Valid flow combinations for stable sheath in a magnetized multiple ion species plasma

Theoretical study is done of the entry criterion for the plasma flow into the electrostatic boundary layer, or sheath, forming in a magnetized multiple ion species plasma. Finding valid entry velocity combinations in a magnetized set up requires a magnetized equivalent of the generalized Bohm criterion. A magnetized generalized entry criterion is obtained with the scale length distribution in a region of validity for the stable solutions. The analysis finds that the valid entry flow velocity combinations with distinct values of individual ion species can correspond to a unique system phase velocity. Magnetization effects govern the region of validity whose boundaries collapse to the unmagnetized sheath criterion in the limit of normal incidence, independent of the strength of the magnetic field. Considerably smaller entry velocities, in comparison to the unmagnetized system sound velocity, are recovered for the species in appropriate regime of magnetization in the cases of oblique incidences. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4768428]