How Does Compressing Fully Ionized Gas Accelerate Ions to High Energies?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
8 replies · 2K views
naviakam
Messages
103
Reaction score
3
Fully ionized gas, if compressed to a cylinder of mm scale, collapses rapidly and accelerates the e/ions to very high energies (MeV). The temperature in the compressed gas is around 100 eV.
What could be the possible acceleration mechanism?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Let me re-write it as:
Ionized gas (as a result of kV potential), if compressed (by magnetic field) to a mm cylinder, collapses rapidly and accelerates the e/ions to MeV.
What could be the possible acceleration mechanism?
 
The question is how a magnetic field, while compresses the ions, cause acceleration? How the related equation could be written for such condition?
 
mfb said:
Are you asking about a Z-pinch?
What's a moving magnetic field in one reference frame is an electric field in another.
I don't know about "Z-pinch"?
Just interested to know (with BSc phys knowledge):
Isn’t it possible that time varying magnetic field surrounding ions, produces an electric field that accelerates the enclosed ions? And write down the equation!
In other word, how magnetic pressure produces electric field to energize the ions enclosed?
 
naviakam said:
I don't know about "Z-pinch"?
Wikipedia has an article about it. I even linked to the article.

Before there is any chance to answer your question you need to clearly describe the setup you think about. Hand-waving around isn't sufficient.
 
mfb said:
Wikipedia has an article about it. I even linked to the article.

Before there is any chance to answer your question you need to clearly describe the setup you think about. Hand-waving around isn't sufficient.
I found this explanation in an article that probably describe what I am looking for but ask to help me to understand it:
1612199292539.png

There are a few points here:
It's a ring type current, I(r).
Current density variation means that the current at each r has a different value.
If these two are correct then what does it mean that 1. the current variation toward axis results in a magnetic field 2. variation in r direction yields azimuthal magnetic field (theta) and axial electric field (z).
 
jedishrfu said:
Are you trying to design a plasma engine?
Not designing anything, just to understand which approach defines the condition and physically could be explained.