Electron bounce modes in mirror plasmas

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7352319· OSTI ID:7352319

Sharp, W. M.; Berk, H. L.; Nielsen, C. E.

Electron bounce modes can occur in mirror plasmas when the spread in the bounce frequency is small. This condition is satisfied in mirror devices when electrons are principally confined by an approximately quadratic electrostatic potential. These modes are examined by numerically solving an integral equation for the perturbed wave potential in a mirror plasma. A long wavelength mode is found that can be destabilized by ions because of the loss-cone nature of their distribution. Threshold densities and maximum growth rates are calculated using a perturbation method. The theoretical stability threshold predictions agree closely with Baseball II measurements.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7352319
• Report Number(s): UCID-17093
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATICS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PERTURBATION THEORY
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES