Extended Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the Plasma Bubble Expansion Experiment

We study the dynamics of propagating and expanding plasma "jets" and "bubbles" into a lower density, weakly magnetized background plasma. To this end we use the extended magnetohydrodynamic (XMHD) simulation code PERSEUS, in which the Hall and electron inertial terms are included in the generalized Ohm's law (GOL). The simulations mimic the geometry and parameters of the Plasma Bubble Expansion Experiment (PBEX) at the University of New Mexico, and enable experiment-model comparisons in order to validate the numerical model and gain detailed understanding of the underlying physics. The results aid in determining possible conditions that could lead to shock formation and instabilities in future PBEX experiments, as well as in finding the validity regime of the ideal MHD model for the PBEX plasma and the relative importance the Hall term.