Stationary Equilibrium of a Two-Dimensional Plasma in a Magnetic Field

Abstract

Equilibrium of plasmas in a uniform magnetic field is considered with E × B plasma motion perpendicular to the magnetic field and gravitational field (simulating magnetic field curvature). It is concluded that the equilibrium of moving plasmas in the absence of current parallel to the magnetic field is limited to a very small class of configurations even without the gravitational field. With the motion of plasma included, the plasma equilibrium other than the plasma pressure, p = p(U) where U is the gravitational potential, can be constructed. Finally, the implication of the plasma motion for the increase of the resistive diffusion is considered. It is shown that under a large-Larmor-radius configuration, the resistive diffusion could be increased over the classical rate by an amount proportional to the square of the length of a device over the plasma radius.