Two-dimensional electrostatic E x B trapping
The nonlinear motion of a charged particle in a uniformly magnetized, two-dimensional plasma is analyzed in the presence of finite amplitude electrostatic waves traveling in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. In a strongly magnetized plasma, no particle trapping occurs in a single electrostatic traveling wave of arbitrary amplitude, since the induced E x B motion is orthogonal to the direction of wave propagation. However, particle orbits can be trapped when there are at least two mutually orthogonal components of the electrostatic field with finite wave amplitude cE/sub perpendicular//B> or =..omega../k/sub perpendicular/ such that a particle drifts one wavelength in a waveperiod. Exact integrability of the two-wave system implies that there is no stochastic particle behavior. Perturbation of this nonlinear equilibrium by additional waves with incommensurate phase velocities will destroy the coherent island structure and lead to stochastic diffusion. The threshold amplitude for strong nonlinear behavior in the coherent wave case helps to explain the many-wave turbulence criterion for the onset of particle diffusion in a two-dimensional plasma.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5455906
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 23:3; ISSN PFLDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
HAMILTONIANS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
MOTION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA WAVES
QUANTUM OPERATORS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
TRAPPING
TRAVELLING WAVES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS