Numerical and experimental investigations of transient plasma-flow interactions with strong magnetic fields

Abstract

The transient phenomena of shock-produced plasma-flow interactions with a transverse magnetic field were numerically and experimentally investigated. The experiments were performed in a test chamber similar to an MHD power generator. Both computations and experiments show that for strong interactions a reflected shock wave is formed in the interaction region and then propagates out of it in the upstream direction. All flow parameters and an x-t diagram of the reflection process were computed and plotted for a region inside and outside the interaction zone. The paths of the primary and reflected shocks were experimentally visualized by means of streak interferometry. Comparison of the numerical x-t plots to the interferograms showed quantitative agreement in all essential phenomena.