Stability of Uniform Electrical Current Fields in Conducting-Radiating Gases

摘要

The stability of a uniform two-dimensional electrical current field was analyzed with the result that continuum gases are unstable for non zero temperature disturbances when the electrical conductivity of the gas increases with temperature. Filaments or small arcs are predicted to occur between electrodes with different potentials. Filament half-widths were estimated to be very small and not strongly dependent on the peak heat flux potential and they respond to voltage changes in less than a microsecond. The formation of numerous shorting filaments between adjacent electrodes in MHD Hall and segmented electrode devices is suggested as the cause of Hall potential losses. (Author)