Formation Mechanism of Dense High-Speed Plasma Flow in Tapered Capillary Discharge

Abstract

We propose a new type of plasma source using a pinch discharge in a tapered capillary, which generates a dense moving plasma by electromagnetic compression and acceleration. The axial velocity and flux of the moving plasma are controllable and can be maximized by adjusting the taper angle. The behavior can be illustrated with a simple model considering the pinching dynamics of the current sheet.