A design environment for plasma and magneto-aerodynamics

"HyPerComp, Inc., a leader in physics-based high performance computing proposes to apply advanced numerical tools to enhance understanding of plasma applications in future military and civilian missions. A focussed effort in the development anddemonstration of advanced numerical techniques and solutions pertaining to equilibrium as well as nonequilibrium MHD applications is currently underway at HyPerComp under AFOSR sponsorship. The existing capability will serve as the platform upon which theproposed activity in plasma applications will be developed. The need for high fidelity numerical tools for accurate prediction of plasma properties is also prevalent in industries other than aerospace. Plasma interactions with electromagnetic fields, andthe propagation of various forms of radiation through plasma layers is of considerable current interest. Code development activities in the present team encompass a range from equilibrium seeded air to unseeded air with basic thermochemical nonequilibriumand then on to integrated Navier-Stokes and Maxwell equation solvers. The additional range of physical phenomena to be investigated in this proposal represents a significant contribution to the present technological readiness. The use of plasma and MHDsystems in flow control offers a mechanically and economically more feasible alternative to variable geometry concepts in supersonic propulsion. This is due to the effect of the MHD force on the flo