Two-dimensional axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic analysis of blow-by in a coaxial plasma accelerator

When the driving magnetic pressure profile is unbalanced by the plasma density profile in a coaxial plasma accelerator, a portion of the plasma and associated current sheet may "blow by" the remaining bulk of the plasma. The fast moving plasma creates a significant back electromotive force, draining energy otherwise available for acceleration. The onset of blow-by for an unmagnetized plasma of finite length in a straight coaxial plasma accelerator was studied by exploring systematically the effects of the initial density profile, driving current, plasma temperature, inductance gradient, and electrode radii scale size on the blow-by time. In order to avoid the onset of blow-by, the principal acceleration phase needs to be less than the characteristic blow-by time, which is a function of electrode geometry, plasma conditions, and circuit parameters. For an initially uniform density profile, the total impulse at blow-by time is proportional to the current, plasma mass, jet length, and reciprocal of the electrode radius ratio. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.