Review of the critical velocity of gas-plasma interaction |
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Authors: | J C Sherman |
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Institution: | (1) Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden |
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Abstract: | A review is given of the experimental investigations concerning the critical velocity of the interaction between a neutral
gas and a plasma in relative motion. In most of the experiments this critical velocity is equivalent to a voltage limitation
of a discharge through a partially ionized magnetized plasma. The critical velocity phenomenon can have been of importance
in a large number of experiments but it has been observed in rather few cases and studied in detail in less than half a dozen
plasma machines. The major investigations were made in rotating plasma devices like the Homopolar, plasma guns and a plasma-neutral
gas impact experiment. The emphasis of this paper is concentrated, though not limited, to collision-free plasmas. Thus the
(MPD-)arc experiments are not extensively treated. It is concluded that the existence, under certain conditions, of a critical
velocity, critical voltage or criticalE/B (depending on the particular observation) is proved by sufficient experimental evidence.
In a following article in this issue by J. Sherman the theoretical work in the same field is discussed. |
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