Magnetogasdynamic Compression of a Coaxial Plasma Accelerator Flow for Micrometeoroid SimulationA new configuration of a coaxial plasma accelerator with self-energized magnetic compressor coil attached is described. It is shown that the circuit may be treated theoretically by analyzing an equivalent circuit mesh. The results obtained from the theoretical analysis compare favorably with the results measured experimentally. Using this accelerator configuration, glass beads of 125 micron diameter were accelerated to velocities as high as 11 kilometers per second, while 700 micron diameter glass beads were accelerated to velocities as high as 5 kilometers per second. The velocities are within the hypervelocity regime of meteoroids. |
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accelerated particles accelerator with compressor aluminum foil annular electrode approximately bank charging voltage CALL SYMBOL camera capacitor bank charging capacitor bank voltage center electrode coaxial accelerator current coaxial cables coaxial plasma accelerator coil current X1 COMMON KKX compression compressor coil current compressor coil inductance constant K7 current density DERY 11 differential equations DIMENSION Y 11 dT dT dX1 dT electrical current equations 24 equivalent circuit ERROR WEIGHTS experiments FCT2 FCT4 FORMAT glass beads holder rail IGNITRONS IHLF impact detector inductance mode initial values kilovolt km/s L₁ leaving the coaxial magnetic field Marshall Space Flight micrometeoroid simulation micron microsecond Mylar foil nondimensional oscilloscope parameters particle acceleration particle initial diameter particle velocity Photograph photomultiplier plasma flow Plasma leaving plasma velocity potential drop PRMT range with plasma ring holder secondary discharge shown in Figure SUBROUTINE FCT3 SUBROUTINE HPCG SUBROUTINE OUTP switch assembly Technische Universität München test range theoretical W5 COMMON VK