Effect of insulator end cap thickness on time-dependent Hartmann flow in a rotating mirror

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gaur, Rahul, Abel, Ian G., Tripathi, Bindesh, Kolemen, Egemen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Gaur, Rahul
Abel, Ian G.
Tripathi, Bindesh
Kolemen, Egemen
author_facet Gaur, Rahul
Abel, Ian G.
Tripathi, Bindesh
Kolemen, Egemen
contents We present a framework for analyzing plasma flow in a rotating mirror. By making a series of physical assumptions, we reduce the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in a three-dimensional cylindrical system to a one-dimensional system in a shallow, cuboidal channel within a transverse magnetic field, similar to the Hartmann flow in the ducts. We then solve the system both numerically and analytically for a range of values of the Hartmann number and calculate the dependence of the plasma flow speed on the thickness of the insulating end cap. We observe that the mean flow overshoots and decelerates before achieving a steady-state value, a phenomenon that the analytical model cannot capture. This overshoot is directly proportional to the thickness of the insulating end cap and the external electric field, with a weak dependence on the external magnetic field. Our simplified model can act as a benchmark for future simulations of the supersonic mirror device Compact Magnetic Fusion Experiment (CMFX), which will employ more sophisticated physics and realistic magnetic field geometries.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_17786
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effect of insulator end cap thickness on time-dependent Hartmann flow in a rotating mirror
Gaur, Rahul
Abel, Ian G.
Tripathi, Bindesh
Kolemen, Egemen
Plasma Physics
We present a framework for analyzing plasma flow in a rotating mirror. By making a series of physical assumptions, we reduce the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in a three-dimensional cylindrical system to a one-dimensional system in a shallow, cuboidal channel within a transverse magnetic field, similar to the Hartmann flow in the ducts. We then solve the system both numerically and analytically for a range of values of the Hartmann number and calculate the dependence of the plasma flow speed on the thickness of the insulating end cap. We observe that the mean flow overshoots and decelerates before achieving a steady-state value, a phenomenon that the analytical model cannot capture. This overshoot is directly proportional to the thickness of the insulating end cap and the external electric field, with a weak dependence on the external magnetic field. Our simplified model can act as a benchmark for future simulations of the supersonic mirror device Compact Magnetic Fusion Experiment (CMFX), which will employ more sophisticated physics and realistic magnetic field geometries.
title Effect of insulator end cap thickness on time-dependent Hartmann flow in a rotating mirror
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.17786