Magneto-Gas Kinetic Method for Nonideal Magnetohydrodynamics Flows: Verification Protocol and Plasma Jet Simulations

Abstract

In this work, the gas-kinetic method (GKM) is enhanced with resistive and Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) effects. Known as MGKM (for MHD–GKM), this approach incorporates additional source terms to the momentum and energy conservation equations and solves the magnetic field induction equation. We establish a verification protocol involving numerical solutions to the one-dimensional (1D) shock tube problem and two-dimensional (2D) channel flows. The contributions of ideal, resistive, and Hall effects are examined in isolation and in combination against available analytical and computational results. We also simulate the evolution of a laminar MHD jet subject to an externally applied magnetic field. This configuration is of much importance in the field of plasma propulsion. Results support previous theoretical predictions of jet stretching due to magnetic field influence and azimuthal rotation due to the Hall effect. In summary, MGKM is established as a promising tool for investigating complex plasma flow phenomena.