Multi-Moment Gkeyll Modeling of the Collisionless HIgh-beta Magnetized Experiment Researching Astrophysical Systems (CHIMERAS) Project

Energy and momentum transport from large-scale fields and flows to small scale motions of plasma particles are ubiquitous in space and astrophysical systems, but a full picture of the underlying physical mechanisms remains elusive. These systems are often simultaneously high ion beta (> 1), collisionless, and magnetized; however, existing laboratory devices struggle to produce similar conditions. To enhance our understanding of energy and momentum transport in space and astrophysical systems as envisioned in several recent community planning documents and two decadal surveys (NASEM 2021 & 2024), it is important to build a next-generation laboratory facility to create a high ion beta, collisionless, magnetized plasma in the laboratory. To achieve this parameter regime, the CHIMERAS working group has identified a source-target geometry as the most viable approach, where the source is a fusion-like magnetic mirror which can be emptied through a controllable magnetic nozzle into a target chamber. Here, we present the first simulations of this source-target geometry performed with the multi-moment, multi-fluid solver in the Gkeyll simulation framework, focusing on the super-sonic plasma expansion into the target chamber.