Magnetosheath effects on cylindrical Langmuir probes. Interim report

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:6683159

Szuszczewicz, E P; Takacs, P Z

The response of cylindrical Langmuir probes in magnetoplasmas is studied from a new perspective which focuses on the relative magnitudes of Larmor radius and sheath size. The approach results in a more meaningful classification for magnetic field effects, which are defined as weak-, strong-, and transitional-magnetosheath. Specific classification guidelines are established that involve not only the magnetic field strength but also the plasma parameters of density and temperature, and the applied probe potential. A 0.25 gauss field can have similar effects on a probe's current collection properties in an ionospheric plasma N/sub e/ approx. = 1,000,000 cm/sup -3/ as a 30 kgauss field would have in a hot, dense laboratory plasma N sub e approx. = 10/sup 15/ cm/sup -3/. The magnetosheath classifications are found to agree with new experimental results collected in an ionospheric plasma. The data also show that electron current suppression is as much a function of field strength as sheath size, an important detail not included in existing theoretical models.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6683159
• Report Number(s): AD-A-050585; NRL-MR-3683
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC PROBES
FUNCTIONS
LANGMUIR PROBE
LARMOR RADIUS
MAGNETOSHEATH
MAGNETOSPHERE
PLASMA
PROBES
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS