Simulation studies of non-neutral plasma equilibria in an electrostatic trap with a magnetic mirror
Phys. Plasmas 14, 052107 (2007); doi:10.1063/1.2727470
Published 16 May 2007
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The equilibrium of an infinitely long, strongly magnetized, non-neutral plasma confined in a Penning-Malmberg trap with an additional mirror coil has been solved analytically [J. Fajans, Phys. Plasmas 10, 1209 (2003)] and shown to exhibit unusual features. Particles not only reflect near the mirror in the low field region, but also may be weakly trapped in part of the high field region. The plasma satisfies a Boltzmann distribution along field lines; however, the density and the potential vary along field lines. Some other simplifying assumptions were employed in order to analytically characterize the equilibrium; for example the interface region between the low and high field regions was not considered. The earlier results are confirmed in the present study, where two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are performed with the Warp code in a more realistic configuration with an arbitrary (but physical) density profile, realistic trap geometry and magnetic field. A range of temperatures and radial plasma sizes are considered. Particle tracking is used to identify populations of trapped and untrapped particles. The present study also shows that it is possible to obtain local equilibria of non-neutral plasmas using a collisionless PIC code, by a scheme that uses the inherent numerical collisionality as a proxy for physical collisions.
©2007 American Institute of Physics
| History: | Received 18 December 2006; accepted 19 March 2007; published 16 May 2007 |
| Permalink: |
http://link.aip.org/link/?PHPAEN/14/052107/1 |
KEYWORDS and PACS
plasma simulation,
magnetic mirrors,
plasma density,
plasma temperature,
plasma transport processes,
plasma collision processes
- 52.27.Jt
Nonneutral plasmas - 52.65.Rr
Particle-in-cell method (plasma simulation) - 52.55.Jd
Magnetic mirrors, gas dynamic traps - 52.25.Xz
Magnetized plasmas - 52.25.Fi
Plasma transport properties - 52.20.Fs
Electron collisions in plasma - 52.20.Hv
Atomic, molecular, ion, and heavy-particle collisions in plasma - YEAR: 2007
RELATED DATABASES
PUBLICATION DATA
1070-664X (print)
1089-7674 (online)
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