Seo Byonghoon, Avila Mario, Clevenger Trevor, Castleberry Connor, Lamb Christopher, Ma Xuanye, Nykyri Katariina, Barjatya Aroh, Kim Dae-Woong
Physical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida 32114, USA.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2025 May 1;96(5). doi: 10.1063/5.0249513.
We present the overview of a new experimental apparatus that has been developed to create a single flux rope for studying magnetized plasma jet dynamics, with a focus on the roles of Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in magnetic reconnection and ion heating. The plasma is generated using coplanar electrodes with a single gas nozzle to create a single flux rope, high-voltage capacitor banks, gas puff valves, and a background magnetic field coil. This setup enables controlled exploration of various plasma stability regimes by adjusting external parameters. A comprehensive suite of diagnostic tools-including a He-Ne interferometer, ion Doppler spectroscopy, and a magnetic field probe array-has been implemented to measure key plasma parameters such as density, temperature, and magnetic field. Initial findings indicate that the apparatus can create a single flux rope and sustain it as a stable jet, a kink-unstable jet, and pinched plasma. In particular, kink instability results in significant ion heating, suggesting that magnetic reconnection may be driven by kink instability. These findings provide valuable insights into plasma dynamics relevant to space physics and magnetized inertial fusion, where fluid instabilities and magnetic reconnection are frequently observed.
我们展示了一种新的实验装置的概述，该装置已被开发用于创建单个磁通绳，以研究磁化等离子体射流动力学，重点关注磁流体动力学不稳定性在磁重联和离子加热中的作用。等离子体是通过具有单个气体喷嘴的共面电极产生的，以创建单个磁通绳、高压电容器组、气体吹送阀和背景磁场线圈。这种设置能够通过调整外部参数来可控地探索各种等离子体稳定性状态。已经实施了一套全面的诊断工具，包括氦氖干涉仪、离子多普勒光谱仪和磁场探头阵列，以测量关键的等离子体参数，如密度、温度和磁场。初步研究结果表明，该装置可以创建单个磁通绳，并将其维持为稳定射流、扭结不稳定射流和箍缩等离子体。特别是，扭结不稳定性导致显著的离子加热，这表明磁重联可能由扭结不稳定性驱动。这些发现为与空间物理学和磁化惯性聚变相关的等离子体动力学提供了有价值的见解，在这些领域中经常观察到流体不稳定性和磁重联。
