Plasma Shock Research Articles

Preparation and Characterization of High-entropy Alloys for Electrocatalysis

High-entropy alloys (HEAs), due to their exceptional mechanical properties, thermal stability, and corrosion resistance, have garnered significant attention in the field of materials science. This paper reviews the primary preparation methods of HEAs, such as carbothermal shock, electrochemical synthesis, and spark plasma sintering, and analyzes the characteristics of these methods in terms of compositional control and synthesis efficiency. Through various characterization techniques, researchers can gain an in-depth understanding of the microstructure and elemental distribution of HEAs, thereby enhancing their performance in applications such as catalysis. Although substantial progress has been made in HEA research, challenges such as phase separation and equipment costs continue to hinder large-scale industrial applications. Future studies should focus on improving the controllability and environmental sustainability of preparation processes to advance the widespread application of HEAs in energy, catalysis, and electronics.

The Meaning of Quasi‐Simultaneous X‐Rays and Gamma‐Ray Observations of RS Oph in Outburst

ABSTRACTShocks in novae outbursts are ubiquitous, but in symbiotic novae, they are particularly powerful, probably because of the surrounding red giant wind. The recurrent nova RS Oph is the best example of this phenomenon. The presence of shocked plasma in outburst was inferred from optical spectra, and it was confirmed by X‐ray observations since 1985. Since 2010, the gamma‐ray observatory Fermi has proven that novae in general are the site of particle acceleration, producing copious gamma‐ray flux in the few‐GeV range. In the last outburst of the symbiotic RS Oph in 2021, gamma‐rays were not only detected with Fermi in the GeV range but also detected in the TeV range of the Cherenkov telescopes, for about 3 weeks. Diesing et al. in 2023 showed that there must have been at least two distinct episodes of shocks, likely of hadronic nature, both generating particle acceleration. We present new NuSTAR data and re‐discuss XMM‐Newton high‐resolution grating spectra and NICER data that we recently published. We concluded that the primary shock causing the particle acceleration observed in the range of TeV gamma‐rays with the Cherenkov telescopes was the same phenomenon observed and studied with the x‐ray observatories. However, the shocked plasma from which the particles were accelerated causing the gamma‐ray flux observed after 1 day with Fermi was—at least initially—unobservable. We suggest that this first episode of shock occurred when the nova ejecta collided with a dense outflow close to the atmosphere of the red giant, with such a high absorbing column that x‐rays were absorbed.

Compound electron acceleration at planetary foreshocks

Shock waves, the interface of supersonic and subsonic plasma flows, are the primary region for charged particle acceleration in multiple space plasma systems, including Earth’s bow shock, which is readily accessible for in-situ measurements. Spacecraft frequently observe relativistic electron populations within this region, characterized by energy levels surpassing those of solar wind electrons by a factor of 10,000 or more. However, mechanisms of such strong acceleration remain elusive. Here we use observations of electrons with energies up to 200 kiloelectron volts and a data-constrained model to reproduce the observed power-law electron spectrum and demonstrate that the acceleration by more than 4 orders of magnitude is a compound process including a complex, multi-step interaction between more commonly known mechanisms and resonant scattering by several distinct plasma wave modes. The proposed model of electron acceleration addresses a decades-long issue of the generation of energetic (and relativistic) electrons at planetary plasma shocks. This work may further guide numerical simulations of even more effective electron acceleration in astrophysical shocks.

Influences of Infrared Dye Content and Laser Energy Density on Laser Propulsion Performance of ADN-Based Liquid Propellants.

Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) is a new green oxidant, which is a kind of high-energy ionic liquid and has been widely used in the field of liquid propulsion. When it is used in laser plasma propulsion, its poor absorption coefficient significantly limits its application. To address the issue, this paper investigates the effects of the content of the infrared dye and the laser energy density on the laser propulsion performance of an ADN-based liquid propellant. The performance of the liquid propellant was tested by the light absorption performance test system and the micro-impulse test system. The results show that the addition of infrared dye can significantly improve the light absorption performance of the liquid matrix. As the content of the infrared (IR) dyes increases from 0.3 wt.% to 0.6 wt.%, the absorption coefficient of the ADN-based liquid propellant increases from 248.84 cm-1 to 463.85 cm-1, and the absorption depth decreases from 40.20 μm to 21.56 μm. At a laser energy density of 21.60 J·cm-1, when the IR dye content increases from 0.3 wt.% to 0.6 wt.%, the specific impulse increases from 26.43 s to 54.43 s and the ablation efficiency increases from 4.32% to 18.21%. Significantly luminous plasma appears in the ablation plume at higher laser energy densities, accompanied by higher-velocity plasma shock waves. Compared to the factor of the infrared dye content, the laser energy density contributes more to the ablation efficiency, especially when the increase in laser energy density promotes the full release of chemical energy from the liquid propellant, which, in turn, also enhances the impulse, impulse coupling coefficient, and the plasma detonation velocity. The results provide an important reference for the design of an energy-containing liquid propellant.

Classifying the Magnetosheath Using Local Measurements From MMS

AbstractThe Earth's magnetosheath is a dynamic region of shocked solar wind plasma downstream of the bow shock. Depending on the upstream magnetic field orientation, the magnetosheath usually has one of two distinct configurations: a more variable magnetosheath with strong fluctuations and structures propagating from upstream to downstream, or a more stationary magnetosheath characterized by compression and high ion temperature anisotropy. The more variable magnetosheath is usually observed for quasi‐parallel shocks (the angle between the shock normal and the upstream magnetic field ), but the limit can vary for . These differences facilitate studies of how different plasma environments affect various processes such as turbulence and heating, and these require an accurate magnetosheath classification. Since can rarely be determined correctly in the absence of upstream monitors, local measurements have been suggested to classify the magnetosheath. However, this has not yet been verified for Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data. We investigate this approach with MMS using locally measured magnetic field variability, ion temperature anisotropy, and suprathermal ion flux. We find the more variable magnetosheath at normalized magnetic fluctuations above 0.29 and ion temperature anisotropy below 0.18. We also find that the suprathermal ion flux can complement the classification given that MMS burst‐mode data is used. Our findings provide a method to determine the magnetic connectivity of the magnetosheath with the upstream solar wind in the case of MMS and classify the downstream region into different configurations.

Interaction of the Shock Train Leading Edge and Filamentary Plasma in a Supersonic Duct

Quasi-direct current (Q-DC) filamentary electrical discharges are used to control the shock train in a back-pressured Mach 2 duct flow. The coupled interaction between the plasma filaments and the shock train leading edge (STLE) is studied for a variety of boundary conditions. Electrical parameters associated with the discharge are recorded during actuation, demonstrating a close correlation between the STLE position and dynamics. High-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) and high frame-rate color camera imaging are the primary optical diagnostics used to study the flowfield and plasma morphology. Shock tracking and plasma characterization algorithms are employed to extract time-resolved quantitative data during shock–plasma interactions. Four distinct shock–plasma interaction types are identified and outlined, revealing a strong dependence on the spacing between the uncontrolled STLE and discharge electrodes and a moderate dependence on flow parameters.

Measurement of plasma characteristic parameters of copper foil explosion using interferometry

The accurate testing of plasma temperature and electron density and shock wave pressure during an electroburst in a copper foil transducer is critical for the characterization of the detonation performance of its elements. In this paper, the sequence of interferograms during the detonation of a copper foil transducer is captured at a frame rate of 3×106fps in conjunction with Mach–Zehnder interferometry and high-speed photography, and the results clearly demonstrate the propagation of the shock wave wavefront and plasma. The phase differences disturbed by plasma are extracted using the Fourier transform method, and the refractive index distributions are reconstructed with the Abel algorithm. Subsequently, based on the refractive index models of the shock wave and plasma, the shock wave pressure and plasma temperature and electron density are partitioned and reconstructed. Results show that the maximum shock wave pressure in the detonation of the copper foil transducer element is 1.297 atm, the maximum plasma temperature is 16,280 K, and the maximum plasma electron density is 2.134×1017cm−3. This study provides a theoretical and technical foundation for the detonation performance testing of pyrotechnic energy-conversion components.

Ion Reflection by a Rippled Perpendicular Shock.

We use multispacecraft Magnetospheric Multiscale observations to investigate electric fields and ion reflection at a nonstationary collisionless perpendicular plasma shock. We identify subproton scale (5-10 electron inertial lengths) large-amplitude normal electric fields, balanced by the Hall term (J×B/ne), as a transient feature of the shock ramp related to nonstationarity (rippling). The associated electrostatic potential, comparable to the energy of the incident solar wind protons, decelerates incident ions and reflects a significant fraction of protons, resulting in more efficient shock-drift acceleration than a stationary planar shock.

The impact of periastron passage on the X-ray and optical properties of the Symbiotic System R Aquarii

Abstract Multi-epoch Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the symbiotic system R Aquarii (R Aqr) spanning 22 yr are analysed by means of a reflection model produced by an accretion disc. This methodology helps dissecting the contribution from different components in the X-ray spectra of R Aqr: the soft emission from the jet and extended emission, the heavily-extinguished plasma component of the boundary layer and the reflection contribution, which naturally includes the 6.4 keV Fe fluorescent line. The evolution with time of the different components is studied for epochs between 2000 Sep and 2022 Dec, and it is found that the fluxes of the boundary layer and that of the reflecting component increase as the stellar components in R Aqr approach periastron passage, a similar behaviour is exhibited by the shocked plasma produced by the precessing jet. Using publicly available optical and UV data we are able to study the evolution of the mass-accretion rate $\dot{M}_\mathrm{acc}$ and the wind accretion efficiency η during periastron. These exhibit a small degree of variability with median values of $\dot{M}_\mathrm{acc}$=7.3× 10−10 M⊙ yr−1 and η=7× 10−3. We compare our estimations with predictions from a modified Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion scenario.

Laser-Driven Proton-Only Acceleration in a Multicomponent Near-Critical-Density Plasma.

An experimental investigation of collisionless shock ion acceleration is presented using a multicomponent plasma and a high-intensity picosecond duration laser pulse. Protons are the only accelerated ions when a near-critical-density plasma is driven by a laser with a modest normalized vector potential. The results of particle-in-cell simulations imply that collisionless shock may accelerate protons alone selectively, which can be an important tool for understanding the physics of inaccessible collisionless shocks in space and astrophysical plasma.

Mechanism of generating collisionless shock in magnetized gas plasma driven by laser-ablated target plasma

The mechanism of generating collisionless shock in magnetized gas plasma driven by laser-ablated target plasma is investigated by using one-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulation. The effect of finite injection time of target plasma, mimicking the finite width of laser pulse, is taken into account. It was found that the formation of a seed-shock requires a precursor. The precursor is driven by gyrating ions, and its origin varies depending on the injection time of the target plasma. When the injection time is short, the target plasma entering the gas plasma creates a precursor; otherwise, gas ions reflected by the strong piston effect of the target plasma create a precursor. The precursor compresses the background gas plasma, and subsequently, a compressed seed-shock forms in the gas plasma. The parameter dependence on the formation process and propagation characteristics of the seed-shock was discussed. It was confirmed that the seed-shock propagates through the gas plasma exhibiting behavior similar to the shock front of supercritical shocks.

On the Formation of Super-Alfvénic Flows Downstream of Collisionless Shocks

Super-Alfvénic jets, with kinetic energy densities significantly exceeding that of the solar wind, are commonly generated downstream of Earth's bow shock under both high- and low-beta plasma conditions. In this study, we present theoretical evidence that these enhanced kinetic energy flows can be driven by firehose-unstable fluctuations and compressive heating within collisionless plasma environments. Using a fluid formalism that incorporates pressure anisotropy, we estimate that the downstream flow of a collisionless plasma shock can be accelerated by a factor of 2–4 following the compression and saturation of firehose instability. By analyzing quasi-parallel magnetosheath jets observed in situ by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we find that approximately 11% of plasma measurements within these jets exhibit firehose-unstable fluctuations. Our findings offer an explanation for the distinctive generation of fast downstream flows in both low (β < 1) and high (β > 1) beta plasmas, and provide new evidence that kinetic processes are crucial for accurately describing the formation and evolution of magnetosheath jets.

Modeling on shock wave collision between asymmetric clouds driven by powerful laser

The cloud–cloud collision is one of the primary mechanisms proposed for forming massive stars. In addition to astronomical observations, plenty of numerical simulations have been conducted. However, relevant laboratory astrophysical studies remain relatively lacking. Using a magnetohydrodynamic simulation code, we simulate the collision of asymmetric plasma shock waves driven by a laser to model the cloud–cloud collision. We investigate the evolution of the collision region with external magnetic fields in different directions. The results indicate that when a strong magnetic field is perpendicular to the collision velocity (referred to as the collision plane), the development of turbulence within the collision region is effectively suppressed, and the magnetic field component in this direction is significantly amplified, the magnetic field in the collision region exhibits a coherent structure. Such coherent magnetic structures may contribute to the formation of coherent interstellar magnetic fields. Additionally, the probability density function of mass density shifts toward high-density regions. This shift could result in the formation of more massive cores from cloud–cloud collisions in the presence of strong magnetic fields.

Damping of Strong GHz Waves near Magnetars and the Origin of Fast Radio Bursts

We investigate how a fast radio burst (FRB) emitted near a magnetar would propagate through its surrounding dipole magnetosphere at radii r = 107–109 cm. First, we show that a GHz burst emitted in the O-mode with luminosity L ≫ 1040 erg s−1 is immediately damped for all propagation directions except a narrow cone along the magnetic axis. Then, we examine bursts in the X-mode. GHz waves propagating near the magnetic equator behave as magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves if they have L ≫ 1040 erg s−1. The waves develop plasma shocks in each oscillation and dissipate at r∼3×108L42−1/4 cm. Waves with lower L or propagation directions closer to the magnetic axis do not obey MHD. Instead, they interact with individual particles and require a kinetic description. The kinetic interaction quickly accelerates particles to Lorentz factors 104–105 at the expense of the wave energy, which again results in strong damping of the wave. In either propagation regime, MHD or kinetic, the dipole magnetosphere surrounding the FRB source acts as a pillow absorbing the radio burst and reradiating the absorbed energy in X-rays. These results constrain the origin of observed FRBs. We argue that the observed FRBs avoid damping because they are emitted by relativistic outflows from magnetospheric explosions, so that the GHz waves do not need to propagate through the outer equilibrium magnetosphere surrounding the magnetar.

PIC simulation of a nonoscillatory perturbation on a subcritical fast magnetosonic shock wave

Abstract We use a two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation to study the propagation of subcritical fast magnetosonic shocks in electron-nitrogen plasma and their stability against an initial deformation. A slab of dense plasma launches two planar blast waves into a surrounding ambient plasma, which is permeated by a magnetic field that points out of the simulation box and is spatially uniform at the start of the simulation. One shock propagates into a spatially uniform ambient plasma. This reference shock has a Mach number of 1.75, and the heating of ions only along the shock normal compresses the ions that cross the shock to twice the upstream density. Drift instabilities lead to rapidly growing electron-cyclotron harmonic waves ahead of the location where the shock’s density overshoot peaks, and to slowly growing lower-hybrid waves with a longer wavelength behind it. The second shock wave enters a perturbation layer that deforms it into a sine shape. Once the shock leaves the perturbation layer, the deformation is weakly damped and non-oscillatory, and the shock remains stable. Even without an external perturbation, and for the plasma parameters considered here, drift instabilities will cause ripples in the shock wave. These instabilities lead to a spatially and temporally varying compression of the plasma that crosses the shock.

Bow Shock Ripples and Their Modulation of Whistler Wave Packets: MMS Observations

AbstractThe terrestrial bow shock is the boundary where supersonic solar wind slows down abruptly near the magnetopause. The shock front geometry could be modulated by surface waves to form rippled structures, which impact the acceleration process of the solar wind particles. However, the rippled structures are hard to be identified unambiguously due to the similar signatures in single‐spacecraft observations between rippled shocks and reforming shocks. Here, we utilize the four‐spacecraft observations from the MMS mission to investigate an event of quasi‐perpendicular bow shock crossing. The periodic oscillations of shock normal directions and normal velocities support the scenario of surface wave propagation in the tangential direction. We also reconstruct the shock profile along the normal direction, and its monotonic shape further excludes the occurrence of shock reformation. These ripples are found to modulate the reflected ions and whistler wave packets, which adds to the complexity of the bow shock plasma environments.

202 - Erectile dysfunction treatment by platelet-rich plasma and extracorporeal shock wave therapy

202 - Erectile dysfunction treatment by platelet-rich plasma and extracorporeal shock wave therapy

Immunometabolic Chaos in Septic Shock.

Septic shock is associated with over 40% mortality. The immune response in septic shock is tightly regulated by cellular metabolism and transitions from early hyper-inflammation to later hypo-inflammation. Patients are susceptible to secondary infections during hypo-inflammation. The magnitude of the metabolic dysregulation and the effect of plasma metabolites on the circulating immune cells in septic shock are not reported. We hypothesized that the accumulated plasma metabolites affect the immune response in septic shock during hypo-inflammation. Our study took a unique approach. Using peripheral blood from adult septic shock patients and healthy controls, we studied: 1. Whole blood stimulation ± E. Coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS: endotoxin) to analyze plasma TNF protein, and 2. Plasma metabolomic profile by Metabolon. Inc. 3. We exposed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls to commercially available carbohydrate, amino acid, and fatty acid metabolites and studied the response to LPS. We report that: 1. The whole blood stimulation of the healthy control group showed a significantly upregulated TNF protein, while the septic shock group remained endotoxin tolerant, a biomarker for hypo-inflammation. 2. A significant accumulation of carbohydrate, amino acid, fatty acid, ceramide, sphingomyelin, and TCA cycle pathway metabolites in septic shock plasma. 3. In vitro exposure to five metabolites repressed while two metabolites upregulated the inflammatory response of PBMCs to LPS. We conclude that the endotoxin-tolerant phenotype of septic shock is associated with a simultaneous accumulation of plasma metabolites from multiple metabolic pathways, and these metabolites fundamentally influence the immune response profile of circulating cells.

Experimental Study of Surface Microtexture Formed by Laser-Induced Cavitation Bubble on 7050 Aluminum Alloy

In order to study the feasibility of forming microtexture at the surface of 7050 aluminum alloy by laser-induced cavitation bubble, and how the density of microtexture influences its tribological properties, the evolution of the cavitation bubble was captured by a high-speed camera, and the underwater acoustic signal of evolution was collected by a fiber optic hydrophone system. This combined approach was used to study the effect of the cavitation bubble on 7050 aluminum alloy. The surface morphology of the microtexture was analyzed by a confocal microscope, and the tribological properties of the microtexture were analyzed by a friction testing machine. Then the feasibility of the preparation process was verified and the optimal density was obtained. The study shows that the microtexture on the surface of a sample is formed by the combined results of the plasma shock wave and the collapse shock wave. When the density of microtexture is less than or equal to 19.63%, the diameters of the micropits range from 478 μm to 578 μm, and the depths of the micropits range from 13.56 μm to 18.25 μm. This shows that the laser-induced cavitation bubble is able to form repeatable microtexture. The friction coefficient of the sample with microtexture is lower than that of the untextured sample, with an average friction coefficient of 0.16. This indicates that the microtexture formed by laser-induced cavitation bubble has a good lubrication effect. The sample with a density of 19.63% is uniform and smooth, having the minimum friction coefficient, with an average friction coefficient of 0.14. This paper provides a new approach for microtexture processing of metal materials.

Electrochemical Investigation of Plasma Channels During Hydraulic‐Electric Pulsed Discharges

ABSTRACTThe hydraulic‐electric pulsed discharge(HEPD) rock‐breaking technology is a new high‐efficiency technology that generates plasma shock waves to rupture rocks. Since the plasma channel formation mechanism involved in HEPD rock‐breaking technology is difficult to describe, there are fewer theoretical models of this technology. This paper establishes a HEPD plasma model, which integrally considers the mutual coupling between five physical fields. The multi‐physical field model realizes the whole process of plasma channels, breakdown channels, plasma shock waves, and plasma shock wave rock‐breaking during the HEPD. The changes in mass fraction, density, and diffusion flux of relevant elements in the electrochemical reaction equation of the plasma channel are comprehensively analyzed. The obtained plasma multiphysics field model shows that the interpenetration of charged ions forms the breakdown channel and plasma channel. The anion number density is related to the H‐ number density, and the decrease in H‐ number density is due to the fact that the energy in the plasma channel is not sufficient to satisfy the relevant chemical equations to continue the collision reaction. The damage to the rock by the plasma shock wave takes the form of a gradual spreading of the plasma shock wave from the center of the rock to the edges, which leads to rock fragmentation. The model has the potential to establish a link between HEPD rock‐breaking parameters and the efficiency of HEPD rock‐breaking, which could provide a practical way for the development and parameter optimization of hydraulic‐electric pulsed discharge rock‐breaking tools.