Analysis of powder particle acceleration and heating processes in a discharge capillary - ablative pipe device

Abstract

A theoretical model for the study of the acceleration of powder particles by plasma produced in an ablative discharge device is proposed. In this work, particles made of low thermal diffusivity materials, such as , are considered. The model equations allow a consistent evaluation of the plasma's main thermodynamic and hydrodynamic characteristics, as well as those of the accelerated particles. The effect of the changes in the device geometry and of the value of the input energy on the plasma and particle physical parameters are studied. The aim of this work is twofold. First, to prove that the plasma produced in such a device can be used to accelerate particles to high velocities; second, to show that by proper variations of the device geometry and input power, an extended range of plasma parameters and, consequently, of the accelerated particle parameters can be obtained. As a result, these kinds of plasma and particle fluxes can hopefully be used in many applications. At the same time, the theoretical model presented here could be helpful in the design of such devices.