Onset Conditions for the Driven Lower Hybrid Drift Instability in an Expanding Magnetized Plasma

Abstract

Conditions for the turn on of short wavelength flute modes on plasmas expanding across an external magnetic field are discussed. The experimental data concerning scaling of the instability onset as a function of magnetic field are reviewed, followed by a similar review of numerical simulation results. Theoretical conditions for the appearance of the fast growing, short wavelength lower hybrid drift instability are derived. Overall, the experiments and simulations in which a scaling can be deduced suggest the turn-on of the instability is a strong function of the magnetic field. These results are discussed in relation to the NRL laser experiment, which in contrast exhibits little dependence of the instability onset on the applied field. Laser experiment, Early time structuring, Flute instabilities, Numerical simulations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 24, 1989
Accession Number
ADA205505

Entities

People

  • D. Winske

Organizations

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Computer Simulations
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Fluids
  • Frequency
  • Hybrid Simulations
  • Instability
  • Long Wavelengths
  • Magnetic Fields
  • New Mexico
  • Physics
  • Rayleigh Taylor Instability
  • Short Wavelengths
  • Simulations
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy