Discrete Boltzmann Modeling of Plasma Shock Wave

TL;DR

This paper develops a discrete Boltzmann model to analyze plasma shock waves, revealing unique non-equilibrium effects and charge deviations that differ from normal fluids and resemble detonation waves.

Contribution

A novel two-dimensional discrete Boltzmann model for plasma shock waves is proposed, capturing non-equilibrium effects and charge dynamics in high-energy-density environments.

Findings

Shock wave structure differs from normal fluids, similar to detonation waves.

Non-equilibrium effects intensify with Mach number.

Charge deviations from neutrality vary upstream and downstream.

Abstract

Plasma shock waves widely exist and play an important role in high-energy-density environment, especially in the inertial confinement fusion. Due to the large gradient of macroscopic physical quantities and the coupled thermal, electrical, magnetic and optical phenomena, there exist not only hydrodynamic non-equilibrium (HNE) effects, but also strong thermodynamic non-equilibrium (TNE) effects around the wavefront. In this work, a two-dimensional single-fluid discrete Boltzmann model is proposed to investigate the physical structure of ion shock. The electron is assumed inertialess and always in thermodynamic equilibrium. The Rankine-Hugoniot relations for single fluid theory of plasma shock wave is derived. It is found that the physical structure of shock wave in plasma is significantly different from that in normal fluid and somewhat similar to that of detonation wave from the sense that a peak appears in the front. The non-equilibrium effects around the shock front become stronger with increasing Mach number. The charge of electricity deviates oppositely from neutrality in upstream and downstream of the shock wave. The large inertia of the ions causes them to lag behind, so the wave front charge is negative and the wave rear charge is positive. The variations of HNE and TNE with Mach number are numerically investigated. The characteristics of TNE can be used to distinguish plasma shock wave from detonation wave.