CONTROL OF THE COMPRESSION ZONE POSITION IN PLASMA STREAMS GENERATED BY MPC

This paper is devoted to the investigation of magnetohydrodynamic characteristics of plasma streams generated by a magnetoplasma compressor (MPC) and control mechanisms of a compression zone position. Nitrogen, helium, and argon were used as working gases. The measurement results of electric currents spatial distributions in the plasma streams identified that for helium (P = 10 Ton) both toroidal vortices and magnetic field displacement from the near-axis region are observed, then, the electric current direction reverses. Similar spatial structure of the electric currents was observed for helium with the initial pressure of 2 Torr. However, in this case, the electric current direction changes much earlier. The electric currents flow from 20 cm to 30 cm from the central electrode of MPC accelerating channel in the modes with nitrogen (P = 0.6 and P = 0.3 Ton). There are current vortices and a sizable magnetic field displacement at a distance of a 6 cm to 18 cm from the MPC output. The duration of a plasma stream generation is about two times less for helium than for the modes of operation with other gases.