Abstract
We present results from pulsed-power driven differentially rotating plasma experiments designed to simulate physics relevant to astrophysical disks and jets. In these experiments, angular momentum is injected by the ram pressure of the ablation flows from a wire array Z pinch. In contrast to previous liquid metal and plasma experiments, rotation is not driven by boundary forces. Axial pressure gradients launch a rotating plasma jet upward, which is confined by a combination of ram, thermal, and magnetic pressure of a surrounding plasma halo. The jet has subsonic rotation, with a maximum rotation velocity . The rotational velocity profile is quasi-Keplerian with a positive Rayleigh discriminant . The plasma completes 0.5–2 full rotations in the experimental time frame ().
- Received 22 December 2021
- Accepted 29 March 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.195101
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Focus
A Lab Plasma Rotates and Produces Jets
Published 12 May 2023
A spinning plasma ring mimics the rotating structure surrounding a black hole.
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