Scaling of Spoke Rotation Frequency within a Penning Discharge

Abstract

A rotating plasma spoke is shown to develop in two-dimensional full-sized kinetic simulations of a Penning discharge cross-section. Electron cross-field transport within the discharge is highly anomalous and correlates strongly with the spoke phase. Similarity between collisional and collisionless simulations demonstrates that ionization is not necessary for spoke formation. Parameter scans with discharge current $I_d$, applied magnetic field strength $B$ and ion mass $m_i$ show that spoke frequency scales with $\sqrt{e{E}_r{L}_n/m_i}$, where $E_r$ is the radial electric field, $L_n$ is the gradient length scale and $e$ is the fundamental charge. This scaling suggests that the spoke may develop as a non-linear phase of the collisionless Simon-Hoh instability.

References in corpus (4)

• Numerical analysis of azimuthal rotating spokes in a crossed-field discharge plasma
• Particle-in-cell simulations of anomalous transport in a Penning discharge
• Validation and benchmarking of two particle-in-cell codes for a glow discharge
• Numerical investigations of a cylindrical Hall thruster

Cited by in corpus (7)

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• Azimuthal structures and turbulent transport in Penning discharge
• Spoke formation in low temperature ExB plasmas. Transition from gradient-drift instability to ionization wave
• Mode transitions and spoke structures in ExB Penning discharge
• Three-dimensional Helical-rotating Plasma Structures in Beam-generated Partially Magnetized Plasmas