A solvable model for the basic properties of a simple magnetized plasma torus

Abstract

A simple magnetized plasma torus is modeled by using a ‘top-hat’ density variation. The benefit of this simplification is an exactly solvable model, allowing for a few additions, such as an externally maintained parabolic steady state potential variation imposed on the plasma. The combined effects of the resulting plasma rotation and the plasma polarization due to magnetic field gradient particle drifts can be described. The stabilizing and confining effects of plasma rotation are explicitly demonstrated. In a special high plasma density limit the results are confirmed by a more general model, indicating that the results of the top-hat model can be used with confidence in more general cases. A small vertical magnetic field component can be included for a plasma with neutral collisions and its influence on the electron dynamics studied. The effects of ion–neutral collisions are also included. The rotation and polarization of the plasma has different effects on the time variations of the plasma density and potential. As a reference we use data from the Blaamann device at the University of Tromsø obtained by a movable multi-probe, measuring variations in density, floating potential and an electric field component. The fluctuations in the plasma are characterized by auto-correlations and by cross-correlations between the signal from a fixed reference probe and data. The model accounts adequately for the phase variations of the signals for varying spatial multi-probe positions.