Vortex chains and tripolar vortices in dusty plasma flow

Abstract

This chapter derives nonlinear equations describing modes in a spatially non-uniform magnetized dusty plasma consisting of electrons, ions, and dust component and in the frequency domain of drift waves. The macroscopic plasma flow in the basic state can serve as a source of free energy for the development of linear instability of streaming type. In the strongly nonlinear regime, a new type of coherent solution is found in the form of a tripolar vortex, structure settled in the plasma flow and carried in the direction of it. The structures of this type are known to exist in some laboratory and space plasma configurations. In tokamaks they can form a transport barrier in the edge plasma region during transition from L to H regime.