Laser ablated carbon plume flow dynamics under magnetic field

Abstract

The dynamics of a conducting laser ablated carbon plume flow in the ablation furnace typical for nanoparticle synthesis is investigated by numerical modeling. The effect of magnetic field on the flow is accounted through the Lorentz body force. The study begins with benchmark calculations of two simple test cases, the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and Hartmann layer. The evolution of plume is then studied for longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields. It is observed that the transverse magnetic fields have more impact than longitudinal fields on plume evolution for this application. Ionization and heat capacity variation in the plume are accounted through the Saha equation and the Shomate equation, respectively. Multiple plume ejections typical for pulsed laser deposition of thin films are also discussed.