High-Density Fixed Point for Radially Compressed Single-Component Plasmas

Journal Article · Fri Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.99.135005· OSTI ID:21024211

Danielson, J R; Surko, C M; O'Neil, T M ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States)

Rotating electric fields are used to compress electron plasmas confined in a Penning-Malmberg trap. Bifurcation and hysteresis are observed between low-density and high-density steady states as a function of the applied electric field amplitude and frequency. These observations are explained in terms of torque-balanced fixed points using a simple model of the torques on the plasma. Perturbation experiments near the high-density fixed point are used to determine the magnitude, frequency, and voltage dependence of the drive torque. The broader implications of these results are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 21024211
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 13; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.135005; (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
BIFURCATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
HYSTERESIS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS