breakdown

This is a simulation of a high voltage breakdown of metallic (copper) surface in accelerating structure.
Accelerating cavities employ extremely high electromagnetic field to accelerate charged particles.
During operation a small defect on the copper surface heats up due to ohmic losses and field emission. If the defect melts, the electromagnetic field pulls the liquid into the cavity (known as Maxwell tension). The droplet bursts - this process is followed up by plasma formation, back-bombarding of the surface with ions (from outgasing from the surface).
It is an interesting and important multiphysics process which was not studied completely.
A successful solution of the breakdonw problem will allow scientists to increase the accelerating gradient in the accelerators.
This will decrease the total length of future particle accelerators.
(for example proposed length of the International Linear Collider, ILC, is between 19 and 31 miles))

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• simulation
• electrodynamis
• breakdown