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High-energy particles of a few hundred keV for electrons and up to MeV for ions were observed in a plasma focus device. Haruki et al. [Phys. Plasmas 13, 082106–1 (2006)] studied the mechanism of high-energy particle production in pinched plasma discharges by use of a 3D relativistic and fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code. It was found that the pinched current is unstable against a sausage instability, and then becomes unstable against a kink instability. As a result high-energy electrons were observed, but protons with MeV energies were not observed. In this paper the same pinch dynamics as Haruki and co-workers is investigated, focusing on the shock formation and the shock acceleration during the pinched current. It is found that a fast magnetosonic shock wave is produced during the pinching phase which, after the maximum pinch occurs, is strongly enhanced and propagates outwards. Some protons trapped in the electrostatic potential produced near the shock front can be accelerated to a few MeV by the surfatron acceleration mechanism. It is also found that the protons accelerated along the pinched axis have a ring-shaped angular distribution that is observed from numerous experiments.

In an experimental plasma, high-energy particles were observed by using a plasma focus device, to obtain energies of a few hundred keV for electrons, up to MeV for ions. In order to study the mechanism of high-energy particle production in pinched plasma discharges, a numerical simulation was introduced. By use of a three-dimensional relativistic and fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code, the dynamics of a Z-pinch plasma, thought to be unstable against sausage and kink instabilities, are investigated. In this work, the development of sausage and kink instabilities and subsequent high-energy particle production are shown. In the model used here, cylindrically distributed electrons and ions are driven by an external electric field. The driven particles spontaneously produce a current, which begins to pinch by the Lorentz force. Initially the pinched current is unstable against a sausage instability, and then becomes unstable against a kink instability. As a result high-energy particles are observed.

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A gravity current in a channel at the presence of a triangular obstacle was investigated using LES simulation and the Eulerian approach. The Saffman–Mei equation was also applied to examine the effect of shear-induced lift force on particle deposition. To this end, particles were considered as Lagrangian markers and injected into gravity current. It is important to keep in mind that the interaction between the gravity current and particles was treated as a one-way coupling. The results show that shear-induced lift force prevents particles to deposit at the entrance of channel, where the velocity gradient is high. Furthermore, a reduction in the rate of sediment deposition can be seen again in the vicinity of obstacle due to high velocity gradient. The important result is that the shear-induced lift force has an important role in the cases with considerable velocity gradient in quasi-steady flows and this force can affect the pattern of sedimentation over time. Q criterion is utilized to depict the vortical structures of flow. Vortical structures with larger diameter, that indicate stronger vortexes, has been seen in various sections of channel, especially in the region near the obstacle due to the presence of obstacle.

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