Expansion of a radial plasma blast shell into an ambient plasma

TL;DR

This study uses particle-in-cell simulations to model how a radial plasma blast shell expands into an ambient plasma, revealing shock formation, solitary wave development, and symmetry breaking effects.

Contribution

First simulation-based analysis of radial plasma blast shell expansion showing shock dynamics and solitary wave interactions in an unmagnetized plasma.

Findings

Electrostatic shock forms during expansion

Ion-acoustic solitary waves develop and entangle

Flow symmetry is broken by wave interactions

Abstract

The expansion of a radial blast shell into an ambient plasma is modeled with a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The unmagnetized plasma consists of electrons and protons. The formation and evolution of an electrostatic shock is observed, which is trailed by ion-acoustic solitary waves that grow on the beam of the blast shell ions in the post-shock plasma. In spite of the initially radially symmetric outflow, the solitary waves become twisted and entangled and, hence, they break the radial symmetry of the flow. The waves and their interaction with the shocked ambient ions slows down the blast shell protons and brings the post-shock plasma closer to an equilibrium.