Experiments on stability of equilibria of two vortices in a cylindrical trap

Journal Article · Mon Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.1371· OSTI ID:6213229

Mitchell, T B; Driscoll, C F; Fine, K S ^[1]

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

We observe the ([ital r],[theta]) drift motion of two nearly identical magnetized electron columns bounded by a cylindrical wall. In the 2D [bold E][times][bold B] drift approximation, these columns are vortices evolving according to the Euler equation. We observe stable and unstable equilibria in which the vortices orbit about the center of the cylinder. The equilibrium positions, oscillation frequencies, and instability rates for these spatially extended vortices agree well with the predictions of integrable point vortex theory, apparently because surface waves and shape distortions do not couple to the center-of-mass motion.

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-85ER53199
• OSTI ID: 6213229
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Vol. 71:9; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PLASMA
ELECTRON DRIFT
MAGNETIC FLUX
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
EQUILIBRIUM
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
MAGNETIZATION
OSCILLATIONS
STABILITY
WALLS
CONFIGURATION
700340* - Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities- (1992-)