Analysis of a collisional plasma rotating inside a cylindrical annulus

✍ Scribed by V. Thiagarajan; V.K. Rohatgi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1977
• Weight: 703 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-7480
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-7480(77)90078-x

✦ Synopsis

A collisional plasma confined between co-axial cylindrical electrodes and rotating un~ler E x B fields has been analysed in the diffuse discharge regime on the basis of 2-species MHD momentum equations, including Lorentz, pressure, centrifugal, coriolis and coUisional forces, for possible applications to MHD disc generators, isotope separation and plasma diagnostics. Plasma neutrality and constant and uniform electron and gas temperatures have been assumed; boundary layer effects have been neglected. The non-dimensional equations were numerically solved to obtain stationary solutions of velocity and density distributions, for argon at a pressure of 33 Torr. It is observed that: 1. The centrifugal force is negligible. 2. Coriolis and electron pressure gradient terms need to be included (though their contributions are small) for simultaneous balance of radial and azimuthal momenta. 3. The distributions are different for currents flowing radially inward and outward. 4. Retrograde motion (in part or whole of the annulus) occurs over a range of B fields for current flowing radially inward. MHD-disc-generator Isoiope-separation Plasma-diagnostics Argon Collisional-plasma Diffuse discharge Non-equilibrium-plasma Rotating-plasma