Evaluation of a Novel Plasma Launcher Behavior Using Magneto Hydro Dynamic Modeling-Coupled Time Varying Electron Energy Distribution Function

Abstract

An Electro Magnetic (EM) launcher can be used as an experimental tool to accelerate small-mass specimens up to 300 m/s to study impact phenomena. A plasma armature is employed to avoid the friction produced by a sliding metal armature and, in particular, to prevent high-Z impurities from entering the tokamak. High currents are used to achieve high accelerations, resulting in high plasma temperatures. For this purpose, 2-D and axisymmetric plasma models are widely used as these are less complicated and fairly available. The presented model solves the entire set of magneto hydro dynamic, including transport equations of mass, momentum, and energy along, with the vector potential form of Maxwell's equation-coupled time-varying electron energy distribution function for the novel EM launcher in axial symmetry domain. Radiation of the energy balance is calculated using the P-1 radiation method by dividing the electromagnetic spectrum into several gray bands. Simulations are performed using Comsol Multiphysics 4.2 software.