Plasma Theory and Simulation

Abstract

A magnetized plasma next to an absorbing wall is simulated, showing positive wall charging causing a large E-field near the wall, than a large ExB drift, then a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, vortices and coalescence. Particle transport to the walls is Bohm-like, for omega sub pi > omega sub ci. Plasma transport across B sub O to a wall is studied without and with an active antenna buried in the wall. Particle losses are increased appreciably by the fields of the antenna. Small angle Coulomb collisions produce a drag force and diffusion tensor, which are calculated self-consistently. This produces a FP-PIC method. An example is shown for a beam scattering off fixed ions. Implicit particle simulations are discussed for bounded plasma. The effect of source distribution on the sheath potential is discussed. Initiation of an effort to simulate a traveling-wave tube is discussed. Substantial progress has been made in making our standard periodic code ES1 work efficiently on a fast PC. A plasma sheath reference listing is discussed.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 30, 1988
Accession Number
ADA207952

Entities

People

  • Charles K. Birdsall

Organizations

  • University of California, Berkeley

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Computational Science
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Simulations
  • Computers
  • Distribution Functions
  • Electron Emission
  • Electrons
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Personal Computers
  • Plasma Sheaths
  • Simulations
  • Traveling Wave Tubes
  • Traveling Waves
  • Two Dimensional
  • Word Processors

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Plasma Physics.