Whistler wings from moving electrodes in a magnetized laboratory plasma

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In a large laboratory plasma the current pattern set up by moving electrodes has been measured. It is observed that the current flows oblique to the magnetic field at an angle given by the electrode speed across and the current penetration along which is controlled by whistler waves. The current pattern, characterized as “whistler wings”, occurs irrespective of whether the electrodes collect electrons/ions or emit fast electron beams. These results are relevant to active experiments in space involving electrodynamic tethers, beam injections and large space stations.