Electrothermal filamentation of igniting plasmas

Dense, hot plasmas are susceptible to the electrothermal instability: a collisional process which permits temperature perturbations in electron currents to grow. It is shown here that linearizing a system comprised of two opposing currents and a mobile ion background as three distinct fluids yields...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. E 2024-09, Vol.110 (3-2), p.035205, Article 035205
Main Authors: Martin, H, Paddock, R W, von der Leyen, M W, Eliseev, V, Ruskov, R T, Timmis, R, Lee, J J, James, A, Norreys, P A
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Dense, hot plasmas are susceptible to the electrothermal instability: a collisional process which permits temperature perturbations in electron currents to grow. It is shown here that linearizing a system comprised of two opposing currents and a mobile ion background as three distinct fluids yields unstable modes with rapid growth rates (∼10^{13}s^{-1}) for wavenumbers below a threshold k_{th}. An analytical threshold condition is derived, this being surpassed for typical hot-spot and shell parameters. Particle-in-cell simulations successfully benchmark the predicted growth rates and threshold behavior. Electrothermal filamentation within the shell will impact the burn wave propagation into the cold fuel and resulting burn dynamics.
ISSN:2470-0045
2470-0053
2470-0053
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevE.110.035205