Magnetic field suppression in collision-less shocks generated during the expansion of a dense plasma into a rarefied medium

School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK

Abstract

A two-dimensional numerical study of the expansion of a dense plasma through a more rarefied one is reported. The electrostatic ion-acoustic shock, which is generated during the expansion, accelerates the electrons of the rarefied plasma inducing a superthermal population which reduces electron thermal anisotropy. The Weibel instability is therefore not triggered and no self-generated magnetic fields are observed, in contrast with published theoretical results dealing with plasma expansion into vacuum.