Transport induced by symmetry breaking in a nonneutral plasma

Journal Article · Wed Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3460121· OSTI ID:21366935

Rome, M ^[1]; Kotelnikov, I ^[2]

---

1. INFN Sezione di Milano and Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy)
2. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentyev Av. 11, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation)

Small asymmetries of the confining electric and magnetic fields pose an upper limit on the lifetime of nonneutral plasmas trapped in Malmberg-Penning traps. The present paper reviews the effect of magnetic and electric field errors on the equilibrium of nonneutral plasma based on a suitable parallel current constraint. Together with Poisson's equation, this constraint provides a full set of equations for determining self-consistent asymmetric equilibria of non-neutral plasmas in a Malmberg-Penning trap. Using this approach, the effect on the plasma equilibrium of weak magnetic and electric squeezes (field errors with azimuthal number m = 0), tilt (m = 1) and quadrupole (m = 2) distortions is investigated. Analytical and semi-analytical solutions for the electric potential variation inside the trap are found in a paraxial limit for various radial density profiles of the plasma, including the case of global thermal equilibrium. A direct analog of the Pfirsch-Schlueter and Stupakov currents is also derived. The presented theory of the plasma equilibrium distorted by field errors provides the basis for elaborating a self-consistent theory of the asymmetry induced transport in a Malmberg-Penning trap.

• OSTI ID: 21366935
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1242, Issue 1; Conference: International symposium on plasmas in the laboratory and the Universe: Interactions, patterns, and turbulence, Como (Italy), 1-4 Dec 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3460121; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
ASYMMETRY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
LIFETIME
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA
POISSON EQUATION
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TANDEM MIRRORS
THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM
TRAPPING
TRAPS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES