Transport of a nonneutral electron plasma due to electron collisions with neutral atoms

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.862334· OSTI ID:6840371

Douglas, M H; O'Neil, T M

Transport of a nonneutral electron plasma across a magnetic field is caused by electron scattering from ambient neutral atoms. A theoretical model of such transport is presented, assuming the plasma is quiescent and the scattering is elastic scattering from infinite mass scattering centers of constant momentum transfer cross section. This model is motivated by recent experiments. A reduced transport equation is obtained by expanding the Boltzmann equation for the electron distribution in inverse powers of the magnetic field. The equation together with Poisson's equation for the radial electric field, which must exist in a nonneutral column, determine the evolution of the system. When these two equations are properly scaled, they contain only a single parameter: the ratio of initial Debye length to initial column radius. For cases where this parameter is either large or small, analytical solutions, or at least partial solutions, are obtained. For intermediate values of the parameter, numerical solutions are obtained.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
• OSTI ID: 6840371
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 21:6; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700105* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Plasma Kinetics-Theoretical-- (-1987)
ATOM COLLISIONS
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
COLLISION INTEGRALS
COLLISIONS
CONFIGURATION
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
EQUATIONS
INTEGRALS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
POISSON EQUATION
QUIESCENT PLASMA
TRANSPORT THEORY