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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

A 100 KW Class Applied-field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster
Published on: December 22, 2018
Self-generation of megagauss magnetic fields during the expansion of a plasma
1Centre de Physique Théorique, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Palaiseau, France.
Abstract:
The expansion of a plasma slab into a vacuum is studied using one-dimensional and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. As electrons transfer their longitudinal kinetic energy to ions during the expansion, the electron temperature becomes anisotropic. Once this anisotropy exceeds a threshold value, it drives the Weibel instability, leading to magnetic fields in the megagauss range. These fields induce energy transfer between the longitudinal and transverses directions, which influences the expansion. The impact of a cold electron population on this phenomenon is also investigated.
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