Numerical study of plasma evolution X-pinches in two- and three-dimensional geometry using a MHD code, STHENO

Abstract

This paper deals with a newly developed resistive magnetohydrodynamic code, STHENO, for X-pinch analyses on 3D (x, y, z) and 2D (r, z) geometry. The single-fluid two-temperature model is adopted by assuming collisional plasmas. The thermodynamic parameters for various wire materials are employed from the corrected Thomas-Fermi model with the ionization potential in STHENO. The 2D results, which is initially assumed the hollow conical structure for X-pinch, demonstrates the development of the micron Z-pinch and the plasma instability of m = 0. These results are compared with the experiment in Seoul National University, and show a good agreement in the time evolution of the radiation power. The 3D result with STHENO is also found to capture the magnetic field reversal structure and the jet formation.