A Hall-current model of electron loss after POS opening into high-impedance loads

Abstract

A self-consistent relativistic model of laminar Hall (E*B) electron flow access of a plasma-opening-switch (POS) plasma allows a loss mechanism after opening, even in a strongly magnetically insulated line, downstream of the remaining POS plasma. Opening is assumed to occur at the cathode, either by erosion or push-back. The loss results only when a large voltage appears after opening into a high-impedance load. Then the difference in potential between the plasma, which is near anode potential, and the cathode results in an axial component of E at the load end of the plasma, which supports an E*B drift of electrons across the gap. The analytic model predicts that this loss should increase with higher voltage after opening and can be eliminated only by removing the plasma from the gap or eliminating cathode electron emission (both difficult), or by confining this downstream electron flow with an applied magnetic field.<>