Motion of a Charged Parand Plasma Equilibrium in a Dipole Magnetic Field – Can a Magnetic Field Trap a Charged Particle? Can a Magnetic Field Having Bad Curvature Trap a Plasma Stably?

Abstract

Since there is no magnetic monopole, the dipole magnetic field is the most elementary form of magnetic field. By studying carefully the motion of a single charged particle and the plasma equilibrium that results, one can obtain insight in the basic behavior of particle motion and equilibrium in a magnetic field. What will be the exact motion of a charged particle? What will be the guiding center motion? Are the equations of motion integrable? What happens if not? Is the plasma equilibrium in a magnetic field having bad curvature everywhere stable? This paper will cover these elementary questions using Hamiltonian dynamics.