SpectraPlot is a web-based application for simulating spectra of atomic and molecular gases. At the time this manuscript was written, SpectraPlot consisted of four primary tools for calculating: 1) atomic and molecular absorption spectra, 2) atomic and molecular emission spectra, 3) transition linestrengths, and 4) blackbody emission spectra. These tools currently employ the NIST ASD, HITRAN2012, and HITEMP2010 databases to perform line-by-line simulations of spectra. Spec-traPlot employs a modular, integrated architecture, enabling multiple simulations across multiple databases and/or thermodynamic conditions to be visualized in a single interactive plot window. The primary objective of this paper is to describe the architecture and spectroscopic models employed by SpectraPlot in order to provide its users with the knowledge required to understand the capabilities and limitations of simulations performed using SpectraPlot. Further, this manuscript discusses the accuracy of several underlying approximations used to decrease computational time, namely, the use of far-wing cutoff criteria.
Instabilities play a prominent role in determining the inherent structure and properties of magnetized plasma jets spanning both laboratory and astrophysical settings. The manner in which prominent unstable modes dynamically evolve remains key to understanding plasma behavior and control. In astrophysical phenomena, self-similar jets are observed to propagate over vast distances while avoiding breakup caused by unstable mode growth. However, the production of stable dense plasma jets in the laboratory has been limited by the onset of unstable modes that restrict jet lifetime, collimation, and scalability. In this work, we visualize the formation of stable laboratory-generated, dense, super-magnetosonic plasma jets in real time, and we identify an underlying mechanism that contributes to this behavior. The current-driven plasma jets generated in our experiments form a flowing Z-pinch, which is generally unstable to the m = 1 kink instability. Our results indicate that a stable dense plasma jet can be maintained for timescales over which a steady pinch current can be sustained, even at levels which would otherwise lead to rapid unstable mode growth and resultant pinch disassembly.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.