Anomalous heat transfer in magnetoactive non-isothermal plasmas

Abstract

The anomalous heat transfer across the magnetic field in a non-isothermal plasma, with the cyclotron frequencies of the electrons and ions exceeding their effective collision frequencies, is studied. The stationary electron and ion heat fluxes are found and the possible patterns of the thermal losses are discussed. Within time intervals shorter than the ion free path times, but longer than those of the electron in a plasma with developed ion-acoustic turbulence, the heat transfer is caused by electrons. Within times longer both than the ion free path time and that of the electrons, the relation between the electron and ion fluxes depends on the plasma parameters. In a dense plasma, when the ion-ion collision frequency exceeds the turbulent collision frequency no more than by the ratio of the squared Debye lengths of the electrons and ions, the thermal losses are determined by the electrons. For larger ion-ion collision frequencies, the thermal losses are caused by ions. In a low-density plasma, when the usual ion-ion collisions are of no importance, the relation of the particle thermal fluxes is dependent on the value of the turbulent Knudsen number. Within the limit of the small turbulent Knudsen number the electron thermal losses prevail for short time intervals and then after ion turbulent heating the thermal losses determined by the ions. With large Knudsen numbers, the main part of the thermal fluxes is transferred by more effectively heated ions.