Adiabatic expansion of clustering carbon plasma. Self-consistent calculation

UDC 532.525, 537.523 Self-consistent calculation of the stationary problem on radially symmetric adiabatic expansion of low-intensity carbon plasma has been performed. The initial conditions for plasma expansion correspond to the conditions of the outlet cross-section of the electromagnetic rail plasma accelerator — the railgun. In the course of solving the problem, we determine the temperature, pressure, and concentration of plasma components, as well as of carbon clusters, beginning from the moment at which the clusterization becomes substantial. It has been shown that a small part of the flow of carbon atoms (less than 1%) is subjected to clusterization in a wide range of conditions, and the process of clusterization itself proceeds in a narrow three-dimensional layer. Beyond this layer the percentage of carbon atoms transforming to clusters remains almost the same, and the rate of decrease in the temperature with the coordinate drops considerably as compared to the rate before the beginning of clusterization. The results of the calculation have been compared with the results of the essentially similar calculation of the carbon clusterization under the conditions of a fullerene arc.