76 research outputs found
Equilibrium model for two low-pressure electronegative plasmas connected by a double layer
Plihon et al. [J. Appl. Phys.98, 023306 (2005)] have recently shown that double layers usually form during the expansion of a low pressure electronegative plasma. These double layers act as permeable internal boundaries between the source (upstream) plasma and the downstream expanding plasma; positive ions flow from upstream to downstream whereas negative ions flow in the opposite direction. So far, the detailed physical mechanisms leading to their formation have not been identified. In this paper, we develop a model for the two plasma equilibria, upstream and downstream, assuming that the double layer exists and couples the two plasmas. At very low pressure, typically 0.5mTorr, the coupling is strong and acts both ways. The negative ions created downstream contributes to the upstream equilibrium as well as the upstream positive ions contribute to the downstream equilibrium. As the pressure increases, the situation becomes asymmetric. The sourceplasma is not affected by the negative ions flowing from downstream, whereas the positive ions coming from the source control the downstream plasma equilibrium, where local ionization is negligible.This work has been supported by the European Space
Agency, under Ariadna Study Contract No. ACT-04-3101.
One of the authors A.J.L. acknowledges the hospitality of
the LPTP, where the collaboration was begun
Flow dynamics and magnetic induction in the von-Karman plasma experiment
The von-Karman plasma experiment is a novel versatile experimental device
designed to explore the dynamics of basic magnetic induction processes and the
dynamics of flows driven in weakly magnetized plasmas. A high-density plasma
column (10^16 - 10^19 particles.m^-3) is created by two radio-frequency plasma
sources located at each end of a 1 m long linear device. Flows are driven
through JxB azimuthal torques created from independently controlled emissive
cathodes. The device has been designed such that magnetic induction processes
and turbulent plasma dynamics can be studied from a variety of time-averaged
axisymmetric flows in a cylinder. MHD simulations implementing
volume-penalization support the experimental development to design the most
efficient flow-driving schemes and understand the flow dynamics. Preliminary
experimental results show that a rotating motion of up to nearly 1 km/s is
controlled by the JxB azimuthal torque
Induction in a von Karman flow driven by ferromagnetic impellers
We study magnetohydrodynamics in a von K\'arm\'an flow driven by the rotation
of impellers made of material with varying electrical conductivity and magnetic
permeability. Gallium is the working fluid and magnetic Reynolds numbers of
order unity are achieved. We find that specific induction effects arise when
the impeller's electric and magnetic characteristics differ from that of the
fluid. Implications in regards to the VKS dynamo are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
Direct observation of the turbulent emf and transport of magnetic field in a liquid sodium experiment
International audienceFor the first time, we have directly measured the transport of a vector magnetic field by isotropic turbulence in a high Reynolds number liquid metal flow. In analogy with direct measurements of the turbulent Reynolds stress (turbulent viscosity) that governs momentum transport, we have measured the turbulent electromotive force (emf) by simultaneously measuring three components of velocity and magnetic fields, and computed the correlations that lead to mean-field current generation. Furthermore, we show that this turbulent emf tends to oppose and cancel out the local current, acting to increase the effective resistivity of the medium, i.e., it acts as an enhanced magnetic diffusivity. This has important implications for turbulent transport in astrophysical objects, particularly in dynamos and accretion disks
Large scale forcing of a turbulent plasma dynamo
International audienceThis investigation focuses on the forcing of a large scale velocity field in a plasma. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop efficient stirring mechanisms in order to generate a large-scale driven turbulent flow in a plasma vessel and to generate, and better understand, a large scale dynamo. Numerical simulations are carried out using recently developed numerical methods for plasma flows. It is shown how the vessel can be stirred by locally imposing an electric field, and what the resulting three dimensional flow-field looks like
Equilibrium model for two low-pressure electronegative plasmas connected by a double layer
International audiencePlihon et al. ͓J. Appl. Phys. 98, 023306 ͑2005͔͒ have recently shown that double layers usually form during the expansion of a low pressure electronegative plasma. These double layers act as permeable internal boundaries between the source ͑upstream͒ plasma and the downstream expanding plasma; positive ions flow from upstream to downstream whereas negative ions flow in the opposite direction. So far, the detailed physical mechanisms leading to their formation have not been identified. In this paper, we develop a model for the two plasma equilibria, upstream and downstream, assuming that the double layer exists and couples the two plasmas. At very low pressure, typically 0.5 mTorr, the coupling is strong and acts both ways. The negative ions created downstream contributes to the upstream equilibrium as well as the upstream positive ions contribute to the downstream equilibrium. As the pressure increases, the situation becomes asymmetric. The source plasma is not affected by the negative ions flowing from downstream, whereas the positive ions coming from the source control the downstream plasma equilibrium, where local ionization is negligible
Flexible screen-printed piezoelectric P (VDF-TrFE) copolymer microgenerators for energy harvesting
International audienc
Fabrication and characterization of piezoelectric microgenerators for flexible energy harvesting using P (VDF-TrFE) screen-formulated inks
International audienc
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