Measuring the effect of a nonmagnetic obstacle on average density and magnetic field in flowing magnetized plasma in the Bryn Mawr Experiment (BMX)

Plasma is a state of matter that governs nearly 99% of space. With the current state of research, it is impossible to have a model which perfectly encapsulates plasma. With its relevance in nearly all areas of STEM research, particularly to fusion energy, it is worthwhile investigating plasma to learn more about this state of matter. One notable behavior of plasma in the world of physics is turbulence. The Bryn Mawr Experiment (BMX) is a chamber and vacuum system with a magnetized plasma gun source. The system has three sections: a copper section, where plasma plumes are shot out, an aluminum section for flux conservation, and a stainless-steel section for flux dissipation. Single-loop three-axis magnetic wire coils (b-dot probes) are used to measure fluctuating magnetic fields within the system and tungsten wire Langmuir probes are used to measure ion saturation current as a proxy for plasma density. The BMX is a model used to study the behavior of plasma in space, specifically the interactions between the sun and the moon. In this experiment, a semicircle-shaped ceramic Macor tile was placed within the BMX. Probes (b-dot and Langmuir) were placed both in front of and behind this blocker. Measurements of average magnetic field and ion saturation current show that the both are greatly reduced behind the plate and the reduction is larger the further the probes are moved behind the blocker.