And Nonlinear ◽  
Convective Cells ◽  
Cell Motion

Linear and nonlinear mechanisms for generating convective cells with finite but small parallel (to the external magnetic field B0) wavelength are presented. The problems of mode-coupling as well as quasi-steady nonlinear mode structures are analytically studied. Possible applications in space plasmas are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects on magnetic reconnection of a density asymmetry across the current sheet

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2471-2483 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. G. Tanaka ◽  
A. Retinò ◽  
Y. Asano ◽  
M. Fujimoto ◽  
I. Shinohara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Region ◽  
Electron Acceleration ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Line Structure ◽  
Simulation Results

Abstract. The magnetopause (MP) reconnection is characterized by a density asymmetry across the current sheet. The asymmetry is expected to produce characteristic features in the reconnection layer. Here we present a comparison between the Cluster MP crossing reported by Retinò et al. (2006) and virtual observations in two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation results. The simulation, which includes the density asymmetry but has zero guide field in the initial condition, has reproduced well the observed features as follows: (1) The prominent density dip region is detected at the separatrix region (SR) on the magnetospheric (MSP) side of the MP. (2) The intense electric field normal to the MP is pointing to the center of the MP at the location where the density dip is detected. (3) The ion bulk outflow due to the magnetic reconnection is seen to be biased towards the MSP side. (4) The out-of-plane magnetic field (the Hall magnetic field) has bipolar rather than quadrupolar structure, the latter of which is seen for a density symmetric case. The simulation also showed rich electron dynamics (formation of field-aligned beams) in the proximity of the separatrices, which was not fully resolved in the observations. Stepping beyond the simulation-observation comparison, we have also analyzed the electron acceleration and the field line structure in the simulation results. It is found that the bipolar Hall magnetic field structure is produced by the substantial drift of the reconnected field lines at the MSP SR due to the enhanced normal electric field. The field-aligned electrons at the same MSP SR are identified as the gun smokes of the electron acceleration in the close proximity of the X-line. We have also analyzed the X-line structure obtained in the simulation to find that the density asymmetry leads to a steep density gradient in the in-flow region, which may lead to a non-stationary behavior of the X-line when three-dimensional freedom is taken into account.

scholarly journals Numerical Investigations of Electromagnetic Oscillations and Turbulences in Hall Thrusters Using Two Fluid Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukhmander Singh ◽  
Bhavna Vidhani ◽  
Ashish Tyagi
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Hall Thruster ◽  
Electron Drift ◽  
Hall Thrusters ◽  
Numerical Investigations ◽  
Electromagnetic Oscillations ◽  
Two Fluid

The first part of the contributed chapter discuss the overview of electric propulsion technology and its requirement in different space missions. The technical terms specific impulse and thrust are explained with their relation to exhaust velocity. The shortcoming of the Hall thrusters and its erosion problems of the channel walls are also conveyed. The second part of the chapter discuss the various waves and electromagnetic instabilities propagating in a Hall thruster magnetized plasma. The dispersion relation for the azimuthal growing waves is derived analytically with the help of magnetohydrodynamics theory. It is depicted that the growth rate of the instability increases with magnetic field, electron drift velocity and collisional frequency, whereas it is decreases with the initial drift of the ions.

scholarly journals On the modeling of planetary plasma environments by a fully kinetic electromagnetic global model HYB-em

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Pohjola ◽  
E. Kallio
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Kinetic Model ◽  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Spherical Wave ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Electromagnetic Model ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Propagation Of Waves

Abstract. We have developed a fully kinetic electromagnetic model to study instabilities and waves in planetary plasma environments. In the particle-in-a-cell (PIC) model both ions and electrons are modeled as particles. An important feature of the developed global kinetic model, called HYB-em, compared to other electromagnetic codes is that it is built up on an earlier quasi-neutral hybrid simulation platform called HYB and that it can be used in conjunction with earlier hybrid models. The HYB models have been used during the past ten years to study globally the flowing plasma interaction with various Solar System objects: Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Saturnian moon Titan and asteroids. The new stand-alone fully kinetic model enables us to (1) study the stability of various planetary plasma regions in three-dimensional space, (2) analyze the propagation of waves in a plasma environment derived from the other global HYB models. All particle processes in a multi-ion plasma which are implemented on the HYB platform (e.g. ion-neutral-collisions, chemical processes, particle loss and production processes) are also automatically included in HYB-em model. In this brief report we study the developed approach by analyzing the propagation of high frequency electromagnetic waves in non-magnetized plasma in two cases: We study (1) expansion of a spherical wave generated from a point source and (2) propagation of a plane wave in plasma. The analysis shows that the HYB-em model is capable of describing these space plasma situations successfully. The analysis also suggests the potential of the developed model to study both high density-high magnetic field plasma environments, such as Mercury, and low density-low magnetic field plasma environments, such as Venus and Mars.

scholarly journals Collimated proton beams from magnetized near-critical plasmas

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deep Kumar Kuri ◽  
Nilakshi Das ◽  
Kartik Patel
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Proton Energy ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Axial Magnetic Field ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Proton Momentum ◽  
Proton Beams ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Linearly Polarized

AbstractGeneration of collimated proton beams by linearly and circularly polarized (CP) lasers from magnetized near-critical plasmas has been investigated with the help of three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Due to cyclotron effects, the transverse proton momentum gets significantly reduced in the presence of an axial magnetic field which leads to an enhancement in collimation. Collimation is observed to be highest in case of a linearly polarized (LP) laser in the presence of magnetic field. However, protons accelerated by a right CP laser in the presence of magnetic field are not only highly collimated but are also more energetic than those accelerated by the LP laser. Although, the presence of an axial magnetic field enhances the collimation by reducing the transverse proton momentum, the maximum proton energy gets reduced since the transverse proton momentum has a significant contribution towards proton energy.

Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of rapid start-up in strapped oven magnetrons due to variation in the insulating magnetic field

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (26) ◽  
pp. 5425-5427 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Luginsland ◽  
Y. Y. Lau ◽  
V. B. Neculaes ◽  
R. M. Gilgenbach ◽  
M. C. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
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