Formation and Relaxation of Two-Dimensional Vortex Crystals in a Magnetized Pure-Electron Plasma

Journal Article · Fri Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.99.115002· OSTI ID:21028218

Kiwamoto, Y; Hashizume, N; Soga, Y; Aoki, J; Kawai, Y ^[1]

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1. Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)

Systematic examinations are carried out experimentally about the contribution of background vorticity distributions (BGVD's) to the spontaneous formation and decay of ordered arrays (vortex crystals) composed of strong vortices (clumps) by using a pure-electron plasma. It is found that the BGVD level needs to be higher for an increasing number of clumps to form vortex crystals and that the number of the clumps constituting the crystal decreases in time as {proportional_to}{gamma}lnt in contrast to {proportional_to}t{sup -{xi}} with {xi}{approx_equal}1 as accepted well in turbulence models. The decay rate {gamma} increases with the BGVD level. The observed configurations of the clumps cover the theoretically predicted catalogue of vortex arrays in superfluid helium, suggesting a possible relaxation path of the crystal states.

• OSTI ID: 21028218
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.115002; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CRYSTALS
ELECTRONS
HELIUM
PLASMA
SUPERFLUIDITY
TURBULENCE
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS