Hybrid Paricle-in-Cell Simulations of Electromagnetic Coupling and Waves From Streaming Burst Debris

TL;DR

This paper uses large-scale hybrid particle-in-cell simulations to study electromagnetic coupling and wave phenomena resulting from ionized debris streaming from explosions into magnetized plasmas, revealing complex instability structures.

Contribution

It introduces a 3-D hybrid PIC simulation framework to analyze debris-induced instabilities and their role in shock formation, extending previous 1-D studies.

Findings

Distinct transverse instability structures in 3-D compared to 1-D.

Debris beam parameters significantly influence coupling efficiency.

Insights into shock generation mechanisms in plasma environments.

Abstract

Various systems can be modeled as a point-like explosion of ionized debris into a magnetized, collisionless background plasma -- including astrophysical examples, active experiments in space, and laser-driven laboratory experiments. Debris streaming from the explosion parallel to the magnetic field may drive multiple resonant and non-resonant ion-ion beam instabilities, some of which can efficiently couple the debris energy to the background and may even support the formation of shocks. We present a large-scale hybrid (kinetic ions + fluid electrons) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, extending hundreds of ion inertial lengths from a 3-D explosion, that resolves these instabilities. We show that the character of these instabilities differs notably from the 1-D equivalent by the presence of unique transverse structure. Additional 2-D simulations explore how the debris beam length, width, density, and speed affect debris-background coupling, with implications for the generation of quasi-parallel shocks.