Comparative study of magnetic field effect on fast plasma flow of heavy and light species investigated by spectroscopic measurement

Abstract To understand the effects of magnetic fields on the propagating plasma flows of heavy and light ion species, a laboratory-scale experiment was conducted using a pulsed-power discharge. The plasma drift velocity and electron temperature were estimated by time-of-flight and line-pair methods, respectively, using spectroscopic measurements. Ion current waveforms were measured using an ion collector. When a magnetic field was applied, the plasma drift velocity decreased and the electron temperature increased in both heavy and light plasmas. The magnetic Reynolds number, pressure balance between the plasma and magnetic field, and ion current waveforms show that heavy plasma has a high possibility of deforming the magnetic field and generating accelerated ions through interaction with the magnetic field.