AN EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY OF MHD IONIZING FRONTS,

Abstract

An experimental and theoretical description of ionization fronts propagating into hydrogen with a bias magnetic field in the plane of the front is presented. The experimental evidence showed that the absolute light intensity behind the front corresponds to a fully ionized plasma. The density ratio was obtained by measuring the magnitude of the current in the front, the front speed, and using the equation of mass and momentum. The front speeds are small compared to the Alfven velocity and are characterized by a critical velocity, i.e., the velocity a molecule must have so the kinetic energy equals the energy necessary to ionize it. A theory for the ionization front was developed which neglects the plasma pressure and abandons the condition E = V x B both ahead and behind the front. The theory predicts the front velocity and the rather unusal variation of the density ratio across the fronts with the front speed. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0606894

Entities

People

  • E. R. Pugh
  • R. M. Patrick

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Energy
  • Equations
  • Hydrogen
  • Intensity
  • Ionization
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Molecules
  • Momentum
  • Physical Properties

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.