Three Dimensional Simulations of Two Magnetized Jets Merging

The PLX BETHE project has conducted a series of experiments involving the collision of two jets to study the scaling of peak temperature and the production of magnetic fields. A three dimensional numerical model Smooth Particle Fluid with MAXwell equation solver (SPFMax) has been utilized to support these experiments. These simulations included radiation, thermal conduction, and an electromagnetic field solver based on a combination of transmission line theory and Biot Savart's law. Peak stagnation temperatures at the collisional interface between two plasma jets monotonically increases with jet velocity and molecular weight. Modeling of 100 km/s hydrogen jets give agreement with experimental data in which the temperature reaches 10-12 eV. Simulations with Deuterium and Helium at 140 km/s can reach 50 eV at stagnation. Recent two jet experiments have included solenoid coils to promote jet magnetization, where a peak 0.1 T field was observed at the collisional interface, several times that of individual jets prior to collision. SPFMax modeling of these jets reproduce the peak magnetic field, and we explore methods for amplifying the field at stagnation.