Numerical study of plasma–wall transition in an oblique magnetic field

Abstract

The interaction of a plasma with a fixed wall is investigated numerically. The ions are described by a kinetic model, while the electrons are assumed to be at thermal equilibrium. Finite Debye length effects are taken into account. An Eulerian code is used for the ion dynamics, which enables us to obtain a fine resolution of both position and velocity space. First, we analyse the effect of ionization and collisions, which bring the ion flow to supersonic velocity at the entrance of the Debye sheath (Bohm's criterion). Second, we consider a collisionless sheath with an oblique magnetic field. A magnetic presheath, which has a width of several ion gyroradii, is located between the Debye sheath and the bulk plasma. We perform a systematic numerical study of these sheaths for different incidences of the magnetic field.