Thermodynamic equilibrium of pure electron plasmas in a Malmberg-Penning trap

Abstract

A new class of annular confinement configurations of a single-charged plasma corresponding to global thermodynamic equilibria in a cylindrical Malmberg-Penning trap with an axial conductor is investigated both numerically and analytically. In the case of an infinite plasma length, the density turns out to be essentially constant inside a surface of revolution and to fall off abruptly outside of it. Analytical limiting cases are calculated explicitly in the limit of small Debye lengths. In the case of a finite plasma length, the self-consistent solution to Poisson's equation describing thermodynamic equilibrium is obtained numerically and the dependence of the plasma density distribution on the various parameters of the system is investigated.