Theory of axially symmetric probes in a collisionless magnetoplasma: Aligned spheroids, finite cylinders, and disks

Abstract

A theory is presented for current collection by electrostatic probes in a collisionless, Maxwellian plasma containing a uniform magnetic field B, where the probes are spheroids or finite cylinders whose axis of symmetry is aligned with B, or disks perpendicular to B. The theory yields upper-bound and adiabatic-limit currents for the attracted particle species. For the repelled species, it yields upper and lower bounds. This work is an extension of existing theory for spherical probes by Rubinstein and Laframboise.