Magnetohydrodynamics-enhanced acoustic pressure

We investigate the potential utility of Magneto-hydrodynamics to enhance the acoustic pressure of electrically induced plasma sparks. We compared the displacements of a mylar polyester film caused by plasma sparks in three different settings: Case 1: No magnetic field; Case 2: Magnetic field generating Lorentz force towards the film, and Case 3: Magnetic field generating Lorentz in direction away from the film. We found the displacement consistently larger in Case 3 as compared to Cases 1 and 2. No clear difference was seen between Cases 1 and 2. Although further research is needed to explain this unexpected finding, our results support the hypothesis that MHD enhance the acoustic pressure emitted by plasma sparks.