Vacuum Spark Plasma Research Articles

74. Supersonic motion of vacuum spark plasmas along magnetic fields.: D. Finkelstein, G. A. Sawyer, and T. F. Stratton, Physics of Fluids, 1, 188–193, May–June 1958

74. Supersonic motion of vacuum spark plasmas along magnetic fields.: D. Finkelstein, G. A. Sawyer, and T. F. Stratton, Physics of Fluids, 1, 188–193, May–June 1958

Supersonic Motion of Vacuum Spark Plasmas along Magnetic Fields

Studies of plasmas produced by sparks in vacuum are reported. The observations of principal interest concern the speed with which such plasmas leave the spark. The conclusions about plasma speeds are that they are approximately ten times greater than the thermal speeds associated with spark temperature, varying between 2 × 106 and 2 × 107 cm/sec, and in the range observed, the velocities are approximately independent of the spark parameters. It is suggested that the pinch effect may be the mechanism of plasma acceleration.