Switching of low density diode plasmas
- 1 June 1985
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 46 (11) , 1045-1047
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.95753
Abstract
The switching action of low density injected carbon plasmas is investigated by a numerical collisionless two‐dimensional electromagnetic particle simulation. The plasma switch is considered in a planar vacuum transmission line with input current per unit length ramped at 240 A/cm ns during 10 ns, and short circuit output. The calculations, done with C+ ions at 4×1012/cm3, exhibit switching of the current from the plasma switch to the short circuit load. At early times (1–2 ns) a sheath of positive charge forms at the cathode by depletion of the plasma electrons. The electric fields at the cathode are large enough to explain the formation of a denser cathode plasma. The mechanism of switching appears to be, for this density and load conditions, the magnetic limiting of drifting electrons. The ion motion seen plays an insignificant role in this particular case.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Vacuum inductive store/pulse compression experiments on a high power accelerator using plasma opening switchesApplied Physics Letters, 1983
- Carbon plasma gunReview of Scientific Instruments, 1980
- A fast-opening switch for use in REB diode experimentsJournal of Applied Physics, 1977
- Nonphysical self forces in some electromagnetic plasma-simulation algorithmsJournal of Computational Physics, 1973