Separation of Magnetic Driving and Ohmic Heating

Abstract

In this experiment, brief unidirectional current discharges were passed through nitrogen in the presence of a transverse uniform magnetic field. The gas between the electrodes was heated and given a directed velocity. Since flow is limited to the direction of this directed velocity, the usual shock-tube theory modified for this velocity may be used to describe shock development. This theoretical method, which provides separation of the roles of magnetic driving and Ohmic heating, was found to be precisely applicable until the material traverses more than half the electrode dimension during the discharge. The technique seems potentially useful for studying plasma conductivity and equation of state.